Houston Tire Disposal: The 10-Tire Monthly Drop-Off Limit

Item: Scrap and used passenger tires — car, SUV and light-truck tires, on or off the rim. Not truck, industrial, tractor-trailer, oversized or commercial-vehicle tires, and never household garbage. Jurisdiction: City of Houston city limits and the City curbside-service area only. Not the independent suburbs, and not unincorporated Harris County. Official sources: City of Houston Scrap Tire Program and Scrap Tire FAQ, Ordinance 2015-1032 (Code of Ordinances Chapter 39, Article VIII), Residential Drop-Off Centers, Heavy Trash Collection, Environmental Service Centers, Houston 311, TCEQ scrap tire program, Harris County Office of the County Engineer Last verified: September 2026 · Next review: December 2026

Quick answer: Houston tire disposal at a glance

Inside the City of Houston service area, used passenger tires have two free official routes, and one number decides everything else: how many tires you are moving.

• Curbside. Up to four (4) passenger tires with Heavy Trash (Bulk & Tree Waste), on your assigned day, set out between 6:00 p.m. the Friday before and 7:00 a.m. on the collection day, inside an 8-cubic-yard pile cap. Crews separate tires from the rest of the pile and may take up to one week after the main collection to retrieve them.
• Drop-off. The six Residential Drop-Off Centers (formerly Neighborhood Depositories) take up to 5 passenger tires per visit and 10 per month, free with matching proof of residency, up to four visits per month, posted hours Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
• The number the City's pages do not agree on. The Environmental Service Centers page publishes 5 tires per residence per month. Confirm the current limit with SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460 before you load.
• Excluded at city residential sites. Truck, industrial, tractor-trailer, oversized and commercial-vehicle tires.
• The permit line. Any individual hauling six (6) or more tires within city limits needs a City tire transporter permit.
• Cost. No dollar fee is published for the curbside or drop-off routes, and Texas mandates no state disposal fee. Landfill and transporter charges are negotiated and must be confirmed by phone.
• Never a route. The household garbage cart.

Quick facts

Is your address inside the City of Houston service area?

These rules cover the City of Houston city limits and its curbside-service area only, and a mailing address does not settle it. Bellaire, Katy, Pasadena, Pearland, Sugar Land, Humble, Spring and similar independent municipalities run their own collection programs and their own tire rules. Unincorporated Harris County residents use the county's household hazardous waste facility, which serves only people who live outside the incorporated City and do not receive City of Houston services. Apartment management, landlords, HOAs and condo boards can add their own storage, dumpster and hauler rules on top of anything here.

Why tires are their own category in Houston

Most household items ride one rule: bulky waste to Heavy Trash, hazardous waste to an Environmental Service Center, everything else in the cart. Tires sit apart because City Council gave them their own law, codified at Chapter 39, Article VIII.

Tires hold water — a documented mosquito-breeding problem — and a large pile is a serious fire load. So the City made exposed storage its own violation: it is unlawful to store any tire in the city exposed to the elements, and that condition is a nuisance subject to abatement at the property owner's expense.

Read that against the state rule and the gap matters. TCEQ lets a generator keep up to 500 tires on site without registering — 2,000 in enclosed or lockable trailers or containers. That is a registration threshold, not permission. Storing fewer than 500 tires on the ground does not make exposed outdoor storage legal in Houston. You can be compliant with TCEQ and still in violation at home.

The ordinance reaches businesses too: anyone collecting, repairing, processing, recycling, scrapping, buying, selling or storing 100 or more scrap tires per year must register and/or obtain a permit annually — except government-owned or government-operated establishments, which are exempt. A violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of at least $250 and no more than $2,000, and each day it continues is a separate offense.

Curbside route: 4 tires with Heavy Trash

If you have one set of four passenger tires and no practical way to haul them, the curb is the fit.

Eligibility. Heavy trash is limited to occupied residential units receiving City of Houston services, and collection is not available to multi-residential structures with more than eight (8) units. A house, duplex or small multi-unit building of eight units or fewer qualifies; at nine units the property arranges private hauling.

What goes out. The City's heavy trash page lists tire disposal plainly: residents may place up to four (4) passenger tires at the curb.

When. Heavy trash runs every other month for eligible addresses — up to six collections per calendar year — on an assigned day. Look yours up with the City service lookup tool or the HTX Collects app. The set-out window is 6:00 p.m. the Friday before to 7:00 a.m. on the collection day; earlier is a set-out violation, not an early start.

Where and how much. Just behind the curb line in front of your home — not in the street, on a sidewalk, or under wires, signs, mailboxes and hydrants. Maximum 8 cubic yards per set-out, counting everything you put out.

