Abandoned Shopping Carts in San Diego

This guide covers the City of San Diego. The Environmental Services Department says the City can only address violations within City limits and on property or public rights-of-way under its jurisdiction: issues in another city go to that city, issues in unincorporated areas to the County, and issues on freeways, freeway ramps and state highways to Caltrans. Our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego lists those contacts.

In San Diego, abandoned carts are collected by the stores and their retrieval contractors, not by the City. As of November 1, 2026, the City's Get It Done FAQ on abandoned shopping carts says: "Currently, the City does not handle the removal of abandoned shopping carts."

• Retrieval contractor. The same FAQ points residents to an independent contractor, which it describes as not affiliated with the City, that collects carts based on agreements with specific stores in San Diego. The FAQ says carts can be reported to it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a resolution expected within 24 to 72 hours. It covers only the stores it has agreements with.
• Not an Illegal Dumping report. As of November 1, 2026, Get It Done has no shopping cart category. The Illegal Dumping form lists "Abandoned shopping carts" under "Please do not use this report for", and the Environmental Services Department's page on waste code violations and how to report them says the Illegal Dumping report type should not be used to report general litter or abandoned shopping carts.
• A cart in a pile of dumped items. If a cart is part of a pile of dumped furniture, appliances or other large items, the pile itself is an Illegal Dumping report. See our illegal dumping guide.

Look on the cart for a store name or a phone number posted for cart retrieval. A San Diego Police Department crime prevention guide, Reporting Other Problems and Incidents (2017), gives these steps:

• A phone number on the cart. Call it and report where the cart is. The guide notes the number may be the store's own or that of a retrieval service that has contracts with some stores to retrieve and return their carts.
• A store name but no phone number. Look up the nearest store of that name and call it to report where the cart is.
• What to tell them. The street address or nearest cross streets, which side of the street, how many carts there are and the store name on each.

The Police Department guide says a cart with neither a store name nor a phone number is rare, and that for such a cart (or a store-named cart with no number) you can call the City Environmental Services Code Enforcement Section at 858-694-7000 to report its location; it says Environmental Services will investigate and deal with the cart in the appropriate manner.

That guide dates from 2017. Today, the Environmental Services Department says waste-related violations that are not a Get It Done report type go to its Contact Center at 858-694-7000, Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., where representatives determine which type of violation may be occurring and route the concern to the appropriate team. Keep in mind that the current Get It Done FAQ says the City does not currently handle the removal of abandoned shopping carts, so call the store first whenever the cart is marked.

• In a traffic lane or an urgent hazard. The City's Get It Done page lists 619-527-7500 for urgent street-related issues, and the Get It Done Other form lists the same number for other urgent issues. If a crash has happened or anyone is in danger, call 911.
• On the sidewalk or along the curb. A cart that is in the way but is not an immediate hazard goes to the store, as above. If the sidewalk itself is broken or raised, that is a separate Get It Done Sidewalk report; see our sidewalk repair guide.
• Litter around it. Scattered litter and overflowing public litter cans are covered in our street sweeping and litter cans guide.

A cart jammed in a storm drain inlet or a drainage channel can block the flow of water. Report it rather than trying to remove it yourself.

• Storm drain inlet or City drainage channel. Use the Get It Done Storm Drain report. As of November 1, 2026, its details include Object in drain and Channel Cleaning, and the form estimates 90 days. Put the map pin on the inlet or channel itself.
• Street flooding. If a blocked drain is flooding the street, call 619-527-7500, or 911 if lives are at risk. Our storm drains and flooding guide has more.
• Open space canyons and park trails. Problems in City open space canyons and on park trails go to the Parks and Recreation park rangers. Our park and playground problems guide lists the ranger office for each area. If the cart is marked, the store can also be told where it is.

As of November 1, 2026, we did not find a section of the San Diego Municipal Code that specifically regulates shopping carts, such as store signage, retrieval deadlines or City impound fees, and the City's pages on abandoned carts do not cite one. The City's Get It Done FAQ describes cart collection as handled by a contractor under agreements with specific stores, not by the City. The Municipal Code published by the City Clerk is the final word, and this guide is not legal advice.

• Do not file it as Illegal Dumping. The City says that report type should not be used for abandoned shopping carts.
• Do not climb into a storm drain, channel or creek to pull a cart out. Report it and let crews handle it, especially when water is flowing.
• Do not call 911 for a cart that is not causing an emergency. Use the store's number, or 619-527-7500 for an urgent street hazard.

• Location. The exact address or cross streets and which side of the street. For a Get It Done report, drop the map pin on the exact spot.
• Photos. The City's guide to Get It Done asks for photos taken far enough away to let crews see the issue in context.
• One problem per report. The City's Guide to Get It Done Reports and Services asks for only one problem per report and says it may take as long as 72 hours for a report to be reviewed.
• Timeframes. As of November 1, 2026, the Storm Drain form estimates 90 days, and the City's Get It Done timeframes list (last updated May 7, 2026) also gives 90 days. For carts reported to the retrieval contractor, the City's FAQ says to expect a resolution within 24 to 72 hours.

These are estimates, not promises. If a cart is still there after a few days, call the store again. For other problems, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.