Direct-slip failure is the most frequently occurring failure mode in landfill veneer cover systems under static and earthquake loading. This paper presents the seismic behavior of veneer cover systems of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills using a pseudo-static approach. A limit equilibrium method is adopted to obtain the factor of safety against direct-slip failure (FSds). The effect of the horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient (kh) which governs the stability of the veneer cover system is discussed in this study. The influence of necessary parameters including the ratio of interface friction angle to the internal friction angle of cover soil ( \(\,\delta /\phi\) ), stability number ( \(c/\gamma_{b} H\) ), the ratio of cover soil thickness to the height of landfill (h/H), slope angle of veneer cover (β) is also presented. The horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient (kh) which represents the seismic intensity has a significant impact on the veneer cover system stability under earthquake loading. The factor of safety computed from the present study is compared with those computed under static loading.