Phoenix requires annual shopping cart certifications for retailers as new abandoned-cart ordinance takes effect

New compliance requirement begins January 15, 2026

Phoenix retailers that provide shopping carts to customers must complete an annual shopping cart certification as part of a new city ordinance intended to reduce abandoned carts in neighborhoods and along public rights-of-way. The certification deadline for existing stores is January 15, 2026. New stores are required to comply before opening to the public.

The city’s Neighborhood Services Department has framed the ordinance as a blight and public-safety measure, citing abandoned carts as obstacles on sidewalks and near roadways. The program builds on Phoenix’s existing cart retrieval framework, which already allows the city or its contractors to pick up carts reported off-site.

What the certification requires

Under the ordinance, each store must submit information as part of the annual certification, including the number of carts it owns, a designated point of contact, and billing details. The certification is designed to confirm that a retailer is using one of two approaches to keep carts from leaving store property and to retrieve carts quickly when they do:

• Using locking wheel systems for cart management and retrieval; or
• Maintaining an effective shopping cart management plan that prevents carts from leaving store property and provides timely retrieval, including a contract for cart retrieval services.

Fees and penalties tied to enforcement

Phoenix’s rules combine cart-by-cart cost recovery with escalating civil penalties for noncompliance. Stores can be charged a retrieval fee when the city returns an abandoned cart: $25 per cart for stores with a retrieval contract, and $50 per cart for stores without a contract.

For certification and ordinance violations, the city’s enforcement structure sets minimum civil penalties of $500 for a first violation, $750 for a second violation within 36 months, and $1,000 for a third or subsequent violation within 36 months. The ordinance also allows each day of noncompliance to be treated as a separate violation.

The city’s program is structured around prevention measures on store property and time-sensitive retrieval expectations once carts are reported off-site.

How residents and retailers interact with the program

Phoenix routes reports of empty, abandoned carts in public spaces through its 311 system, including by phone and online reporting. The city’s materials also distinguish between empty carts and carts that are filled, which are routed through a separate reporting process.

For retailers, the certification process is handled through a city portal dedicated to the shopping cart program. The city has also published contact channels for businesses seeking help completing the certification requirements.

Regional context

Phoenix is not alone in adopting rules aimed at limiting off-site shopping carts. Several other Valley cities have enacted similar ordinances that generally rely on anti-theft devices, store labeling requirements, and retrieval arrangements as the core compliance tools.