Janesville, WI Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Leaf placement cutoff
- No leaves before October 1
- After collection
- Banned once street pickup runs
- Grass clippings
- Never allowed on streets, any season
- Penalty
- Up to $100 forfeiture per offense/day
- Default penalty
- Up to 30 days in jail
- Governing chapter
- Code Ch. 34, Art. XII
Summary
The City of Janesville bans leaves on any street or highway before October 1 or after the City's fall leaf collection has passed that street under Code § 34-341(a). Grass clippings and other lawn debris can never be placed on a street or highway, in any season, under § 34-341(b). Violators face a forfeiture under § 34-346.
(a)Leaves. It is unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed any leaves on any street or highway before October 1 or after the City has collected, or caused to be collected, leaves from the applicable street during the City's annual fall leaf collection program.(b)Grass and other lawn debris. It is unlawful to place or cause to be placed any grass, grass clippings, or other lawn debris on any street or highway at anytime. ... Any person who violates any of the provisions of this article shall forfeit and pay to the City a forfeiture not to exceed $100.00, together with the costs of prosecution for each offense, and in default of payment shall be imprisoned not more than 30 days. Each day's continuance of any violation constitutes a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Section 34-341 of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances splits yard waste on public streets into two separate rules. Subsection (a) makes it unlawful to place or cause to be placed any leaves on a street or highway before October 1 each year, or after the City has already collected, or caused to be collected, leaves from that particular street during its annual fall leaf collection program: once your street's pickup has run, raking leaves back into the road is a violation even if the calendar date is still within the fall window.
Subsection (b) is stricter and year-round: it is unlawful to place grass, grass clippings or other lawn debris on any street or highway at anytime, with no seasonal exception and no equivalent to the City-run collection program that leaves get. The section sits alongside the City's other street-obstruction rules in Chapter 34, Article XII, so leaves and grass piled in the roadway are treated the same as other prohibited street obstructions for enforcement purposes; Public Works crews who patrol for blocked streets and drainage issues are the ones who typically flag violations.
Residents who want yard waste removed outside the fall leaf program must use the City's regular yard waste or brush collection service rather than placing it in the street, since § 34-341(b) gives grass and lawn debris no lawful placement in the right-of-way at all.
Violations & Fines
Section 34-346 sets the penalty for the whole article: a forfeiture not to exceed $100.00 plus prosecution costs for each offense, with every day the leaves or grass remain in the street treated as a separate violation. Anyone who does not pay the forfeiture can be imprisoned in the county jail for up to 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I put leaves in the street for collection in Janesville?
Can I rake grass clippings into the street?
What is the fine for putting yard waste in the street?
Does the leaf collection rule apply year-round?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Janesville
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Rock County handle yard waste collection.