What it costs to dump in Minnesota: 2026 fees by area
What you pay to dump in Minnesota depends on your county. Much of greater Minnesota prices small loads by the bag or the vehicle: a $3 coupon bag in Itasca County, $5.25 a bag in Crow Wing County, $20 a car in Steele County and $35 a pickup in Rice County. Weighed loads run $78 to $98.50 a ton at county landfills, and $155 a ton at a private transfer station near the Twin Cities.
2026 cost to dump in Minnesota, area by area
| Area | Small load (minimum) | Bigger loads | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itasca County (Grand Rapids) | $3 a 33-gallon bag (coupon) | Demolition $10 a cubic yard | Buy coupons ahead at local stores |
| Olmsted County (Rochester) | $5 per 30 gallons | $30 a cubic yard | Household garbage goes to Recycling Center Plus, not the Kalmar Landfill |
| Crow Wing County (Brainerd) | $5.25 a bag up to 30 gallons | $13.50 a cubic yard loose | Out-of-county waste pays triple |
| Morrison County (Little Falls) | $5.50 minimum | $87 a ton plus tax | Demolition is $8 a cubic yard |
| Carlton County | $13 a cubic yard bagged | $20 a cubic yard unbagged or mixed | No mixed loads on Wednesdays |
| Steele County | $20 a car, $30 a pickup | $80 a ton | Steele County residents only |
| Becker County (Detroit Lakes) | $24 a cubic yard loose | $35 a cubic yard mixed with demolition | Out-of-county pays 3 times |
| Kandiyohi County (New London) | $29.54 under 600 lbs | $98.50 a ton | Out-of-county pays $120.31 a ton |
| Rice County (Dundas) | $35 a car, pickup or small trailer | $78 a ton plus tax | Uncovered loads add $30 |
| Dakota County (Rosemount) | $45 a small car, $75 a pickup | $155 a ton plus tax | Private; 3% card fee, no checks |
| Hennepin County (Minneapolis) | Free with a voucher for Minneapolis garbage customers | $117.86 a ton pay-per-use ($40 minimum) | The county's drop-offs take no garbage |
Rates verified from each county's, city's or operator's own published pages and fee sheets, October 2026. Tires, mattresses, appliances and electronics are billed separately from trash. Confirm with the facility before a big load.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Minnesota, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
Why prices vary so much in Minnesota
Minnesota counties run most public dumps, and each sets its own prices. Smaller counties often price household loads by the bag, the cubic yard or the vehicle, so a bag of trash costs $3 in Itasca County and $5.25 in Crow Wing County. Scale houses, like those in Morrison, Kandiyohi and Rice counties, weigh bigger loads and charge by the ton.
Near the Twin Cities, more of the drop-off sites are private, like Dakota Area Transfer in Rosemount, and prices run higher. Minnesota also adds a solid waste tax: some counties include it in the posted price, and others add it at the scale.
Residents pay less
Steele County's landfill takes waste only from Steele County residents, and Hennepin County's drop-offs serve Hennepin County households. Other counties take outsiders at a markup: Crow Wing and Becker counties charge out-of-county waste triple, and Kandiyohi County charges $120.31 a ton instead of $98.50.
The catches that cost people money
- Hennepin County's drop-offs take no garbage. Brooklyn Park and Bloomington are for hazardous waste, electronics, appliances, tires and mattresses. Minneapolis garbage customers use the city's South Transfer Station with a voucher.
- Cover the load. Rice County adds $30 for an uncovered load, and Crow Wing County $5.
- Bring the right payment. Itasca County runs on coupons bought ahead at local stores; Minneapolis bills your utility account; Dakota Area Transfer adds a 3% card fee and takes no checks.
- Check the day. Carlton County takes no mixed loads on Wednesdays, but demolition debris is half price that day.
- Know where demolition goes. Kandiyohi County's demolition landfill closed December 31, 2025; the county points contractors to Dem-Con's landfill in Hawick.
What Minnesota landfills can't take
Minnesota has kept problem materials out of the trash for decades. State law bans waste tires from land disposal (since 1985), and car batteries (since 1988) and rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion included (since 1991), from the trash. Major appliances must be recycled, yard waste has been banned statewide since 1992, and motor oil, oil filters and antifreeze, plus anything containing mercury, including fluorescent bulbs, stay out too.
Electronics: anything with a picture tube, like an old TV or monitor, has been banned from the trash since July 1, 2006. Manufacturers fund recycling under a state program, and county fees are small: Itasca County takes TVs free, and Hennepin County charges $10.
Minnesota has PaintCare, so leftover house paint goes to participating drop-off sites free. It has no mattress recycling law: Hennepin County charges $25 to recycle one at Brooklyn Park, and Rice and Olmsted counties $30.