Permit guide
Dumpster permits in Louisville
A container on your own driveway is a private matter in most of Louisville. Put it in the street, an alley or anywhere public and it needs Metro's permission first.
Phone hours: Monday–Saturday 8am–8pm, Sunday 8am–1pm ET
Metro's Pod or Dumpster Permit
- Who issues it
- Louisville Metro Public Works, online through the Metro Business Portal, listed on its right-of-way permits page.
- Where it allows a container
- In the public right-of-way, generally in a parking lane. Sidewalk placement is not permitted.
- What the application asks
- Contact details, the start and end dates, and whether it's a pod or a dumpster.
- While it's out
- The permit has to be on site and clearly displayed, and the container needs reflective markings or other traffic devices.
- Bigger jobs
- Public Works may ask for a traffic control plan.
Check who owns the street
Metro's right-of-way guide warns that many streets in the county are maintained by small cities, privately or by the state. A street kept up by St. Matthews or Shively follows that city's rules. State routes, including Main, Market, Broadway and Preston downtown, involve the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's District 5 office.
Metro suggests checking LOJIC, the county's mapping service, to see who maintains a street. Many dumpster companies know the answer for streets they deliver to, so ask.
Small cities with their own rules
Shively
A city permit for any temporary dumpster, on private property too. Details.
St. Matthews
Objects that obstruct a street need an encroachment permit. Details.
Prospect
Ask City Hall, which handles city permits, before delivery. Details.
What happens without one
A container blocking a street or sidewalk is a right-of-way obstruction. If someone reports it to Metro311, a Public Works inspector looks at it, a certified letter goes to the property owner, and Public Works can remove it if nothing changes.
The simplest way to avoid all of it is the driveway. When that won't work, sort out the permit before the delivery date.
Book the container while it's on your mind
Say what you're clearing out, where the dumpster can sit and which day suits you. By the end of the conversation you'll know the container, the delivery morning and what you'd pay.
Reach a Louisville roll-off company
Call (502) 833-5023Phone hours: Monday–Saturday 8am–8pm, Sunday 8am–1pm ET
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