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Lake County, FL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Pickup frequency
One time per week (§ 23-18(d))
Size limit
4 feet long, 6 inches diameter (§ 23-23(b))
Weight limit
50 lbs per bundle or can
Weekly cap
4 cubic yards per customer
Curbside window
Out by 6 a.m., removed by 10 p.m.

Summary

Lake County picks up Yard Trash once a week, separate from garbage and recycling, under Code § 23-23. Trimmings and branches must sit at the curb in cans, biodegradable bags, or tied bundles no longer than four feet, and the county caps pickup at four cubic yards per customer weekly.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Lake County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(a)Customers shall not place Yard Trash in their Garbage Carts or Recycling Carts, and shall set all Yard Trash out for Collection on the Scheduled Collection Day.(b)Yard Trash may be Set Out at Curbside in Garbage Cans or biodegradable bags. Yard Trash also may be tied, bundled, or stacked in piles at Curbside. Yard Trash shall be no more than four (4) feet in length or six (6) inches in diameter. Bundles or cans shall weigh no more than fifty (50) pounds in weight. Yard Trash shall not be collected more than four (4) yards per week from each Customer. Customer shall not Set Out their Yard Trash for Collection on property not owned or occupied by that Customer, nor shall a Customer allow another Person to Set Out Yard Trash for Collection on their property. Yard Trash Set Out for Collection shall only be Yard Trash that was generated from the Customer's dwelling and not from other properties.(c)Yard Trash shall be Set Out at the Curbside, unless an alternative location is agreed upon by the Customer and the Director, prior to six o'clock (6:00) a.m. on the Scheduled Collection Day.(d)If Yard Trash is Set Out in a Garbage Can or other container, the Customer is responsible for removing such Garbage Can or other container from the Curbside, replacing it on their property and properly securing it by ten o'clock (10:00) p.m. on the day of Collection Service. (Ord. No. 2014-21, § 2, 5-6-14; Ord. No. 2020-73, § 3, 12-8-20; Ord. No. 2022-46, § 2, 11-1-22)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 150).

Full Breakdown

Article III of Chapter 23 sets Lake County's residential Yard Trash program. Section 23-18(d) requires Garbage, Recycling and Yard Trash each to be picked up a minimum of one time per week, with Yard Trash collected on a separate Scheduled Collection Day from Garbage and Recycling. Section 23-23(a) bars Customers from mixing Yard Trash into their Garbage or Recycling Carts and requires it to be Set Out on the Scheduled Collection Day instead. Under § 23-23(b), Yard Trash can be placed in Garbage cans or biodegradable bags, or tied, bundled, or stacked loose at the curb, but the county limits every piece to four feet in length or six inches in diameter, and every bundle or can to fifty pounds.

The county will not collect more than four cubic yards of Yard Trash per Customer each week. Only debris generated on the Customer's own property qualifies: § 23-23(b) bars a Customer from setting out Yard Trash on property they do not own or occupy, and bars allowing another person to set out Yard Trash on the Customer's property. on the Scheduled Collection Day unless the Director has approved an alternate location. the same day. Anyone who wants a schedule variation for an individual household or a whole community can ask the Director for a written, case-by-case exception under § 23-25.

Violations & Fines

Setting out more Yard Trash than the weekly four-cubic-yard limit, oversized branches, or debris hauled in from another property violates § 23-23 and § 23-5, which routes Chapter 23 offenses to the Code Enforcement process in Chapter 8, Lake County Code, exposing the responsible Customer to a citation and a special magistrate hearing rather than pickup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much yard trash will Lake County collect each week?
Up to four cubic yards per Customer, per § 23-23(b). Branches and trimmings must be four feet long or shorter and six inches in diameter or less, and bundles or cans cannot exceed fifty pounds; anything larger has to go through a private hauler or the county's convenience centers.
Can I put grass clippings in my recycling cart?
No. Section 23-23(a) requires Yard Trash to be kept out of both the Garbage Cart and the Recycling Cart and Set Out separately on the Scheduled Collection Day, because Lake County collects Yard Trash on its own route rather than mixing it with household garbage or recyclables.
When does yard trash need to be at the curb?
Before 6:00 a.m. on your Scheduled Collection Day, per § 23-23(c). If you use a garbage can or other container to hold the trimmings, § 23-23(d) requires you to bring that container back off the curb and secure it by 10:00 p.m. the same day.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Lake County

All Lake County rules

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