St. Tammany Parish, LA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 38-34(p)
- Allowed collection hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily
- Emergency exception
- Hours suspended during public emergency
- Commercial dumpster buffer
- 300 feet from residences
- Night restriction (dumpsters)
- No pickup 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. within buffer
Summary
St. Tammany Parish limits residential trash and recycling collection in the unincorporated parish to the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, and bars commercial dumpster pickup within 300 feet of a home between 9:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Hours of operation. All individuals, companies and governmental entities engaged in the collecting and transferring of solid waste and debris shall limit hours of operation to 6:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. daily. It is expressly prohibited to conduct collection activities outside of the permitted hours of operation. An exception is in the event of a public emergency affecting the health, safety and general welfare, the limits on hours of operation shall be temporarily suspended pending the resolution of the emergency... Collection of commercial refuse, commercial recyclables and industrial solid waste may not be conducted where the dumpster or other commercial and/or industrial refuse container is within 300 feet of any private residence between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. daily, with collection activity outside that window expressly prohibited. The only carve-out is a public emergency affecting health, safety or general welfare, during which the hour limits are temporarily suspended until the emergency is resolved. , though that nighttime restriction lifts once the container sits more than 300 feet from residential property. The code specifically classifies apartment houses, apartment complexes, condominiums and co-ops as commercial collection for this purpose, so multifamily properties fall under the 300-foot buffer rather than the plain residential hours. Licensees must also hold a valid parish solid waste hauling license under Sec.
38-31 and a parish occupational license under Sec. 38-34(q) to operate at all, and any permittee found out of compliance with these hour restrictions is penalized under the chapter's general enforcement provisions in Sec. 38-186.
Violations & Fines
Conducting collection activities outside the 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. window, or emptying a commercial dumpster within 300 feet of a residence between 9:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., violates Sec. 38-34(p) and is penalized under Sec. 38-186's general enforcement and penalty provisions, with the department of environmental services responsible for investigating complaints against licensed haulers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can trash trucks start collecting in St. Tammany Parish?
Can a commercial dumpster near my house be emptied at night?
Is there ever an exception to the collection hour limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
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