Los Angeles Tire Disposal: LASAN Drop-Off, the 4-Tire Rule

Item: Used and waste tires — passenger/automobile tires, light truck, truck, motorcycle and bicycle tires, inner tubes, and tires on rims (acceptance differs sharply by route) Jurisdiction: City of Los Angeles, inside the LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) service area — plus the free LA County tire collection events open to all county residents Official sources: LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN), LA County Public Works (CleanLA), CalRecycle, California CDTFA Last verified: September 2026 · Next review: December 2026

Quick answer: how to dispose of tires in Los Angeles

Used tires are free to get rid of in Los Angeles — but only if you haul them there yourself. There is no curbside tire pickup, no bin that takes them, and no S.A.F.E. Center that will let them through the gate.

City of Los Angeles residents can drop off up to four (4) automobile tires per calendar year, free, at any LASAN Solid Resources Collection District Yard — Monday–Friday, 8:00am–1:00pm — with a current DWP/LADWP billing statement and a valid California photo ID. Rims must be removed first; the yards do not take tires on rims.

If your tires still have rims, or they are truck, motorcycle, bicycle, or inner-tube items, or you have more than four tires this year, use a free LASAN Tire Amnesty Event or a free LA County tire collection event. Those accept rims, but they are date-specific, so confirm the current listing before loading the car.

Read this first — wrong doors for tires:

1. The curb. LASAN does not collect automotive parts, and no curbside tire program exists.
2. Every bin. Not the black trash bin, not the blue recycling bin, not the green organics bin.
3. S.A.F.E. Centers and HHW mobile events. Tires are on the official not-accepted lists.

Jurisdiction warning: every LASAN route below requires City of Los Angeles residency, proven with a current DWP/LADWP bill plus a California photo ID. Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Long Beach and other incorporated cities are not served by these City programs, and neither are unincorporated County areas — use your own city's program or a County event. LA County tire collection events are open to all County residents, and every City of LA resident is also a County resident.

Quick facts: Los Angeles tire disposal at a glance

Who can use which route in Los Angeles

Residency determines access — not ownership, and not whether you rent or own.

• LASAN district yards: City of LA residents, household tires only; proof is a current DWP bill plus valid state photo ID.
• LASAN amnesty events and Open House collection: City of LA residents; Open House requires valid ID and a current DWP bill.
• LA County events: LA County residents — and every City of LA resident is also a County resident.
• Paid shops and recyclers: open to the public and to businesses on each facility's own terms.

Excluded everywhere free: shop, mechanic, and business tires, plus tractor-sized tires at County events.

The six LASAN district yards and the 4-tire rule

Same hours at all six: Monday–Friday, 8:00am–1:00pm. Each yard has parking including disabled spaces, and no public restrooms. Confirm the address and hours before you drive.

The yard drop-off takes automobile tires only, capped at 4 per calendar year, with rims removed before you arrive — the no-rims rule is what sends the most people home. Commercial, shop, and mechanic tires are strictly prohibited.

Address conflict at South Los Angeles: LASAN's own pages disagree. The Tire Recycling Dropoff page lists 786 S Mission Rd, Los Angeles 90023, while the Open Houses page lists the South LA District Yard at 1335 East 103rd St, Watts. Both listings are official, so call LASAN at 1-800-773-2489 to confirm the current address before you drive to either one.

Truck tires at the yards: the year-round drop-off is described for automobile and passenger tires, and official sources do not clearly say whether truck tires are accepted there. Confirm with LASAN, or use an amnesty or County event, which accept a wider range.

Which route should you use? Tire disposal routes by situation

Route comparison: yards vs. events vs. paid options

District yards (year-round). Free. City of LA residents, household tires only, up to 4 automobile tires per calendar year, no rims, DWP bill + California photo ID, Monday–Friday 8:00am–1:00pm. Two open questions remain: the correct South LA address, and whether truck tires are accepted.

Amnesty events and Open House collection. Free. Amnesty events accept passenger, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle tires, rims, and inner tubes — a wider list than the yards — and LASAN co-hosts combined Tire and Mattress Collection Events so you can clear both in one trip. The CalRecycle-grant-funded Open House collection takes up to 9 passenger or light-truck tires per event with valid ID and a current DWP bill, and refuses rims and business tires. Event rules can differ by site, so confirm the ID and bill requirement on the current event listing before you load the car.

LA County events. Free, County residents, rims accepted, no business or tractor-sized tires, no per-resident count published. A County tire hauling permit is required for 10 or more tires per trip: (626) 430-5540. Dates rotate and posted lists can lag.

Paid shops and recyclers. Tire shops often accept tires and, per the official County page, usually charge $3 or more per tire. County-posted recyclers:

Those figures are posted by the County on a dated page, so call ahead before you load up; they may be out of date. Private junk-hauler pricing is not published by the City or County — get a written quote before booking.

