San Diego Paint Disposal

Item: Leftover and surplus architectural paint — latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based and enamel paints, plus primers, sealers, undercoaters, stains, shellacs, lacquers, varnishes and single-component urethanes Jurisdiction: City of San Diego, California — Environmental Services Department (ESD) service area only Official sources: City of San Diego Environmental Services Department (HHW Transfer Facility, HAZMAT appointment form, Hazardous Waste FAQ, curbside bin rules, Trash Service Updates FAQ, Collection Services, Franchise Hauler Directory), PaintCare, CalRecycle, San Diego County Public Works HHW, WasteFreeSD Last verified: September 2026 · Next review: December 2026

Quick answer

Leftover paint inside the City of San Diego has two free, legal destinations, and neither is a bin, a dumpster or the curb: the City's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Transfer Facility at 5161 Convoy St., San Diego 92111, by appointment only, or a participating PaintCare paint store.

No City truck takes paint at the curb or as a bulky item, and paint is barred from both the trash and the recycling bin. California treats oil-based paint waste as hazardous and latex paint waste as presumed hazardous, and prohibits drying paint without a hazardous-waste permit — so dried paint still goes to a drop-off site, not the trash.

Quick facts

Why paint never goes in a San Diego bin, a dumpster or the trash

Drying paint out and binning it is the most common wrong turn. The City names hazardous waste and chemicals as unacceptable in the blue recycling bin, excludes household hazardous waste from the gray trash bin, and its hazardous waste FAQ calls disposal in a trash container or at a landfill illegal and dangerous.

CalRecycle adds the state layer: oil-based paint waste is hazardous and latex paint waste is presumed hazardous in California; paint is prohibited from disposal on land or waters; and drying paint without a hazardous-waste treatment permit is prohibited. Truly empty cans can be recycled or sent to an appropriate solid-waste facility.

In short, there is no bin exception for paint anywhere in the City — not in a home cart, not in an apartment chute, and not in a shared dumpster.

There is no City paint pickup — curbside or bulky

The City collects paint at no point at the curb, and its collection service does not include paint as a bulky item. Its Trash Service Updates FAQ states that two planned upgrades — weekly recycling collection and bulky item pickup — are "paused until further notice as part of the FY2028 and FY2029 fee reduction," while regular trash, recycling and organics collection continues as normal. No start date is published, so no future pickup date should be treated as real.

If your building is not eligible for City collection, it uses an approved private franchise hauler. Hauler household hazardous waste or bulky pickup is a paid, optional service at rates the City does not set or publish — request a quote rather than expecting a published price.

Route 1: the free City HHW Transfer Facility at 5161 Convoy St.

Where. 5161 Convoy St., San Diego, CA 92111, at the Miramar Landfill entrance on Convoy Street just north of the SR-52 freeway.

When. Wednesday and Saturday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., except holidays. The City's page posts these upcoming closures: November 28, 2026, December 26, 2026 and January 2, 2027.

Appointment only. Walk-ins are not accepted. Book at 858-694-7000 (staffed Monday–Friday 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m.) or through the City's online HAZMAT appointment form at getitdone.sandiego.gov/HazmatNewReportPage.

Cost and eligibility. Free — the City accepts unused and surplus paints at no charge to residents. City of San Diego residents only, households only, no business or commercial waste. Bring a picture ID or a recent bill showing your name and address, and be ready to certify the waste came from routine home or vehicle maintenance.

What it takes. Latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons. The City's appointment form lists "Paint (oil or water based)" as a selectable waste type.

Two quantity figures — and they are not the same rule. 5 gallons or 50 pounds is the accepted residential load per visit. 15 gallons or 125 pounds is the legal transport ceiling per trip, which the City's appointment form makes you certify under Department of Transportation rules. The two numbers come from different City documents and describe different things; neither replaces the other.

Call 858-694-7000 in advance for loads over 50 pounds, containers over 5 gallons, leaking or open cans, or unidentifiable products. On site, keep the load in the trunk or truck bed away from passengers and pets, stay in your vehicle, and follow personnel instructions.

Route 2: free PaintCare drop-off at San Diego paint stores

No appointment and no residency paperwork are needed. California's paint stewardship program began in October 2012 and lists 819 year-round drop-off sites statewide, open to households, businesses, agencies and others with leftover paint, at no charge.

PaintCare's live locator listed 20 participating retail paint stores inside the City of San Diego when checked in September 2026: five Dunn-Edwards, two PPG Paints, nine Sherwin-Williams, one Shilpark Paint and two Vista Paint, with per-visit limits of 5, 15 or 20 gallons. Several sit on transit corridors, including Morena Blvd, Sports Arena Blvd, El Cajon Blvd, Garnet Ave, Convoy St, Miramar Rd and Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

Stores leave the program and limits shift, so re-check paintcare.org/drop-off-sites and call the store before loading the car. Do not trust copied store data from older city brochures — the City's hosted PaintCare brochure is 2012-era. All sites take at least 5 gallons per visit and refuse aerosol coatings and leaking, unlabelled or empty containers.

