Tuolumne County, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Title 7 of the Tuolumne County Ordinance Code (Integrated Waste Management) establishes a franchise system in which the County divides the unincorporated area into "collection areas" (Section 7.08.030) served by franchised haulers. "Curb service" is defined in 7.08.070 as "collection of waste containers placed by the residential customer adjacent to a street," and "residential service" (7.08.270) covers single-family through four-family homes, mobile homes and trailers. Importantly, subscription is not mandatory: the County's Curbside Collection program states residents "may subscribe to curbside collection services" or "self-haul" garbage to a transfer station. Three franchised haulers operate in the unincorporated county - Cal Sierra Disposal/WM (209) 532-1413, Moore Bros Scavenger (209) 962-7224, and Burns Refuse Service (209) 928-4251 - and each sets its own collection days, routes and rates by service area; the County does not publish a single countywide pickup schedule. Self-haul customers can use the Cal Sierra/WM Transfer Station in Sonora (open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.), the Groveland/Big Oak Flat Transfer Station (Wed and Sat), or the Pinecrest Transfer Station (seasonal hours). The County's Solid Waste Division (209) 533-5588 oversees the franchised haulers and disposal infrastructure.