What is NOT a tire route

• The curb. LASAN does not collect automotive parts at the curb, and no curbside tire program exists.
• The black trash bin. Whole waste tires may not go to permitted California solid waste facilities unless permanently reduced in volume by shredding or other means (14 CCR § 17355). No official source grants a household trash-bin allowance for tires.
• The blue and green bins. Rubber tires are excluded from both.
• S.A.F.E. Centers and HHW mobile events. Tires are on the official not-accepted lists.
• Dumpsters, shared bins, alleys, empty lots. None are routes, and dumping is what LASAN's cleanup crews exist to fix.

Tire Amnesty Events and LASAN Open House collection

Community Tire Amnesty Events run in neighborhood locations through the year and accept used passenger, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle tires, rims, and inner tubes, free — the widest list available to a City household.

LASAN Open House tire collection is a free Saturday district-yard event funded by a CalRecycle grant: valid ID and a current DWP bill, a maximum of 9 passenger and/or light-truck tires per event, no rims, no business tires. The 2026 spring series shows the pattern — May 2 West Valley, May 30 South LA, June 6 West LA, June 20 Harbor, 10:00am–2:00pm. Those dates are examples only; verify the current listing before you go.

Behind the 9-tire cap is the CalRecycle amnesty grant framework: up to 9 tires needs no exemption, 10–20 tires require written Local Enforcement Agency authorization before the event, and grant-funded events refuse business tires.

Free LA County tire collection events

LA County Public Works runs free events for County residents. Rims are accepted; business tires and tractor-sized tires are not. Ten or more tires per trip requires a County tire hauling permit — call (626) 430-5540; the County flyer says to get the form about a week ahead from the Department of Public Health. Listings at the last check showed South Gate Park on August 22 (9:00am–3:00pm) and Littlerock and Lancaster on October 24 (9:00am–2:00pm) — examples, not a schedule. Verify on CleanLA or call 1-888-253-2652.

The California Tire Fee explained

Buying new tires adds a $1.75-per-tire California Tire Fee (Public Resources Code § 42885). It must be charged separately from and not included in any other fee, and stated separately on the invoice. It is not subject to sales tax, and the seller may retain 1.5% for collection costs. It does not apply to retreaded, reused, or recycled tires. Any dealer disposal fee must be itemized separately from it — the two are different charges, and the state fee is not a disposal fee.

Illegally dumped tires

Tires dumped in residential alleys and rights-of-way are removed by LASAN through livability programs including Clean Streets Los Angeles and the South LA Alley Clean-up Program. LASAN's tire program collects roughly 26,000 used tires — about 325 tons — a year from residential rights-of-way and sends them to CalRecycle-certified processors. Report dumped tires at myla311.lacity.gov or by calling 311. This is a cleanup service, not a route for tires you generated yourself.

Apartments and renters: proving residency and dropping off without a garage

• You qualify. Eligibility is City of LA residency, not ownership; renters use the same routes on the same terms.
• Residency proof is the real obstacle. Yards and the Open House collection require a current DWP/LADWP billing statement plus California photo ID. If no DWP bill is in your name, ask the landlord for a bill showing your address, or call 1-800-773-2489 before loading up.
• Never use the shared dumpster, carts, or alley. Whole tires cannot go to landfill as-is, and tires are excluded from the blue and green bins.
• Apartment-specific expectations are not published. Official pages describe eligibility simply as City of LA residents, so the same 4-per-calendar-year allowance applies — confirm apartment details with LASAN at 1-800-773-2489.
• Managers clearing multiple units: plan around the per-calendar-year yard limit, the 9-tire event caps, and the 10-or-more-tire threshold instead of treating it as one resident trip.
• No car? Every LASAN route is self-haul: a weekday yard trip, a Saturday event, a neighbor or landlord consolidating a run, or a paid shop.
• 5+ unit buildings on a private or recycLA hauler still get LASAN bulky-item service by appointment — but not for tires, because automotive parts are excluded.

How to prepare and transport tires

1. Pull the rims for a district-yard trip. It is the requirement that most often sends people home.
2. Bring both documents — current DWP/LADWP billing statement and valid California photo ID.
3. Bring household tires only. Shop, mechanic, and business tires are refused on every free route.
4. Respect the caps: 4 automobile tires per calendar year at the yards, up to 9 passenger or light-truck tires at Open House collection, event-specific caps at amnesty events.
5. Confirm hours and dates before you drive; yards are Monday–Friday 8:00am–1:00pm and events are date-specific.
6. Secure the load. Tires are heavy and roll; keep them in the trunk or bed, blocked so they cannot shift, and wear gloves when unloading.
7. Know the hauling threshold. Ten or more tires in one trip triggers a County permit at (626) 430-5540 and written authorization for 10–20 tires at grant-funded events.
8. Match odd items to the right route. Motorcycle and bicycle tires, inner tubes, and anything still on a rim belong at an amnesty or County event.