What counts as paint the free routes will take

Accepted: interior and exterior architectural paints — latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel and textured coatings; deck and floor coatings, including elastomeric; primers, sealers and undercoaters; stains; shellacs, lacquers, varnishes and single-component urethanes; waterproofing concrete, masonry and wood sealers and repellents that are not tar- or bitumen-based; metal coatings and rust preventatives; field and lawn paints.

Not accepted: thinners, mineral spirits and solvents; aerosol coatings; auto and marine paints; art and craft paints; caulking, epoxies, glues and adhesives; additives, colorants, tints and resins; wood preservatives containing pesticides; roof patch and repair; asphalt, tar and bitumen products; two-component coatings; deck cleaners; traffic and road-marking paints; industrial maintenance coatings; OEM paints.

Aerosols and lead paint. CalRecycle says aerosol coatings enter the program when a stewardship plan covering them is implemented, or on January 1, 2028, whichever comes first. Stores will not take spray cans, though the City's appointment form does list "Aerosols/Spray cans," so call 858-694-7000 rather than guessing. The City facility also excludes lead paint waste, and no official household route for lead-based paint waste was found — call 858-694-7000 instead of driving anywhere with it.

Container rules and prep before you load the car

1. Original container, 5 gallons or smaller, with the manufacturer's printed label and a secured lid; call 858-694-7000 for anything larger.
2. No leaks, opens or empties. PaintCare refuses leaking, open, unlabelled and empty cans; the City asks you to call ahead about leaky, open, unidentifiable or unlabelled products.
3. Never mix products or decant into unmarked containers — both routes need the original product identity readable.
4. Sort before loading. Architectural paint in one pile; thinners, solvents, aerosols, auto and marine paints, art and craft paints, and suspected lead paint kept out of it.
5. On empties, follow each route's rule. PaintCare refuses empty cans, while the City's appointment form lists empty chemical containers as selectable items, so confirm with the City.
6. Book before you travel. City: a booking plus picture ID and a recent bill showing your name and City address. Store: a call about participation, the current limit and hours.

Which San Diego paint route should you use?

Footnotes. The PaintCare fee is paid when you buy paint, never at drop-off. The two City figures are the accepted household load and the legal transport ceiling, not competing limits. PaintCare store participation and per-store limits change — call the store.

Big loads: 100+ gallons

PaintCare's free Large Volume Pickup serves households or businesses with 100+ gallons of leftover architectural paint in PaintCare states; request it in advance through its form or (855) PAINT09. It is usually unavailable to junk haulers, clean-out companies, hazardous-waste firms, member organizations and HOAs, which may still use drop-off sites. Businesses need exempt-generator status for oil-based products.

Under 100 gallons, plan repeated 5-gallon or 50-pound visits rather than one overloaded run — the 15-gallon / 125-pound ceiling is a legal transport limit, not a suggestion.

Renters, apartments, HOAs and privately serviced buildings

• Renters qualify by living in the City, not by owning. Bring picture ID plus a recent bill showing your name and address.
• Unresolved: no official statement confirms a lease or management letter works when utilities are in the landlord's name. Call 858-694-7000 before booking.
• The easiest renter route is a store. PaintCare has no residency test, no appointment at most stores, and at least 5 gallons per visit, with 20 participating stores inside the City when last checked.
• Never use a trash chute, shared dumpster or building recycling bin. Hazardous waste is excluded from both streams, and drying paint for the trash is prohibited in California.
• Private service changes nothing about paint. Buildings not eligible for City collection use an approved franchise hauler, but the free City HHW and PaintCare routes stay open to their residents; hauler pickup is optional and separately priced.
• No car? Small loads and transit-corridor PaintCare stores are the practical option, or ask management about a building-wide drop-off run.
• Building-scale clean-outs do not clearly qualify for the free Large Volume Pickup, which is generally unavailable to HOAs and third-party transporters.

The PaintCare fee is paid when you buy paint, not when you drop it off

No disposal fee exists on any documented residential route. The City accepts paint at no charge to residents, and PaintCare states there is no charge at drop-off and that its fee "is not a tax or a deposit." The fee is collected at purchase:

• Half pint or smaller: $0.00
• Larger than half pint but smaller than 1 gallon: $0.30
• 1 to 2 gallons: $0.65
• Larger than 2 gallons up to 5 gallons: $1.50

For private franchise hauler household hazardous waste or bulky pickup, no rate is published, because the City does not set service rates for privately serviced properties. Request a quote from EDCO Disposal 619-533-4440, Republic Services 619-287-7555, Universal Waste Systems 480-842-5862, Ware Disposal 619-814-6330 or Waste Management 619-262-4990.

