Kings County, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 13-11(a)
- Allowed material
- manure, wood, leaves, green waste
- Condition
- must not create a nuisance
- Violation class
- infraction, § 13-55(2)
Summary
Kings County lets residents pile leaves, wood and other green waste on their property without violating the county's litter ordinance, so long as the accumulation doesn't create a nuisance under Sec. 13-11(a).
The property shall be free of excessive amounts of solid waste and litter, except that manure or wood, leaves and other green waste may be accumulated, providing that no nuisance is created.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
Kings County Code § 13-11(a) requires private property to stay free of 'excessive amounts of solid waste and litter,' but carves out one exception: manure, wood, leaves and other green waste may be accumulated, provided no nuisance is created. The public health director decides what counts as excessive. Once a resident is ready to get rid of it, § 13-8 defines that material as 'green waste' or 'yard waste,' collected through the green container under the county's mandatory three-container service (§ 13-12). A brush pile that draws complaints or attracts pests can still be cited as a nuisance despite the exception.
Violations & Fines
Letting a yard-waste pile become a nuisance is an infraction under § 13-55(2): up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, $500 for a third within a year (§ 1-8.1).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stockpile brush and leaves in my yard in unincorporated Kings County?
What happens if my yard-waste pile becomes a problem?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kings County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kings County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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