Safety warnings

• Never burn tires — tire fires release toxic smoke — and never dump them on public or private property. This is general safety guidance, not a City of LA fine schedule.
• Never put tires in a bin, dumpster, or alley. Whole tires are barred from landfill disposal unless shredded (14 CCR § 17355).
• Do not take tires to S.A.F.E. Centers or HHW mobile events. They are on the official not-accepted lists.
• Do not expect a curbside pickup. No official source shows one.
• Lift carefully. A passenger tire can weigh over 20 pounds, and a set of four is a rolling hazard.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Setting tires at the curb — no curbside tire pickup exists, and unscheduled set-out is illegal dumping.
2. Arriving at a district yard with rims still on.
3. Assuming your DWP bill is in your name; renters are turned away for this more than anything else.
4. Bringing shop or mechanic tires.
5. Treating a posted recycler price as today's price; the figures are dated.
6. Hauling 10 or more tires without authorization.
7. Trusting a South LA yard address without phoning to confirm.
8. Assuming truck tires are accepted at the year-round yards.

FAQ: Los Angeles tire disposal questions

Can I put old tires in the trash? No. Whole waste tires may not go to permitted California solid waste facilities unless permanently reduced in volume (14 CCR § 17355), and no official LASAN source grants a household trash-bin allowance.

How many tires can I drop off free? Up to 4 automobile tires per calendar year at a district yard, or up to 9 passenger or light-truck tires per Open House event. Official pages state the yard limit as per calendar year without saying whether it is per resident, per household, or per trip — plan on 4 and confirm with LASAN.

Do the yards take tires with rims? No. Amnesty and County events accept rims; Open House collection does not.

Is there a free tire pickup in Los Angeles? No. LASAN does not collect automotive parts at the curb, and every free route is resident self-haul.

Can I take tires to a S.A.F.E. Center? No. Tires are on the official not-accepted list for S.A.F.E. Centers and HHW mobile events.

What if I have 10 or more tires? Get authorization first: a County tire hauling permit for 10 or more tires per trip at (626) 430-5540, and written Local Enforcement Agency authorization for 10–20 tires at grant-funded events.

What about wheelchair or specialty tires? They are exempt from the California Tire Fee at purchase but are still waste tires needing recycling. No LA-specific drop-off route for them is published — call LASAN at 1-800-773-2489.

Verify before you act

1. Confirm whether you are a City of LA resident for LASAN routes or a County resident for a County event.
2. Confirm you have a current DWP/LADWP billing statement showing the residence plus a valid California photo ID.
3. Confirm your tires are household-generated, not shop, mechanic, or business tires.
4. Count your tires and check for rims, then match them to a route.
5. Call LASAN at 1-800-773-2489 to confirm the current district-yard address — especially South Los Angeles — and ask whether truck tires are accepted for your tire type.
6. Confirm the yard is open Monday–Friday 8:00am–1:00pm on your planned day.
7. Check the LASAN hub and event pages for the current amnesty and Open House date, location, and per-event cap, and CleanLA for the current County event.
8. Call (626) 430-5540 for the County tire hauling permit if you have 10 or more tires.
9. If using a paid shop or recycler, call to confirm the per-tire charge and whether rims cost extra.

Official sources

• LA Sanitation — Tire Recycling hub: https://sanitation.lacity.gov/services/tire-recycling
• LA Sanitation — Tire Recycling Dropoff (yards, hours, ID + DWP bill, no rims): https://sanitation.lacity.gov/san/faces/wcnav_externalId/s-lsh-wwd-s-r-trp-trd
• LA Sanitation — Tire Recycling Program overview: https://sanitation.lacity.gov/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-r/s-lsh-wwd-s-r-trp
• LA Sanitation — Open Houses: https://sanitation.lacity.gov/san/faces/wcnav_externalId/s-lsh-es-yoh
• City of Los Angeles — Trash Pick-Up & Drop-Off: https://lacity.gov/residents/trash-recycling
• LA Sanitation — Blue Bin Recycling: https://lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-r/s-lsh-wwd-s-r-rybb
• LA Sanitation — Green Bin Recycling: https://lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-r/s-lsh-wwd-s-r-rygb
• LA Sanitation — Hazardous Waste / S.A.F.E. Centers: https://lacitysan.org/hazardouswaste
• CleanLA — Tire Recycling: https://cleanla.lacounty.gov/tire-recycling/
• LA County — Free Tire Recycling event flyer: https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/tirerecycling/PDF/Flyer-SWhi.pdf
• CalRecycle — Tire Management Overview: https://calrecycle.ca.gov/Tires/Overview
• CalRecycle — Waste Tire Amnesty Grant Program: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Docs/Web/129852
• CalRecycle — Statutes and Regulations: https://calrecycle.ca.gov/tires/enforcement/statutesregs
• PRC § 42885 — California Tire Fee: https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-prc/division-30/part-3/chapter-17/article-5/section-42885
• CDTFA — California Tire Fee (PUB 91): https://cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub91.pdf
• CalRecycle — Waste tire cleanup document citing 14 CCR § 17355: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/PublicNotices/Documents/14013

Contacts: LASAN Customer Care 1-800-773-2489 · MyLA311 at myla311.lacity.gov or 311 · LA County CleanLA hotline 1-888-253-2652 · County tire hauling permit (626) 430-5540 · CalRecycle Tire Management Program (866) 896-0600.

Rules, hours, and event dates change. Confirm current details with LASAN or LA County before hauling tires.

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