Do you need a dumpster permit in York, PA?

Where is the dumpster going?

The answer depends on where the trailer sits.

• Your own driveway

  Usually no city permit

  Private property is outside the City of York's right-of-way rule. Check your HOA rules if you have one.

• The street in the City of York

  Permit required

  Apply with the Bureau of Permits & Inspections through the city's online OpenGov portal before drop-off.

• Outside the city, not your property

  Check with your municipality

  Other York County boroughs and townships set their own rules. Call your borough or township office.

The City of York rule

The City of York requires a permit for all dumpsters and dumpster bags placed in the public right-of-way. The permit comes from the city's Bureau of Permits & Inspections, and applications are handled online through the city's OpenGov portal.

The public right-of-way generally means the street and the public space along it. If the dumpster is going anywhere the public owns, plan on the permit before your drop-off date.

Your driveway is usually the easy answer

A dumpster on your own driveway sits on private property, so the city's right-of-way permit rule doesn't apply to it. Our dumpsters are dump trailers, not roll-off cans: they back in behind a pickup and sit on tires instead of steel rails, so they fit many driveways where a roll-off truck can't swing. Not sure yours works? Text us a photo.

Outside the city: check your municipality

The rule above is the City of York's. York County's other boroughs and townships, including Red Lion, Dallastown, Shrewsbury and Hanover, set their own rules. Homeowners associations can have their own dumpster rules too, like how long one can stay or where it can sit.

A quick permit checklist

1. 1

   Decide where it goes

   Your driveway, or the street.

2. 2

   Driveway? You're likely set

   Check your HOA rules if you have one.

3. 3

   Street in the City of York? Apply

   Through the Bureau of Permits & Inspections' online portal.

4. 4

   Outside the city and not your property? Call

   Your borough or township office has the rule.

5. 5

   Tell us when you book

   We'll plan the drop-off around your spot and any permit.

What can't go in the dumpster

Permit or no permit, some things stay out of the trailer.