Chicago Tire Disposal: No City Drop-Off

Item: Used and scrap vehicle tires — passenger car, SUV and light-truck, plus truck, motorcycle/powersports, trailer, agricultural and specialty tires; one tire or a garage full; tires off the rim and tires still on wheel rims Jurisdiction: City of Chicago, Cook County, with a statewide Illinois overlay (Used Tire Management Act, 415 ILCS 5/55 et seq.; 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 848) Official sources: Illinois EPA Used Tire Program, Illinois General Assembly (415 ILCS 5/55.8), City of Chicago HCCRF and Department of Streets and Sanitation, Chicago Department of Public Health, Municipal Code of Chicago 4-228-200, CHI311, Cook County, SWANCC Last verified: September 2026 · Next review: December 2026

Quick answer

Chicago has no city route for used tires — no drop-off, no curbside or alley pickup, no bulk collection. The city's Household Chemicals & Computer Recycling Facility (HCCRF) lists tires as not accepted, and the city's A-Z recycling guide marks tires as not accepted in the Blue Cart / drop-off program. Don't drive to the city's household chemical facility with tires.

• Buying new tires? Leave the same number of old tires with the shop in the same visit. Under 415 ILCS 5/55.8, an Illinois retailer must accept used tires for recycling from customers at the point of transfer, in a quantity equal to the number of new tires purchased. Ask its used-tire disposal charge first.
• Not buying new tires? No free city option exists. Call an Illinois EPA-listed processor that serves the general public, or hire a paid hauler.
• Never put tires in the trash, the Blue Cart, a dumpster, a trash chute or the alley. Whole tires are banned from Illinois landfills.

Illinois EPA states: "We are no longer conducting countywide used tire collections. The Illinois EPA advises motorists purchasing new tires to leave their used tires with their retailer, who must, by law, accept used tires for recycling." No state or city tire-collection event is coming.

Quick facts

Which route should you use?

Jurisdiction and limits: read this before you load the car

• This guide covers the City of Chicago (Cook County). The city's exclusion of tires applies citywide, and there is no City of Chicago tire route of any kind.
• The rules that do exist are Illinois state law — the retailer take-back, the $2.50-per-tire user fee, the whole-tire landfill ban, the 20-tire transport registration threshold and the storage rules apply statewide and do not change at the city line. What changes at the city line is the local drop-off facilities.
• Suburban Cook County and other Illinois municipalities live under the same state law but have different local arrangements. Regional agency lists such as SWANCC's auto-service shops (roughly $2.00–$3.50 per tire) cover northern Cook County suburbs — they are not City of Chicago programs, and each business sets its own charge.
• Cook County's CHaRM Center at 15800 State St., South Holland is a separate program for Cook County residents and does not take tires.
• Private property, HOA common areas, apartment dumpsters, trash chutes and alleys are never tire routes. No official source assigns landlords, HOAs or property managers an obligation to accept, store or haul tenant tires.
• What is verified and what is not: the city's non-acceptance of tires, the state take-back rules and the whole-tire landfill ban are verified. The per-tire disposal charge, the rim policy at each facility, which processors currently serve walk-in households, and any dumping fine are not — confirm those directly with the shop, the processor, 311 or the Illinois EPA before you act.

Why tires can't go in the trash, the Blue Cart or the alley

Whole tires are banned from landfills in Illinois, which closes every trash-based route at once: garbage can, Blue Cart, dumpster, trash chute, alley set-out.

The reason is practical. Improperly managed tire piles are habitat for disease-carrying vectors, particularly mosquitoes, and tire fires can contaminate air, land and water. Illinois residents generate more than 14 million used tires annually; most become tire-derived fuel, with crumb rubber (running tracks, playgrounds, molded rubber products) and rubber-modified asphalt as other outlets. The $2.50-per-tire user fee funds both the regulatory program and the Illinois EPA cleanup program for waste tires at public and abandoned dump sites.

Keep the ban precise: it covers whole tires; shredded and tire-derived material is handled separately. It is not permission to leave tires elsewhere. Illegal dumping is enforceable, and the city's A-Z guide lists tires as not recyclable in the Blue Cart or drop-off program, pointing residents to off-site drop-off options with the warning that "some locations may charge per tire - call before making the trip."

