What it costs to dump in Kentucky: 2026 fees by county
Kentucky's county landfills mostly charge by the ton: $30 in Daviess County, $38.05 at Hardin County's Pearl Hollow, with minimums from $7 to $20. Small loads can be cheaper: $10 a pickup bed at the East Daviess transfer station, and Louisville residents drop off up to 4 large items a day free.
2026 cost to dump in Kentucky, place by place
| Place | Small load | Bigger loads | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | Free for residents: 4 large items, 4 tires and 3 electronics a day | $60 a pickup or trailer up to 10 ft; $120 bigger | Card only; closed Sundays and Mondays |
| Daviess County (Owensboro) | $10 a pickup bed at East Daviess; $7 to $8 minimums elsewhere | $30 a ton at the landfill, $37 at Grimes Avenue | Out-of-county loads pay $5 to $10 a ton more |
| Nelson County (Bardstown) | $15 to $45 a pickup, by volume | $8.50 a cubic yard | Saturdays close at 11:30 a.m. |
| Glasgow (Barren County) | $20 minimum on every load | By weight; call for the rate | No trailers in the last 15 minutes |
| Hardin County (Elizabethtown) | By weight: $38.05 a ton | $51.08 a ton commercial | No tires, batteries or liquids |
Rates verified from each operator's own published pages, October 2026. Tires, appliances and construction debris cost extra almost everywhere. Confirm with the site before a big load.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Kentucky, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
Why prices vary in Kentucky
Many Kentucky counties and cities own their landfill (Daviess County, Nelson County, Hardin County and the City of Glasgow among them) and post per-ton or per-cubic-yard rates. Louisville is different: its landfill, Outer Loop, is run privately by Waste Management with no posted public prices, so Louisville Metro runs its own drop-off, the Waste Reduction Center, with flat prices by vehicle.
On top of any gate price, Kentucky charges an environmental remediation fee of $1.75 a ton on waste taken to landfills and transfer stations, so most sites add a small state line to the ticket.
Free and nearly free options
- Louisville residents can drop off 4 large household items, 4 tires and 3 electronic items a day free, plus household hazardous waste at the Haz Bin.
- Daviess County takes car batteries, used motor oil, aluminum and tin free when separated, and its East Daviess station takes a pickup bed for $10.
- Hardin County holds free disposal days for electronics (next April 24, 2027), tires and household hazardous waste, and keeps 7 free recycling drop-offs.
- Nelson County runs a free spring bulky item pickup for its garbage customers and a 24-hour recycling drop-off in Bardstown.
The catches that cost people money
- Pulling a trailer late. Glasgow turns away trailers and box trucks in the last 15 minutes, and Louisville wants trucks with trailers there 15 minutes before closing.
- Untarped loads. Daviess County's Grimes Avenue station charges $20 for an untarped trailer, and Hardin County requires every load secured and tarped.
- Coming from another county. Daviess County charges out-of-county household trash $35 a ton at the landfill and $47 at Grimes Avenue, against $30 and $37 for residents.
- Weekend trips. Hardin County's landfill opens one Saturday a month, Nelson County's closes at 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, and Louisville's Waste Reduction Center is closed Sundays and Mondays.
- Bringing cash to Louisville. The Waste Reduction Center takes debit and credit cards only.
What Kentucky law keeps out of the trash
KRS 224.50-410 bans lead-acid batteries from mixed solid waste and landfills; they go back to a retailer, wholesaler, recycler or collection center. Under KRS 224.50-856, tires can go to a contained landfill only after they're processed so they can't trap air or water, which rules out whole tires.
Starting June 30, 2027, KRS 224.50-420 also bars household and rechargeable batteries from trash and recycling containers. Kentucky has no landfill ban on yard waste, TVs, computers or appliances (the refrigerant has to be removed first), and no paint stewardship (PaintCare) or mattress recycling law.