Outside the City: County and other-city paint routes

Rules stop at the city line. Unincorporated County residents use the County's four permanent HHW facilities, not the City's:

• Ramona, 324 Maple Street — first and third Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., appointments required, 877-713-2784.
• South Bay / Chula Vista, 1800 Maxwell Rd — Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., no appointment; also serves Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and National City.
• Escondido, 1044 West Washington Avenue — select Saturdays, 12:30–2:45 p.m., appointments required.
• El Cajon, 925 O'Connor Street — temporarily closed to unincorporated residents.

County protocol mirrors the City's: waste in the trunk or truck bed, remain in the vehicle, bring proof of residency, keep labels legible, do not mix products, and stay under 15 gallons or 125 pounds. Qualified elderly or disabled unincorporated residents can request pickup via 877-713-2784.

Other incorporated cities — Chula Vista, Carlsbad, Escondido, El Cajon, La Mesa, Coronado, Poway, Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Encinitas, Del Mar, Solana Beach, San Marcos, Santee, Lemon Grove and Oceanside — run their own programs. Coronado's facility at 101 B Ave serves Coronado households at 15 gallons per visit. WasteFreeSD lists nearby sites, but each entry carries its own hours and limits.

Safety and handling caveats

• Never bin, dumpster or curb paint, and never dry it out for the trash.
• Keep loads upright in the trunk or truck bed, lids tight, away from passengers and pets.
• Never exceed 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip; exceeding it is illegal.
• Do not mix products or try to identify unknown cans — call 858-694-7000.
• Keep lead paint, thinners and solvents, and aerosols out of the paint load.
• Treat oil-based and alkyd paint as hazardous, and latex paint as presumed hazardous.
• Stay in your vehicle at facilities and never leave cans at the curb or beside a dumpster.

Mistakes that cost San Diego residents a wasted trip

1. Waiting for a City pickup that does not exist — there is no curbside or bulky-item paint collection.
2. Drying paint and binning it — prohibited without a hazardous-waste treatment permit, and still a drop-off item when dry.
3. Arriving without an appointment, which the HHW facility requires, including on Saturdays.
4. Forgetting proof of residency — picture ID or a recent bill with your name and City address.
5. Treating 15 gallons as the accepted load — that is the transport ceiling; the accepted load is 5 gallons or 50 pounds.
6. Bringing unlabelled or leaking cans, which both routes refuse.
7. Driving to a store without calling, since participation and per-visit limits change.
8. Mixing lead paint, thinner or aerosols into the paint load, which can get the whole load refused.
9. Assuming County facilities serve City residents — they serve unincorporated residents and the South Bay partner cities.
10. Trusting an old brochure's store list — use the live PaintCare locator.

Frequently asked questions

Does the City pick up paint at the curb or as a bulky item? No. There is no City curbside or bulky-item paint collection, and the bulky item pickup upgrade is paused until further notice.

Can I bin paint once it is completely dry? No. Drying paint without a permit to treat hazardous waste is prohibited in California, and dried paint still goes to a drop-off location.

How do I book the City HHW Transfer Facility? Call 858-694-7000, Monday–Friday 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m., or use getitdone.sandiego.gov/HazmatNewReportPage. The facility is open Wednesday and Saturday 9 a.m.–3 p.m., except holidays, and it is appointment only.

Is it really free? Yes, at both routes. The PaintCare fee is collected when new paint is purchased, not at drop-off.

How much can I bring at once? City facility: 5 gallons or 50 pounds per visit, with a 15-gallon / 125-pound legal ceiling per trip. PaintCare stores: at least 5 gallons per visit, with per-store limits of 5, 15 or 20 gallons.

Can I drop off paint if I rent? Yes — proof of residency, not ownership, is the test, and PaintCare has no residency test at all. If all your bills are in the landlord's name, call 858-694-7000 first.

I live in Chula Vista. Can I use the Convoy Street facility? No. It is for City of San Diego residents. Chula Vista uses the South Bay facility at 1800 Maxwell Rd.

Will a paint store take my spray cans? Not PaintCare stores — they refuse aerosol coatings, and California's program does not cover them until a stewardship plan is implemented or January 1, 2028, whichever comes first. The City's appointment form does list aerosols, so call 858-694-7000.

Official contacts and verification checklist

1. Confirm where you live. City residents use the City facility or PaintCare; unincorporated residents call 877-713-2784; other cities contact their own program.
2. Sort the cans. Architectural paint in; thinners, aerosols, auto and marine paints, art and craft paints, and suspected lead paint out.
3. Check the container gate. Original container, 5 gallons or smaller, printed label, secured lid, not leaking, not empty.
4. Book before travelling, and bring picture ID plus a recent bill with your name and City address.
5. Respect both figures — 5 gallons / 50 pounds accepted per visit, 15 gallons / 125 pounds legal per trip — and stay in your vehicle on site.