The main route: the Illinois retailer take-back when you buy new tires

Illinois EPA points motorists here, and the obligation is statutory. Under 415 ILCS 5/55.8, anyone selling new or used tires at retail in Illinois must:

• Accept used tires for recycling from customers at the point of transfer, in a quantity equal to the number of new tires purchased.
• Collect a $2.50-per-tire user fee on every new or used tire sold at retail, stated as a separate line item on the invoice, apart from the tire's selling price.
• Post a required notice — an 8.5 x 11 inch notice with the universal recycling symbol and the statements "DO NOT put used tires in the trash," "Recycle your used tires," and "State law requires us to accept used tires for recycling in exchange for new tires purchased."
• Not let accepted used tires accumulate more than 90 days.

Illinois EPA's guidance: "Leave your used tires with your tire retailer when you buy new tires. Retailers are required by law to accept a quantity of used tires equal to the number of new tires purchased. If a tire retailer refuses to accept your used tires, report them to the Illinois EPA and find another retailer."

The boundary matters. This is an exchange tied to a purchase, not a free public drop-off. The obligation equals the number of new tires you bought, at the point of transfer. A shop where you bought nothing isn't obligated to take your tires.

Why there is no city drop-off: HCCRF does not take tires

Chicago's HCCRF is the city's only permanent household chemical and electronics facility. Tires are on its not-accepted list, and CDPH's flyer lists them under NOT accepted. Don't load the car for it.

The facility takes residential waste only — commercial waste is refused — and runs Tuesday 7:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Thursday 2:00–7:00 p.m., and the first Saturday of each month 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. For chemicals, paint or electronics it is a real destination; for tires there is no branch of the program.

City garbage service follows the same logic. Streets and Sanitation collects residential garbage from single-family homes and buildings of four units or fewer, while properties with more than four units arrange private collection. Either way, tires are not eligible for curbside, bulk or large-item collection in any building type.

If you see a claim that the city takes up to four passenger tires on Saturdays, ignore it. It contradicts the City's own not-accepted list.

Illinois EPA-listed used tire processors: when you aren't buying new tires

With old tires and no new-tire purchase, this is the practical drop-off. Illinois EPA publishes processors that accept tires from the general public. Metro Chicago entries on the current list:

• Illinois Tire Recycling — 4845 W. Ogdon Ave., Cicero
• K&S Tire Recycling Inc. — 303 State St., Chicago Heights
• Liberty Tire Recycling / Lakin General Corp. — Montgomery
• Tire Management Holdings LLC — Aurora
• Treadstone Tire Recycling LLC — Joliet
• Tri-State Disposal Inc. — 13903 S. Ashland Ave., Riverdale

Three caveats: the list is subject to change and is not an endorsement; some entries are commercial or wholesale operations, so not every one serves walk-in households; and you must call ahead to confirm walk-in household service, current per-tire price, hours, and rim or size limits.

Also not a route: Cook County's CHaRM Center at 15800 State St., South Holland, takes household recyclables, e-waste and TVs, clothing and textiles, furniture, small appliances and Styrofoam from Cook County residents — but tires are not among its accepted materials, and it refuses commercial or industrial waste.

What it actually costs: the $2.50 user fee vs the disposal charge

Keep the two charges apart.

The $2.50-per-tire user fee is a purchase fee, not a disposal fee. It applies to every new or used tire sold at retail in Illinois and must appear as a separate invoice line item. The retailer remits it to the Illinois Department of Revenue on a quarterly ST-8 return, less a 10-cent-per-tire collection allowance it keeps, and the money goes to the Used Tire Management Fund. Four new tires means four $2.50 charges.

The disposal charge is separate and not fixed by law. Illinois EPA states the user fee does not cover the disposal cost of used tires generated at the retailer, so a retailer may assess its own disposal charge for each used tire accepted. That charge is set by the business, no state or city schedule exists, and no single figure can be published as the price. Ask before authorizing the work.

For context only — not as a Chicago price — the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC), a regional agency for northern Cook County suburbs, lists auto-service businesses accepting tires for per-tire fees, with examples of $2.00–$3.50. Each business sets its own charge, and it is not a City of Chicago program. There is no city tire fee, because there is no city tire route.

