Stockton, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- 6:00 p.m. day before collection
- Latest cart return
- 11:00 p.m. on collection day
- Placement rule
- Cannot block travel lane, parking, or gutter
- Improper container
- Summary abatement as public nuisance
- First citation fine
- $200.00, rising to $500.00
Summary
Stockton limits when carts can hit the curb: containers cannot go out before 6:00 p.m. the night before collection and must be pulled back out of street view by 11:00 p.m. on collection day. Section 8.04.060 also bars blocking travel lanes, parking areas or gutters, and containers must stay clean and sanitary under Section 8.04.050.
On collection days, all containers and parcels of discarded materials shall be placed adjacent to the roadway in a manner that does not block any travel way, parking area, or gutter. Loaded containers ready for collection shall not be set out before 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the regular collection day. Containers shall be returned to a proper storage location on private property and not visible from the public right-of-way not later than 11:00 p.m. on the day of collection.
Full Breakdown
060, Placement for collection, sets Stockton's window for curbside set-out. On collection days, containers and any parcels of discarded materials must be placed adjacent to the roadway in a way that does not block a travel lane, a parking area, or the gutter. on collection day itself. The City Council can also set, by resolution, specific collection days and hours for particular areas of the City, and within those areas all solid waste and recyclable material has to be ready at the designated day and time.
050 covers the containers themselves: they must be kept clean, sanitary, and portable by whoever is responsible for providing them, loading is subject to weight limits set by the Public Works Director, and separate containers for different categories of recyclable and organic materials follow written directives issued by that office. A collector who is permitted or required to supply containers under its franchise, contract, or permit must meet whatever container specifications that agreement sets. 080.
Violations & Fines
A container that does not conform with Chapter 8.04, including one left at the curb outside the 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. window, can be summarily abated by the City as a public nuisance under Section 8.04.090, but only after written or electronic notice and a second noncompliant use. Beyond abatement, violations of this chapter can draw a notice of violation and, if uncorrected, an administrative citation of $200.00 for a first offense and $500.00 for each later one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my trash cart out in Stockton?
When do I have to bring my empty cart back in?
Can the City take away a bad or damaged trash cart?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
California rules heatmap·Compare Stockton to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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