Expect a lag. Crews separate tires from the rest of the pile, and it may take up to one week for them to be retrieved. A pile otherwise gone with four tires still out is normal process, not a missed pickup — call 311 if a week passes.

The refusal trap. If authorized and unauthorized items are mixed, the entire pile may be refused. Household hazardous waste and electronics must never go out for heavy trash; they go to an Environmental Service Center.

Scheduling caveat. The official page describes the every-other-month, assigned-day model above. Plan around it, but confirm the model currently in effect and your assigned day before setting anything out.

The six free Residential Drop-Off Centers

Five to ten tires, or a pile you want gone on your schedule, and the drop-off center is the free official answer. The old name, Neighborhood Depository, still appears in places.

Hours and access. Posted hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday, so arrive at least 30 minutes before closing. No appointment is needed; residents unload their own items in about 20 minutes, use is capped at four visits per month, and the service is free of charge with valid proof of residency.

The tire limit — and why you should still call. The Scrap Tire FAQ and the drop-off page say 5 passenger tires per visit, maximum 10 per month. The Environmental Service Centers page says 5 per residence per month, and the older drop-off rules PDF matches 5 per visit / 10 per month. These are all City publications that do not agree, and the count is the whole game on this route. Call SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460, confirm the current limit, and present that number at the gate.

Not accepted. No truck or industrial tires, no tractor-trailer tires, and per the Environmental Service Centers page no commercial vehicle tires. Contractors and other businesses are prohibited, and only one vehicle per household may dump at a time. Note the separation of the two city systems: the Residential Drop-Off Centers are the tire route, while the Environmental Service Centers are the hazardous waste and electronics route, with a separate published tire allowance of 5 tires per residence per month. The City's HHW Information Line is 713.551.7355.

Proof of address: what gets you through the gate

The gate is document-driven: a current Texas-issued ID — driver's license, DPS ID, LTC or Consulate ID — plus a current City of Houston utility bill (power, water or gas from the current or previous two months) or a current lease or rental agreement for a City of Houston address. The addresses on both documents must match, and electronic bills are accepted. Recycling-only drop-off needs just the Texas ID, but tires are a bulk item, so bring both. That lease line is what makes the free route usable for renters: no utility bill in your name is required if you have a current lease.

The 6-tire permit line and who actually needs a permit

This is the part most home tire cleanouts miss. Per Chapter 39, Article VIII, individuals hauling six (6) or more tires within city limits are required to obtain a tire transporter permit. Not a business — an individual. Six tires in a pickup bed crossing town is, on the City's own rules, a permitted activity.

A second, separate layer exists at the state level:

• TCEQ generator registration. None needed up to 500 tires stored on site; registration applies above 500 tires on the ground, or 2,000 in enclosed or lockable trailers or containers. Generators must use a manifest system and obtain the completed manifest within 60 days after tires are removed. Only registered transporters — or self-transport — may remove tires.
• TCEQ transporter registration. With limited exceptions, transporters must register with TCEQ before collecting tires, haul to an authorized facility, keep manifest records and submit an annual report. Vehicles must be marked on both sides and the rear with the business name and location and the TCEQ registration number in letters at least two inches tall.
• City permit processing. A complete application should bring authorization within 30 days; review for scrap-tire facilities takes 30 to 60 days. Permits are renewed yearly, and transporters display a City-issued decal on each vehicle used to haul tires.

Fees, labeled precisely. The ordinance's Exhibit B schedule, as published in the 2015 ordinance, lists a tire transporter permit including one truck at $172.09 annual, each additional truck at $43.29 annual, and a tire generator registration at $66.27 one time. Treat those as amounts published in the 2015 ordinance, not a current quote, and ask the City's Solid Waste Management Department for current amounts.

Two programs, not one. The City permit and the TCEQ registration are separate requirements, and no single application was documented that covers both. If your haul crosses either threshold, plan on satisfying both and confirm the sequence with the City before you move a tire.

Which Houston tire route fits your situation?

Route comparison

Count decides. One to four passenger tires: the free curbside set-out is easiest, subject to the assigned day, the set-out window, the curb-line rule and the 8-cubic-yard cap. Five to ten: a drop-off visit fits, within the conflicting published figures — so call first. Six or more moved by you in city limits: the City transporter permit applies whichever facility you use.

Excluded types go elsewhere. Truck, industrial, tractor-trailer, oversized and commercial-vehicle tires are refused at both residential city routes. TCEQ allows scrap tires in an active permitted landfill only if split, quartered or shredded, usually with a fee whose amount is landfill-specific. The state mandates no disposal fee; removal fees are negotiated between generators and transporters. TCEQ publishes a facility map viewer and a downloadable list of active used and scrap tire handlers and facilities in Texas.

