Paint Disposal and Recycling Near You

Updated October 5, 2026 · sources listed below

Leftover paint is one of the most common things people need to get rid of after a project, and the right answer depends on the kind of paint and where you live. In 12 states and the District of Columbia, paint manufacturers fund drop-off sites at stores and HHW facilities where paint can be left at no additional cost. Elsewhere, oil-based paint goes to a household hazardous waste program, and latex paint may be dried out and thrown away where local rules allow.

Find one near you

Set to “Paint”. Change it under “What are you getting rid of?”.

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What are you getting rid of?

Use your location or enter a ZIP code or town to see the closest of 12,548 public disposal sites on file.

Your location stays on your device. ZIP code locations from GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

The finder above shows household hazardous waste facilities and any site whose record lists paint. Landfills and transfer stations are not shown as taking paint unless their record says so.

States with listed sites

Sites that take paint are listed on our hazardous waste disposal pages for these states, together with the state's rules and the other drop-off sites. The number is how many list paint or are built for it.

Other states: every dump and landfill by state.

PaintCare states: drop-off at no additional cost

PaintCare, the manufacturer-funded paint stewardship program, operates in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Its site locator lists more than 1,800 drop-off sites, made up of retailers and household hazardous waste facilities that have partnered with the program. Program products that carried the PaintCare fee when they were bought can be dropped off at no additional cost.

Every PaintCare site accepts up to 5 gallons per visit, and some take more. If you have 100 gallons or more, PaintCare offers a pickup request instead. It asks you to contact a site before you go to confirm hours and that it can accept the type and amount of paint you have.

What PaintCare drop-off sites accept
Accepted	Not accepted
House paint and primers	Aerosol (spray) paint
Stains	Paint thinners, mineral spirits and solvents
Deck and floor coatings	Auto, marine and art paints
Sealers and clear finishes such as shellac and varnish	Epoxies and two-component coatings
Metal coatings	Industrial maintenance coatings, tar products and wood preservatives with pesticides

Container rules at PaintCare sites

PaintCare accepts program products only in their original containers, 5 gallons or smaller, with the manufacturer's printed label and a secure lid. Sites cannot accept open or leaking cans, so call your HHW program about a can with a rusted-through bottom or a missing lid. Paint you poured into a jar or bucket also does not qualify, because it has lost its label.

Oil-based paint and solvents: household hazardous waste

EPA lists paints among the household products that can contain hazardous ingredients and need special care at disposal, and it advises against pouring household hazardous waste down the drain, on the ground or into storm sewers. Outside PaintCare states, and for products PaintCare does not take, oil-based paint, stain and varnish, along with the thinners and solvents used with them, belong at an HHW facility or collection event. Many county HHW programs accept paint from residents, often with a cap on volume per visit and on container size.

California bans paints and solvents from the trash outright, so there the choice is PaintCare or HHW.

Latex paint: dry it out where allowed

Latex (water-based) paint is handled differently in many places. King County, Washington, for example, does not take latex paint at its hazardous waste sites. It asks residents to recycle latex paint through PaintCare, or to put it in the garbage only once it is solid: a can with less than an inch of dried paint, or paint mixed with cat litter or commercial paint hardener until it solidifies, goes in the garbage with the lid off.

Your county may set different rules, so check its solid waste or HHW page before you dry out a can. Drying works for small amounts; a garage full of half-empty gallons is a job for a PaintCare site or an HHW facility.

Bringing paint to a drop-off

Sort cans into latex, oil-based and specialty products before you leave, so each goes to the right counter.

Keep paint in its original container with the label readable; PaintCare requires the manufacturer's label.
Make sure every lid is on tight; open or leaking cans are refused.
Stand cans upright in a box or tub so they cannot tip in the car.
Take aerosols, thinners and solvents to an HHW site rather than a PaintCare retail site.
Call ahead with large amounts; for 100 gallons or more, use PaintCare’s pickup request.
Put fully dried latex cans in the trash with the lid off only where local rules allow it.

State rules and programs

Only states we have researched are listed, each with the page it comes from. A state missing from a table has not been checked yet, which is not the same as having no rule.

Paint recycling program

51 states

Twelve states and DC have paint stewardship laws. In each, PaintCare, the paint industry nonprofit, runs free year-round drop-off sites for leftover house paint, stain and varnish, paid for by a small fee built into the price of new paint. Elsewhere there is no statewide paint take-back: local household hazardous waste programs are the usual route.