Key contacts. City HHW appointments: 858-694-7000, Monday–Friday 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; getitdone.sandiego.gov/HazmatNewReportPage; sdrecyclingworks@sandiego.gov. City HHW Transfer Facility: 5161 Convoy St., San Diego, CA 92111. County HHW hotline for unincorporated residents: 877-713-2784. PaintCare: (855) PAINT09; paintcare.org/drop-off-sites. Approved City franchise haulers: EDCO Disposal 619-533-4440; Republic Services 619-287-7555; Universal Waste Systems 480-842-5862; Ware Disposal 619-814-6330; Waste Management 619-262-4990. County Department of Environmental Health, business paint: (858) 505-6880. DTSC: rao@dtsc.ca.gov, (800) 728-6942. Regional directory: wastefreesd.org.

What could not be confirmed. The two City quantity figures come from different official documents. Whether electronics are accepted at the HHW facility is inconsistent between an older City flyer and the current page. No official household route for lead paint waste was found. Whether a lease proves residency for a renter with no bill in their own name is unstated. HOA and building clean-out eligibility for PaintCare's Large Volume Pickup is unclear, as is the routing of aerosol spray paint. Closing contacts: 858-694-7000 (City), 877-713-2784 (County), (855) PAINT09 (PaintCare).

Sources

1. City of San Diego — Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility (address, hours, holidays, proof of residency, free drop-off, call-ahead cases): https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/miramar/hhwtransfac
2. City of San Diego — HAZMAT drop-off appointment form ("Paint (oil or water based)", empty chemical containers, 15 gal / 125 lb certification): https://getitdone.sandiego.gov/HazmatNewReportPage
3. City of San Diego — Hazardous Waste Disposal FAQ (trash and landfill disposal illegal and dangerous; appointment hours): https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/geninfo/faq/hazardous
4. City of San Diego — City-Serviced Homes, curbside bin rules (hazardous waste and chemicals excluded from both streams): https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/residential/curbside
5. City of San Diego — Trash Service Updates FAQ (bulky item pickup paused until further notice): https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/trash-service-updates/faq
6. City of San Diego — Collection Services (ESD service area; private franchise hauler requirement): https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/collection
7. City of San Diego — Franchise Hauler Directory, revised October 2025 (approved haulers; City does not set service rates): https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/transitioning-private-hauler-directory.pdf
8. City of San Diego — HHW Transfer Facility flyer, legacy 2013 (5 gallons / 50 pounds load figure; not-accepted list; superseded hours): https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/environmental-services/geninfo/news/pdf/hhwtransferfacility.pdf
9. City of San Diego — PaintCare brochure, legacy 2012 (fee table and business note only; store data is stale): https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/environmental-services/ep/pdf/PaintCareBrochure.pdf
10. PaintCare — Drop-off site locator (baseline 5 gallons per visit; no aerosol, leaking, unlabelled or empty containers): https://www.paintcare.org/drop-off-sites/
11. PaintCare — site locator data feed (City facility record and the 20 participating City of San Diego retail stores): https://www.paintcare.org/wp-content/uploads/pc-site-locator/sites.json
12. PaintCare — Products accepted (accepted and not-accepted product lists; container rule): https://www.paintcare.org/products/
13. PaintCare — Large Volume Pickups (100+ gallons; HOA, hauler and clean-out exclusions): https://www.paintcare.org/large-volume-pickups/
14. PaintCare — California program and fees (819 sites since October 2012; fee table; no charge at drop-off): https://www.paintcare.org/states/california
15. CalRecycle — Paint Management (hazardous and presumed-hazardous paint waste; drying prohibition; aerosol timeline): https://calrecycle.ca.gov/Paint/
16. San Diego County — HHW Collection Facilities (Ramona, South Bay, Escondido, El Cajon; unincorporated residents only; 15 gal / 125 lb limit): https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/dpw/recycling/hhw/chd_hhwfacilities.html
17. WasteFreeSD — regional recycling and HHW directory: https://wastefreesd.org/

Verify before you act. Hours, holiday closures, appointment rules, PaintCare store participation and per-store limits all change, and the City's bulky-item pickup upgrade is officially paused until further notice. Confirm with City ESD Customer Service at 858-694-7000 (Monday–Friday, 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m.) or sdrecyclingworks@sandiego.gov before you load a vehicle. This guide covers the City of San Diego ESD service area only — unincorporated San Diego County and every other incorporated city in the region run their own household hazardous waste programs, and the City facility accepts only waste from City of San Diego residents. Never leave paint at a curb, in an alley or beside a dumpster: paint is banned from the trash, the recycling bin and shared dumpsters, and drying it out for the trash is prohibited in California.