St. Louis, MO Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- Noon, day before collection
- Latest removal
- 11:00 p.m. on collection day
- Placement
- Within 5 ft of alley property line
- Container weight cap
- 75 pounds loaded
- Enforced by
- Refuse Commissioner, Division of Refuse Collection
Summary
St. Louis bars residents from setting refuse containers on the public right-of-way before noon the day ahead of collection or leaving them out past 11 p.m. on collection day.
No such refuse container shall be placed on a public right-of-way before 12:00 noon on the day preceding the day on which the refuse is scheduled to be collected. No such container shall be placed or left on the public right-of-way after eleven p.m. on the day on which the refuse is collected.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
Under the Revised Code's refuse chapter, containers placed for pickup on the street or alley right-of-way may not go out earlier than 12:00 noon on the day preceding the scheduled collection day, and must be pulled back in by 11:00 p.m. on the collection day itself. A separate provision requires non-City containers to sit within five feet of the property line closest to an alley (or, with no alley, within five feet of the property line facing the street), and caps loaded container weight at 75 pounds. The Refuse Division, part of the Department of Streets, enforces the schedule.
Violations & Fines
Chapter-wide penalty: up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of $500 to $1,000; each day a violation continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my trash cart out in St. Louis?
When does my container need to come off the curb?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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