State	Status	What it means
Alaska	No	Alaska has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Alabama	No	Alabama has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Arkansas	No	Arkansas has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Arizona	No	Arizona has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
California	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 823 PaintCare sites in California, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.30–$1.50 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: California program, read October 5, 2026
Colorado	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 223 PaintCare sites in Colorado, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.50–$2.25 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Colorado program, read October 5, 2026
Connecticut	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 157 PaintCare sites in Connecticut, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.50–$2.25 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Connecticut program, read October 5, 2026
District of Columbia	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 7 PaintCare sites in the District, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.30–$1.60 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: District of Columbia program, read October 5, 2026
Delaware	No	Delaware has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Florida	No	Florida has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Georgia	No	Georgia has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Hawaii	No	Hawaii has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Iowa	No	Iowa has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Idaho	No	Idaho has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Illinois	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 378 PaintCare sites in Illinois (running since December 2025), including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.45–$1.95 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Illinois program, read October 5, 2026
Indiana	No	Indiana has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Kansas	No	Kansas has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Kentucky	No	Kentucky has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Louisiana	No	Louisiana has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Massachusetts	No	Massachusetts has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Maryland	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 113 PaintCare sites in Maryland (running since April 2026), including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.50–$2.25 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Maryland program, read October 5, 2026
Maine	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 130 PaintCare sites in Maine, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.50–$2.00 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Maine program, read October 5, 2026
Michigan	No	Michigan has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Minnesota	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 267 PaintCare sites in Minnesota, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.49–$1.99 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Minnesota program, read October 5, 2026
Missouri	No	Missouri has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Mississippi	No	Mississippi has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Montana	No	Montana has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
North Carolina	No	North Carolina has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
North Dakota	No	North Dakota has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Nebraska	No	Nebraska has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
New Hampshire	No	New Hampshire has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
New Jersey	No	New Jersey has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
New Mexico	No	New Mexico has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Nevada	No	Nevada has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
New York	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 387 PaintCare sites in New York (running since May 2022), including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.45–$1.95 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: New York program, read October 5, 2026
Ohio	No	Ohio has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Oklahoma	No	Oklahoma has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Oregon	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 187 PaintCare sites in Oregon, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.45–$1.95 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Oregon program, read October 5, 2026
Pennsylvania	No	Pennsylvania has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Rhode Island	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 30 PaintCare sites in Rhode Island, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.35–$1.60 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Rhode Island program, read October 5, 2026
South Carolina	No	South Carolina has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
South Dakota	No	South Dakota has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Tennessee	No	Tennessee has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Texas	No	Texas has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Utah	No	Utah has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Virginia	No	Virginia has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Vermont	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 81 PaintCare sites in Vermont, including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.65–$2.45 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Vermont program, read October 5, 2026
Washington	Yes	Leftover latex or oil-based house paint, primer, stain and varnish can be dropped off free at 295 PaintCare sites in Washington (running since April 2021), including retail stores and household hazardous waste sites. A PaintCare fee of $0.65–$2.75 per container is built into new paint. Source: PaintCare: Washington program, read October 5, 2026
Wisconsin	No	Wisconsin has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
West Virginia	No	West Virginia has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026
Wyoming	No	Wyoming has no paint stewardship law, so there is no PaintCare network of free paint drop-off sites (PaintCare runs programs only in 12 states and DC). Ask your local household hazardous waste program what paint it takes. Source: PaintCare: states with paint programs, read October 5, 2026

Questions

Where can I drop off paint for free?

In California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, at PaintCare drop-off sites, at no additional cost for program products. Elsewhere, many county HHW programs accept paint from residents.

Can I throw paint in the trash?

Not liquid paint. Some places, such as King County, Washington, allow latex paint in the garbage once it is completely dry or solidified with cat litter or paint hardener, with the lid off. Oil-based paint goes to HHW, and California bans paint from the trash.

How much paint can I drop off at once?

Every PaintCare site takes up to 5 gallons per visit and some take more, in containers of 5 gallons or less. Call ahead with larger amounts, or request a PaintCare pickup if you have 100 gallons or more.

Does PaintCare take spray paint?

No. Aerosol coatings, paint thinners, mineral spirits and solvents are not accepted. Take them to a household hazardous waste facility or collection event.

Can I take paint to the landfill?

Only if the landfill runs a household hazardous waste or paint drop-off area, which facility pages note when the operator publishes it. Otherwise use a PaintCare site or an HHW facility.

Sources

PaintCare: About PaintCare (paintcare.org)
PaintCare: Products We Accept (paintcare.org)
PaintCare: Drop-Off Sites (paintcare.org)
EPA: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (epa.gov)
Larimer County, CO: Household Hazardous Waste (larimer.gov)
King County, WA: Paint disposal, latex, water-based or acrylic (kingcounty.gov)
CalRecycle: Wastes Banned From the Trash (calrecycle.ca.gov)

What You Can't Take to the Dump, and Where It Goes InsteadHazardous waste, tires, refrigerant appliances, batteries, electronics, paint, oil and asbestos: why dumps refuse them and where each one goes instead.