Mendocino County, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal Requirement
- Mendocino County Code Sec. 9A.08.040
- Compliance Options
- Subscribe to franchised hauler OR self-haul without compensation
- Franchise Required
- To collect/transport refuse for pay (Sec. 9A.12.010)
- Service Availability
- Board provides collection in all unincorporated areas (Sec. 9A.12.020)
- Garbage Frequency
- Weekly; 20/32/64/96-gallon gray carts (Redwood Waste Solutions)
Summary
In unincorporated Mendocino County, every owner or tenant must arrange satisfactory refuse removal under County Code Sec. 9A.08.040, either by subscribing to the franchised hauler or by self-hauling to a permitted facility without compensation. The County provides franchised collection in all unincorporated areas.
The owner or tenant shall effect the removal of solid waste by one of the following means: (A) Collection Service. A person may elect to use the waste hauling services provided by a franchised collector in his/her collection area. (B) Self-Haul Refuse Removal. A person may remove and dispose of refuse created, produced or accumulated without the necessity of a permit for that purpose; provided, however, that such removal and disposal is effected without compensation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Mendocino County Code Title 9A (Solid Waste), rewritten by Ordinance 4506 in 2022, governs garbage collection in the unincorporated County. 040 makes the owner or tenant of any premises responsible for the 'satisfactory removal of all refuse' in accordance with state requirements, and allows two methods: (A) using the waste-hauling services of the franchised collector in that collection area, or (B) self-hauling refuse to a permitted disposal site without compensation and without a permit for that purpose. 010 requires anyone collecting, transporting, or using refuse for compensation in the unincorporated County to hold a franchise, while letting residents haul their own waste.
020, the Board provides franchised refuse-collection service available in all unincorporated areas of the County; the current franchised hauler in much of the County is Redwood Waste Solutions, which offers weekly garbage pickup with 20-, 32-, 64-, or 96-gallon gray carts and operates transfer stations for self-haulers. 040(B)(6). Rules inside the incorporated cities differ from these unincorporated-area requirements.
Violations & Fines
Failure to provide satisfactory refuse removal can lead to accumulation being declared a public nuisance under Chapter 8.75 and abated at the owner's expense. Collecting or transporting refuse for compensation without a County franchise violates Section 9A.12.010, and Title 9A violations are enforced under Chapter 9A.24 with notices, Chapter 1.08 administrative penalties, and possible infraction charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is trash service mandatory in unincorporated Mendocino County?
Can a neighbor haul my trash for me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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