Bag Them or Pile Them? How Fall Leaf Collection Works in Charlotte, Concord, Mooresville, Fort Mill, and More

The leaves are coming down, and how you get rid of them depends on which side of a town line you live on. In Charlotte, every leaf has to go in a paper bag or a cart. In Kannapolis and Concord, a vacuum truck comes to your curb. In Huntersville, plastic bags are fine. Get it wrong and your pile may sit there for a week.

Here is how leaf collection works for the 2026 to 2027 season in Charlotte and eight nearby towns, straight from each local government's own pages. Rules apply to homes served by each city or town. If a private hauler or HOA handles your trash, check with them.

Charlotte: bag it or cart it, all year

The City of Charlotte does not vacuum loose leaves. Its yard waste rules are the same in every season. (City of Charlotte collection guidelines)

• Put leaves and grass in paper bags or containers no larger than 32 gallons. Plastic bags, including compostable plastic, are not accepted.
• Yard waste is picked up once a week on your collection day. Set it out by 6 a.m. and no earlier than the day before. The city says early set-outs can bring a citation of at least $150.
• Keep it within 6 feet of the curb, at least 3 feet from carts, mailboxes, poles, and cars, and off the sidewalk. Do not blow leaves into the street.
• Look up your day with the city's My Charlotte Lookup tool.

Huntersville: carts and bags, with a bigger limit Nov. 1 to Jan. 15

Huntersville does not describe a vacuum program. Leaves go in the green yard waste cart, and during leaf season, Nov. 1 to Jan. 15, you can set out up to 10 bags a week instead of the usual five. (Town of Huntersville)

• Paper bags must be 25 gallons or smaller. The town also accepts clear and black plastic bags, but black bags must be left untied.
• Each bag must weigh 75 pounds or less. Leaves in personal trash cans or other containers are not collected.
• Carts go out by 7 a.m., at least 4 feet from mailboxes, poles, hydrants, trees, and cars.

Cornelius: vacuum trucks Nov. 1 through January

Cornelius vacuums loose leaves from Nov. 1 through the end of January for homes on town maintained roads. There are no set zones. The town says the schedule shifts with weather, staffing, and truck maintenance, and it posts a live leaf truck map on its yard waste page. (Town of Cornelius)

Prefer bags? Waste Pro takes up to 20 bags of leaves a week on garbage day. Clear bags can be tied. Any other bag must be left open, and bags over 50 pounds stay behind.

Davidson: bagged leaves only

Davidson collects bagged leaves with garbage and recycling: up to 20 bags a week, each no larger than 40 gallons and no heavier than 50 pounds, free of sticks. Wheelbarrows and plastic containers are not accepted. The town encourages compostable paper bags because Mecklenburg County cannot recycle plastic leaf bags. (Town of Davidson)

The page also offers up to 10 free compostable bags at Town Hall, 251 South Street, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Nov. 25. Part of that section still carries last year's label, so call Town Hall before making a special trip.

Mooresville: loose at the curb, no bags

Mooresville's leaf vacuum crews are back for fall. The town's Sept. 25 announcement asks residents to keep leaves loose and out of bags, and to have them at the curb by 6 a.m. on their regular yard waste day. Crews cannot come back for piles set out after they pass. (Town of Mooresville)

• Keep piles at least 3 feet from carts, mailboxes, cars, and other objects, and away from storm drains.
• Do not mix leaves with brush.
• The town has not posted an end date. Find your schedule at MooresvilleNC.gov/Sanitation or call 704-663-7282.

Concord: vacuum cycles through February

Concord vacuums loose leaves from late October or early November into February, on a published cycle. Its online Loose Leaf Collection Tracker shows your cycle dates and whether crews have already passed your street. Do not mix in limbs or rocks. (City of Concord)

Bagged leaves are picked up year round on your regular day. After the season ends, they must be in brown paper lawn bags. Miss the season? Concord offers a paid "Second Chance" pickup for two weeks afterward, at $75 per collection.

Kannapolis: Nov. 2 to Jan. 15

Kannapolis vacuums loose leaves from Nov. 2, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027, with no collection on Nov. 11, Nov. 26 and 27, Dec. 23 to 25, or Jan. 1. An online city map shows your collection weeks. (City of Kannapolis)

• Set leaves out the day before or by 7 a.m., in rows along the curb or ditch line, never in the ditch or on the sidewalk.
• Keep them away from water meters and fences, and keep cars clear of the pile.
• Leaves mixed with limbs, gumballs, gravel, or glass are not collected. After Jan. 15, bag them for trash day.

Fort Mill: automated collection through March 15

The Town of Fort Mill's leaf page says curbside automated leaf collection begins Oct. 15 and runs through March 15. Outside that window, leaves must be bagged for your regular garbage day. The page does not list a year or set-out rules, so call Town Hall with questions. (Town of Fort Mill)

Tega Cay: loose piles late October to February

Tega Cay's FAQ says the city collects loose leaf piles from the end of October until February, by area schedule. Bagged leaves and brush are collected weekly all year. Put them at the back edge of the road or curb, not in the street, before 6 a.m. Monday. (City of Tega Cay FAQ)

The city's 2026 to 2027 zone schedule was not loading when we checked, so look for it on tegacaysc.org before you rake.

What we could not confirm

Matthews' yard waste pages would not load for us. In Indian Land, Lancaster County does not describe a curbside leaf program, and we could not confirm whether its convenience sites take leaves. If you live in either area, check with the town or county directly.

A few rules that apply almost everywhere

• Keep leaves out of the street and storm drains. They clog drains and wash into creeks.
• Keep sticks, rocks, and brush out of leaf piles. Vacuum trucks skip mixed piles.
• Leave room around the pile: about 3 feet from mailboxes, carts, and parked cars.

Or skip all of it: mulching leaves into the lawn with a mower is free.

Last verified October 18, 2026.