Sacramento County, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard waste defined as
- green waste, landscape and pruning waste
- Green waste standard
- Title 14 CCR § 17852(21) 'green material'
- Collection is
- mandatory via DWMR for residential generators
- Self-haul allowed for
- own rubbish or gardener's own by-products
- ADU/farm exemption
- 3-year term, notify DWMR within 10 days
- Scavenging fine
- up to $250, misdemeanor if repeated
- Admin penalty ceiling
- $1,000 per violation per day
Summary
Unincorporated Sacramento County folds yard waste into mandatory organic material collection: County Code Section 6.20.410(A) requires every residential generator to subscribe to DWMR-provided organic material pickup alongside solid waste and recycling, and Section 6.20.030 defines that organic material to include green waste and landscape and pruning waste, so bagged clippings and brush go in the organics cart, not the trash.
"Green waste" means "green material" as defined in Section 17852(21) of Title 14 of the CCR. "Organic material" means food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste. Section 6.20.410. Requirements for All Residential Generators. A. Except as authorized in Sections 6.20.110 and 6.20.145, each residential generator shall receive DWMR-provided solid waste, recyclable material, and organic material collection services.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4941150; v18 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
030 of the County Code defines 'organic material' to mean food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste, and it defines 'green waste' by cross-reference to 'green material' in Section 17852(21) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. 145, every residential generator in the unincorporated County must receive Department of Waste Management and Recycling (DWMR)-provided solid waste, recyclable material and organic material collection service, which is how yard trimmings and brush are picked up curbside rather than through a separate hauler.
110(E) exempts a gardener or property-cleaning contractor self-hauling the by-products of the service performed. 760. 410(B) requires the generator to document, on site, the amount of solid waste, recyclable and organic material collected and where it was taken, available to the Director within 10 business days of a request.
Violations & Fines
Section 6.20.050 puts enforcement in the Director's hands. Most Chapter 6.20 violations, including failure to subscribe to required organic material service, are misdemeanors under Section 6.20.790 unless the chapter says otherwise, and administrative penalties for noncompliance can reach $1,000 per violation per day under Section 6.20.770. Taking yard waste already set out in a County or franchisee container is scavenging: a first offense is an infraction with a fine up to $250 under Section 6.20.780, and a repeat offense within six months is a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does yard waste go in the trash or a separate cart in Sacramento County?
Can I haul my own brush and clippings to the dump instead of using DWMR pickup?
Is there an exemption from mandatory yard waste service for a farm?
What happens if I take bagged yard waste out of someone else's collection cart?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.