County line. Harris County HHW is not for City of Houston addresses. It serves county residents outside the incorporated City, is appointment only at 6900 Hahl Road, Houston, TX 77040 (290/Gessner), open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9 a.m.–3 p.m. and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays 9 a.m.–2 p.m., takes up to 4 tires per household each month, and its information line is 346-286-4299.

Retailer take-back is lowest-effort and least predictable, because it is store policy rather than a Texas mandate. Discount Tire states that when you replace tires with it, all necessary fees are included — tire disposal, state and environmental fees — and that it will recycle an old set if you call or stop by a local store. Texas mandates no retailer acceptance and no state disposal fee.

Apartment and renter edge cases

• A lease is accepted proof of address. A current lease for a City of Houston address plus a matching current Texas-issued ID satisfies the drop-off requirement — no utility bill in your name needed.
• Buildings over eight units lose the curb. Curbside heavy trash is unavailable to multi-residential structures with more than eight units; eight or fewer with City service can still use it, up to 4 tires.
• Whether large-building tenants may personally use a drop-off center is not settled. The proof-of-address rules appear to allow a lease, but no official page states it plainly. Confirm with SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460 before loading.
• One vehicle per household may dump at a drop-off facility at a time, so two cars cannot convoy two loads in one visit.
• The landlord carries the abatement exposure. Nuisance abatement for exposed tire storage runs at the property owner's expense, not only the tenant's.
• Unincorporated-county renters have no City route — your option is the county HHW facility by appointment.
• Management, landlords, HOAs and condo boards can add rules on storage, dumpster use and haulers. Tires are never a legal dumpster item regardless.

Prep before the tires leave the property

1. Count first, then choose the route. Four or fewer fits the curb; five to ten fits a drop-off visit within the published limits; six or more moved by you in city limits raises the permit question first.
2. Puncture stored tires so they do not hold water — vector control, and the difference between a nuisance complaint and a clean storage area.
3. Hold the tires off the curb until the window opens, then place them behind the curb line, out of the street and off sidewalks, with no prohibited items mixed in.
4. Assemble matching documents for a drop-off run and arrive 30 minutes before closing.
5. Ask about rims before loading. No official City page says whether tires must be off the rim for residential drop-off or curbside — the most common reason a load is turned away at a gate.
6. Confirm hours and the tire limit by phone before driving, because the City's pages disagree on the limit and on hours.

Safety and compliance caveats

• Never store tires exposed to the elements inside the city. It is unlawful, declared a nuisance, and subject to abatement at the property owner's expense — fewer than 500 tires on the ground does not change that.
• Never put tires in the household garbage cart, and never mix them into a heavy trash pile with unauthorized items, because the whole pile can be refused.
• Never dump tires illegally. Report dumping through 311 or SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460.
• Lift carefully. Tires are heavy and awkward; a set of four is a two-person job for many households. Keep them out of standing water areas.
• Do not assume a landfill takes whole tires. TCEQ requires them split, quartered or shredded, and a fee usually applies.
• Know the penalty. A violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of at least $250 and no more than $2,000, and each day it continues is a separate offense.

Official verification checklist

1. Confirm your address is inside the incorporated City of Houston and receives City curbside service.
2. Count the tires: 4 or fewer can go curbside; 5 to 10 fits a drop-off center; 6 or more hauled within city limits raises the permit question.
3. Call SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460 to confirm the current per-visit and per-month tire limit, because the City's pages publish different figures.
4. In the same call, confirm current drop-off hours — the current page and the older rules PDF do not match.
5. Ask whether tires must be off the rim. No official City page states a rule.
6. For a drop-off trip, assemble a matching Texas-issued ID plus City utility bill or lease, and remember only one vehicle per household may dump at a time.
7. For curbside, confirm your assigned day and the scheduling model in effect, then set out within the window and the 8-cubic-yard cap.
8. For excluded tire types, call a permitted landfill or a TCEQ-registered transporter and confirm the split, quarter or shred requirement and the fee.
9. Outside city limits, confirm county HHW eligibility and book the appointment at 346-286-4299.
10. If relying on retailer take-back, confirm the store's current policy and charge directly.

Jurisdiction: what this guide does and does not cover

This guide covers the City of Houston city limits and its curbside-service area only.

