Black Hawk County, IA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

020 states the provisions apply throughout both the unincorporated AND incorporated areas of the county, so it covers pickup by trash haulers operating in Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and every other city in the county too. 040 bars a commercial trash hauler from collecting or hauling garbage, solid waste, appliances, commercial solid waste, construction and demolition waste, residential solid waste, refuse, or yard waste in the county without a Health Department permit, issued only after the hauling equipment is inspected by a Health Officer and the inspection fee is paid.

The permit is valid for one year, and all applications and fees are due by May 1st annually. 040(C) sets vehicle standards: waste must be securely contained, open-side stake body trucks need interior paneling (plywood or hardboard, not cardboard), vehicles need a permanently attached bed cover or a tarpaulin tied down on both sides and the end, and non-stake-body vehicles need a rigid tailgate at least a foot and a half tall. 060 lets the Health Department suspend, revoke, or deny a license for a material misstatement on the application, an incomplete application, unpaid fees, or a rules violation. 00 and up to 30 days in jail, each day a separate offense.