Bismarck homeowners raking up the last of the fall leaves will get two weeks of free curbside pickup later this month.
The City of Bismarck Public Works department announced in an Oct. 8 notice that it will offer free leaf collection for Bismarck residents the weeks of Oct. 19–22 and Oct. 26–29. Leaves will be picked up on each household's regular garbage day.
How to set leaves out
According to the city's notice, residents need to follow a few rules for leaves to be picked up:
- Containers: Put leaves in a garbage container no larger than 32 gallons, or in compostable paper bags.
- No plastic bags: The city says leaves in plastic bags will not be collected.
- Timing: Containers or bags must be at your normal collection point by 6 a.m. on your collection day.
The city says a separate truck collects the leaves for composting.
Before and after the free weeks
Outside those two weeks, the city's yard waste drop-off sites are another option. The City of Bismarck's 2026 garbage and recycling brochure says the drop-off sites are open April through October, weather permitting. The city's Yard Waste Collection Sites page lists the locations, which include the Riverwood Golf Course lot, Tatley Park, Optimist Park, the Missouri Valley Fairgrounds and the city landfill. The city notes that the list can change without notice and that the sites do not accept plastic bags or animal waste.
The city has not yet posted a 2026 closing date for the drop-off sites. Residents planning a late-season trip should check the city's yard waste page before loading up.
Questions
The city points residents to its Garbage page on bismarcknd.gov for more information on the leaf collection.
Sources: https://www.bismarcknd.gov/m/newsflash, https://www.bismarcknd.gov/2200/Garbage, https://www.bismarcknd.gov/2309/Yard-Waste-Collection-Sites, https://www.bismarcknd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/54460/2026-Garbage-and-Recycling-Brochure-PDF