• Unincorporated Harris County has separate disposal rules and a separate HHW facility, which serves only residents outside the incorporated City who do not receive City services.
• Independent metro municipalities — Bellaire, Katy, Pasadena, Pearland, Sugar Land, Humble and similar — run their own collection programs and tire rules.
• Apartment management, landlords, HOAs and condo boards can add rules on top of anything here.
• Contractors and businesses operate under the City's scrap tire program and TCEQ registration instead of the residential routes.

Eligibility, hours, limits and fees change. Official verification is required before acting.

Frequently asked questions

Can tires go in my regular garbage cart? No. Tires are never cart waste at any Houston address.

How many tires can I put at the curb? Up to four (4) passenger tires with Heavy Trash, on your assigned day, within the set-out window and the 8-cubic-yard cap.

How many can I take to a drop-off center? The City's pages disagree: 5 per visit / 10 per month on the Scrap Tire FAQ and the drop-off page, versus 5 per residence per month on the Environmental Service Centers page. Call SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460 before loading.

Is it free? The curbside route and the drop-off centers are described as free to eligible residents with proof of residency, and no dollar fee is published for either. Texas mandates no state scrap tire fee; landfill and transporter charges are negotiated.

Do I need a permit to move my own tires? If you are an individual hauling six or more tires within city limits, the City requires a tire transporter permit. Below that count, the residential routes apply.

Can I take truck or commercial tires to a city facility? No — they are excluded from the residential city routes and must go to a permitted landfill or a TCEQ-registered transporter.

Do the tires have to be off the rims? No official City page states a rule either way, so call and ask before loading mounted tires.

I live outside the city limits. Can I use a Houston drop-off center? Those centers serve City of Houston residents. In unincorporated Harris County, use the county HHW facility at 6900 Hahl Road by appointment, up to 4 tires per household each month.

My building has more than eight units. What now? Curbside heavy trash is unavailable to structures over eight units. A lease is accepted as proof of address at drop-off centers, but whether large-building tenants may personally use them is not explicitly published — confirm with SWD-Tires.

How long until the tires are collected at the curb? Crews separate tires from the pile, and retrieval may take up to one week after the main collection.

What about a tire still on the rim? That is the unanswered question on this page. No official City page states whether rims must be removed for residential drop-off or curbside, so call SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460 before you load mounted tires — it is the most common reason a load is turned away.

Related Houston disposal guides: e-waste (/tx/houston/ewaste-disposal/), paint and chemicals (/tx/houston/paint-disposal/), appliances (/tx/houston/appliances-disposal/), furniture (/tx/houston/furniture-disposal/) and mattresses (/tx/houston/mattress-disposal/).

Sources

1. City of Houston — Scrap Tire Program: https://www.houstontx.gov/scraptires/
2. City of Houston — Scrap Tire FAQ: https://www.houstontx.gov/scraptires/scraptires_faq.html
3. City of Houston — Tire Disposal FAQ: https://www.houstontx.gov/scraptires/disposal_faq_002.html
4. City of Houston — Ordinance 2015-1032: https://www.houstontx.gov/scraptires/pdf/Ch39TiresOrd2015_1032.pdf
5. City of Houston — Residential Drop-Off Centers: https://pwehelp.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/depository.html
6. City of Houston — Drop-Off Center Rules: https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/depository-rules.pdf
7. City of Houston — Heavy Trash Collection: https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/treewaste.html
8. City of Houston — Environmental Service Centers: https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/esc.html
9. City of Houston — Household Hazardous Waste: https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/hhw.html
10. City of Houston — Residential Recycling Centers: https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/recycling_centers.html
11. TCEQ — Tire Disposal Q&A: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/waste_permits/tires/tires-disposal-qa
12. TCEQ — Scrap Tire Generators: https://tceq.texas.gov/permitting/waste_permits/tires/tires-generators
13. TCEQ — Scrap Tire Transporters: https://tceq.texas.gov/permitting/waste_permits/tires/tires-transport
14. TCEQ — Tire Disposal for the Public: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/waste_permits/tires/tires-disposal
15. TCEQ — Active Scrap Tire Handlers and Facilities: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/downloads/permitting/waste-permits/tires/docs/scrap-tire-active-registrations.xlsx
16. Harris County — HHW Facility: https://oce.harriscountytx.gov/Services/Household-Hazardous-Waste
17. Harris County — HHW FAQ: https://oce.harriscountytx.gov/Services/Household-Hazardous-Waste/FAQ
18. Discount Tire — Tire Recycling: https://www.discounttire.com/learn/scrap-tires-environment

City, county and state pages are the final authority on eligibility, limits, hours, documents and fees. Terms change — confirm on the official pages, or call SWD-Tires at (832) 393-0460 or 311, before you move a single tire.