Richmond, VA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Richmond City Code § 23-44(a)
- Earliest set-out
- 4:00 p.m. the day before pickup
- Set-out deadline
- 6:00 a.m. collection day
- Removal deadline
- 7:00 a.m. the day after collection
- Repeat-violation penalty
- $50 civil fine after two notices
- Penalty billed
- On the monthly utility statement
Summary
Richmond City Code § 23-44(a) sets the collection window for curbside refuse and recycling bins: out no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before pickup, and back off City property by 7:00 a.m. the day after collection. Leaving a bin out past that deadline twice in a year draws a $50 civil penalty.
(a)Refuse receptacles, recycling bins, and bulk items shall be placed for collection at a location designated by the Director of Public Works. Refuse receptacles, recycling bins, and bulk items must be placed out for collection by 6:00 a.m. of the scheduled collection day but not earlier than 4:00 p.m. of the day preceding, except for any special times as deemed necessary by the Director of Public Works. The refuse receptacles and recycling bins must be removed by 7:00 a.m. on the day following collection from City property or right-of-way to include, but not be limited to, sidewalks, alleys and median strips between sidewalks and roadways... If, after receiving two such notices in the same calendar year, the account holder fails to remove any refuse receptacle or recycling bin from City property or right-of-way by 7:00 a.m. on the day following collection, the Department of Public Works... shall cause to be imposed on the account holder a civil penalty in the amount of $50.00. Such civil penalty shall be included on the account holder's monthly utility statement...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
Section 23-44(a) governs exactly when residents can put bins at the curb and when they must take them back. of the collection day itself, at a spot the Director of Public Works designates. the day after collection. An account holder can ask the Director of Public Works for permission to leave a bin out longer if there is no other outdoor storage spot that does not require carrying the container back indoors; the Director can grant that permission and can revoke it at any time.
the day after the notice is delivered to remove it. The rule has real teeth on repeat violations: after two such notices in the same calendar year, if the account holder still fails to remove the container by the deadline, the Department imposes a $50 civil penalty, billed on the account holder's monthly utility statement and collected the same way as other delinquent utility charges.
Violations & Fines
A first and second late-bin notice in a calendar year just resets the clock, giving the account holder until 7:00 a.m. the day after the notice to remove the container. A third violation in the same year triggers a $50 civil penalty under § 23-44(a), added directly to the account holder's monthly utility bill and collected using the City's normal utility delinquency process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richmond
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