Large piles and business tires: transporters, storage and registration

• More than 20 tires at once: only vehicles registered with Illinois EPA may transport loads of more than 20 used or waste tires within Illinois, and generators must have their tires moved in a registered vehicle.
• Over 50 tires on the property: anyone with more than 50 used or waste tires accumulated on their property — or anyone selling tires at retail — must notify Illinois EPA within 30 days of starting the activity.
• Storage sites: a "tire storage site" must register annually, submit Parts A, B and C of the Notification and Registration form, and pay $100.00 per site by January 1st each year.
• Storage exemptions: a business storing tires outside that never accumulates more than 250 used tires, or inside a dry building or trailer and never accumulating more than 1,300, may qualify for an exemption from registration, the fee and other storage requirements.
• Records: businesses generating used tires must use registered transporters and should keep records of dates and numbers of tires removed.

One definition drives the paperwork: a "used tire" is a worn, damaged or defective tire that is not mounted on a vehicle wheel rim; a "waste tire" is a used tire that has been disposed of.

For a garage or estate cleanout, treat a dozen or more tires as a transporter or processor job. Businesses and commercial generators cannot use the retail take-back as their disposal route.

Apartments and renters

Because there is no city tire program, renters use exactly the same routes as owners — the retailer take-back, or a processor drop-off for a fee. Building size does not change tire eligibility, because tires are never a city service.

Building size does change garbage service: Chicago collects residential garbage from single-family homes and buildings of four units or fewer, while properties with more than four units arrange private collection. Either way, tires are never eligible for curbside, bulk or large-item collection.

Never leave tires in a multi-unit building's dumpster, trash chute, alley or common area — whole tires can't go to Illinois landfills, and illegal dumping can be enforced against the responsible party.

• No car: have the tires replaced at a shop, which disposes of the old set, or use a paid removal service.
• Replacing tires: confirm with the shop that the disposal charge is included, and ask the building or property manager before leaving old tires for a porter — management isn't obligated to dispose of resident tires.
• A garage or storage unit full: coordinate with the property manager and use a registered transporter once more than 20 tires move at once.
• No ID requirement: no official source publishes a residency-document requirement for any Chicago tire route, and the retailer take-back has no published residency rule.

How to prep and transport tires

1. Buying new tires? Bring the same number of old tires in the same visit. The retailer's duty equals the new tires purchased, at the point of transfer.
2. Ask for the disposal charge up front — and whether it is itemized or included.
3. Confirm the rim question. No official Illinois EPA or City of Chicago rule was found on whether retailers or processors accept tires still on wheel rims. Ask the specific facility.
4. Count and identify your tires — passenger, SUV/light-truck, truck, motorcycle, agricultural — since facilities price and cap by type and quantity.
5. Call ahead for processor drop-off: walk-in household service, current per-tire price, hours, and rim or size limits.
6. Secure the load. Tires are heavy and roll; block them so they can't shift, and wear gloves.

Safety warnings

• Never burn tires. Tire fires contaminate air, land and water, and burning is prohibited; Illinois routes recycled tires to tire-derived fuel and crumb rubber instead.
• Never dump tires on public or private property. Improperly managed piles are vector habitat, and illegal dumping is enforceable.
• No dumping fine is quoted here. Chicago Municipal Code 4-228-200's $500–$2,000 per-offense range applies to licensed tire handlers — who must keep a disposal contract and retain invoices for at least one year — not to a resident's alley set-out.
• Keep the landfill rule accurate: whole tires are banned from Illinois landfills; shredded material is handled separately.
• Don't plan around a collection event. Illinois EPA has ended countywide used tire collections.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Driving tires to the city's household chemical facility — they're on its not-accepted list.
2. Waiting for a city drop-off, curbside pickup, alley collection or collection event that doesn't exist.
3. Reading the $2.50-per-tire charge as a disposal fee.
4. Assuming the shop's disposal charge is included; ask before authorizing work.
5. Expecting a shop to take tires when you bought nothing there.
6. Assuming a processor takes tires on rims without asking.
7. Hauling more than 20 tires at once without a registered transporter.
8. Leaving tires in a building dumpster, chute, alley or common area.
9. Treating the suburban SWANCC list or any quoted price as a Chicago program at a fixed rate.

FAQ

Does Chicago have a tire drop-off? No. The HCCRF lists tires as not accepted, and there is no curbside, alley, bulk or drop-off tire collection.

Will the city pick up tires at the curb? No. Tires aren't eligible for curbside or bulk collection in any building type.

Can I put old tires in the alley or a dumpster? No. Whole tires are banned from Illinois landfills, and illegal dumping is enforceable.

