How to Dispose of Tires in California
Tires are tracked by the state and carry a per-tire fee. Here is where they can go and what it costs.
Waste tires in California are tracked through a state manifest system and carry a disposal fee at every stage. You cannot put them in a bin, and there is no free route for most people — but the cost is small, usually a few dollars per tire.
Where tires can go
- The shop that sells you the replacements. Tire retailers collect a California Tire Fee at the point of sale and take the old ones. This is the easiest option by far and it is the reason most people never think about tire disposal at all.
- County household hazardous waste and special waste events. LA, Orange and San Diego counties accept limited numbers of passenger tires from residents at certain collection events, often capped at nine per visit.
- Certified waste tire facilities. These accept tires for a per-tire gate fee.
- A removal service. We take them, with the state-mandated per-tire fee passed through at cost. It is one of the very few items where we add a line to the price, and we tell you before we start.
Why the rules are strict
Waste tires are a genuine public health problem, not bureaucratic caution. Stacked tires hold standing water and become mosquito breeding sites; tire fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and release heavy smoke and oil. California therefore tracks tires from generation to disposal through a manifest system, and illegal dumping carries substantial penalties.
Rims on or off?
Tires still mounted on rims usually cost more to dispose of, because the steel has to be separated first. If you can get them dismounted at a tire shop, do — but do not spend more on the dismount than you save.
The one thing not to do
Do not stack them behind the garage and forget about them. Tires are among the most commonly illegally dumped items in Southern California, and property owners are frequently held responsible for waste found on their land regardless of who left it there.