Sacramento, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Street placement allowed only via
- Seasonal loose-in-the-street program
- Volume cap
- 2 cubic yards per parcel
- Earliest set-out
- 7 days before scheduled collection
- Food waste in street
- Prohibited outright
- Routine yard waste
- Green organic-waste cart, § 13.10.420
- Civil penalty
- $250–$25,000 per violation per day
Summary
Sacramento bars dumping yard waste in streets or gutters except through its seasonal loose-in-the-street collection program, which caps piles at two cubic yards per parcel and blocks placement more than seven days before the scheduled collection day. Food waste can never go in the street or be mixed into yard waste.
13.10.430 Depositing organic waste in city streets. A. Yard waste. 1. No person may place, deposit, dump, or accumulate ... any yard waste on or in any street, public right-of-way or easement, gutter, curb, or sidewalk within the city, except where it is expressly authorized under this chapter. 2. Customers may place and deposit yard waste in the streets for collection service in connection with the seasonal loose-in-the-street collection service, subject to any requirements and limitations established by the solid waste manager. 3. Yard waste deposited in the streets for collection service pursuant to this section must not: a. Exceed two cubic yards per parcel; b. Be placed on any sidewalk, within a set of undulations, or in a manner that impedes traffic or drainage, or creates a hazard to public health, safety, or welfare; or c. Be placed in the streets for collection service earlier than seven days prior to the scheduled collection day. B. Food waste. 1. No person shall place food waste on or in any street, public right-of-way or easement, gutter, curb, or sidewalk.
Full Breakdown
430 governs yard waste disposal in the public right-of-way. 10. The chapter's authorized channel is the seasonal loose-in-the-street collection service: customers may place yard waste in the streets for that program, subject to requirements and limitations the solid waste manager sets. Three hard limits apply to whatever is placed in the street: it cannot exceed two cubic yards per parcel; it cannot sit on a sidewalk, block undulations, impede traffic or drainage, or create a health, safety, or welfare hazard; and it cannot be set out earlier than seven days before the scheduled collection day.
Food waste is treated separately and more strictly, subsection B bars placing food waste on or in any street, right-of-way, easement, gutter, curb, or sidewalk at all, and bars mixing food waste into yard waste that has been deposited in the street for collection. 450; that section also lets customers manage yard or food waste on-site or through a community composting site under 14 Cal. 9(c) instead of subscribing.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Chapter 13.10, including improper street dumping of yard waste, carry civil penalties of not less than $250 and not more than $25,000 for each violation and each day it continues, plus criminal, civil, or administrative remedies under Chapter 1.28 (§ 13.10.150). Improper segregation of organic waste is separately punishable as an infraction under Cal. Gov't Code § 36900 (§ 13.10.450(D)). Appeals of a solid waste manager determination go to the city council within 10 days (§ 13.10.160).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rake yard waste into the street in Sacramento?
How much yard waste can I leave curbside per pickup?
How early can I put yard waste out for seasonal collection?
Can I mix food scraps with my yard waste pile?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento 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.
Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle yard waste collection.