How many tires can I leave at a tire shop? As many as the number of new tires you purchase, at the point of transfer — a one-for-one exchange.

What does tire disposal cost in Chicago? The $2.50-per-tire purchase fee is fixed by state law; the disposal charge is set by the shop or processor and isn't. Ask for the number before you commit.

I'm not buying new tires — what are my options? An Illinois EPA-listed processor serving the general public (per-tire fee), or a paid hauler. There is no free city option.

Can I take tires to an Illinois EPA collection? No — Illinois EPA is no longer conducting countywide used tire collections.

What if the shop refuses my tires? If you bought new tires there, report it to the Illinois EPA Used Tire Unit at (217) 785-8604 and use another retailer.

I have 30 tires from a cleanout. What now? Use an Illinois EPA-registered transporter or processor — moving more than 20 at once requires a registered transporter.

Verify before you act

1. Confirm your route. Buying new tires? Retailer take-back, equal to the number purchased. Not buying? A processor or paid hauler — there's no free city route.
2. Count and type your tires. Moving more than 20 at once means using an Illinois EPA-registered transporter.
3. Call the retailer for its per-tire disposal charge and whether it's included in the purchase.
4. Ask about rims at the shop or processor — no official rim rule is published for either.
5. Call the Illinois EPA-listed processor to confirm walk-in household service, price, hours and limits, and check the current list.
6. Confirm the fee structure: $2.50 per tire is the purchase fee, separate on the invoice, and does not cover disposal.
7. Report a refusal to the Illinois EPA Used Tire Unit, (217) 785-8604.
8. Use 311 for questions, not for tires: dial 311, call 312.744.5000, or visit 311.chicago.gov.
9. Check that no tire-collection event is advertised — Illinois EPA has ended countywide collections.

Official sources

• Illinois EPA — Used Tires: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/waste-management/waste-disposal/used-tires.html
• Illinois EPA — Used Tire Facts: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/waste-management/waste-disposal/used-tires/facts.html
• Illinois EPA — Used Tire Processors: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/waste-management/waste-disposal/used-tires/processors.html
• Illinois EPA — Collections: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/waste-management/waste-disposal/used-tires/collections.html
• Illinois EPA — Notification and Registration: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/forms/land-forms/used-tires/notification-and-registration.html
• Illinois EPA Office of Small Business — Used Tires: https://illinois.gov/epa/topics/small-business/publications/Pages/used-tires.aspx
• 415 ILCS 5/55.8, tire retailers: https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/041500050K55.8.htm
• City of Chicago — HCCRF: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/env/supp_info/environmental-permitting-and-inspection/hccrf.html
• CDPH — HCCRF flyer (tires not accepted): https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/doe/general/PermittingAndEnforcement/HHW_Household-Chemicals-and-Computer-Recycling-Facility_051325.ax.4.9.26.pdf
• City of Chicago — A-Z Recycling Guide: https://www.chicago.gov/dam/city/depts/doe/general/RecyclingAndWasteMgmt_PDFs/BlueCart/AZGuide_1_3_12.pdf
• City of Chicago — Residential Garbage Collection: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/streets_san/svcs/residential_garbagecollection.html
• Municipal Code 4-228-200, proper disposal of tires: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2635312
• CHI311: https://311.chicago.gov/
• Cook County — CHaRM Center: https://www.cookcountyil.gov/CHaRMCenter
• Cook County — Green Guide Library: https://www.cookcountyil.gov/content/green-guide-library
• SWANCC — Automotive Fluids and Parts: https://swancc.org/automotive-fluids-and-parts

Contacts: Illinois EPA Used Tire Unit (217) 785-8604 · Illinois EPA general (217) 782-3397 · Small Business Help Line (888) EPA-1996 · Illinois Department of Revenue tire fee questions 1-800-732-8866 or (217) 782-3336 · Chicago 311: dial 311, call 312.744.5000, or 311.chicago.gov · Cook County wasteandrecycling@cookcountyil.gov; CHaRM Center (312) 603-8212, option 2.

Processor lists, disposal charges and rim policies change. Confirm current details with the shop, the processor, Illinois EPA or 311 before loading tires into a vehicle.

Related guides: Chicago e-waste disposal, Chicago appliance disposal, Chicago furniture disposal, Chicago paint disposal.