What it costs to dump in South Dakota: 2026 fees
South Dakota's landfills are run by cities, counties and waste districts, and every one sets its own prices. Among the seven we've checked, trash costs $41 to $73 a ton, and small loads usually pay a flat rate or a minimum of $5 to $30.
2026 cost to dump in South Dakota, by landfill
| Landfill | Small load | Bigger loads | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls Regional Landfill | $11 car, $21 pickup | $41 a ton | No electronics; 1 free visit a year |
| Pierre Solid Waste Facility | By weight | $48 a ton (state records) | Landfill itself: charge accounts only |
| Brown County Landfill (Aberdeen) | $5 minimum | $49 a ton | Fridges $12.50, tires $4.50 |
| Brookings Regional Landfill | By weight | $49.25 a ton | No Saturdays Dec.–March |
| Watertown Regional Landfill | $10 minimum | $60 a ton | No tires |
| Belle Fourche Landfill | $6.59 minimum | $68 a ton | Each material weighed separately |
| Rapid City Landfill | $10 car, $30 pickup | $73 a ton | Plus tax; 3% card fee |
From each operator's own rate sheet or fee page, October 2026, sorted from cheapest to most expensive per ton. Pierre's rate is from the state's (DANR) facility records because the city's fee schedule wasn't loading.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across South Dakota, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
How dumping works in South Dakota
The state's regulator, the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), permits about fifteen trash landfills: Sioux Falls (near Hartford), Rapid City, Aberdeen (Brown County), Brookings, Watertown, Mitchell, Pierre, Belle Fourche, Vermillion and Sisseton, plus district landfills near Pukwana, Lake Andes, Edgemont, Glenham and Lemmon. Most weigh you in and out; Rapid City and Sioux Falls charge flat rates for cars and pickups instead.
Smaller towns mostly run restricted-use (rubble) sites for brush, trees, concrete and demolition debris, with no household garbage allowed. Pierre works differently from the other cities: the public drops off at the Solid Waste Facility on East Park Street, and only charge-account customers use the landfill itself.
Free options
- Sioux Falls gives every household in Minnehaha, Lincoln, McCook, Turner and Lake counties one free landfill visit a year (one load under 1,000 pounds).
- Yard waste is free for residents at Rapid City, Watertown and Belle Fourche, and grass and leaves are free at the Brown County landfill.
- Brown County holds free residential cleanups at its landfill each spring and fall.
- Scrap metal and recycling are free at the Rapid City landfill.
The catches that cost people money
- An unsecured load. Watertown doubles the tipping fee ($30 minimum), Brookings adds $25 and Belle Fourche $15.
- Tires in Watertown. The Watertown landfill won't take them; Brookings and Aberdeen take tires for a per-tire fee.
- Electronics in Sioux Falls. TVs, computers and cell phones are banned from the Sioux Falls landfill.
- A Freon appliance without paperwork in Pierre. Pierre takes refrigerators and freezers only with a signed form from a certified Freon-removal service.
- Brookings on a winter Saturday. The Brookings landfill is closed Saturdays from December through March.
What South Dakota law keeps out of landfills
South Dakota bans whole tires from landfills (SDCL 34A-6-64, since July 1995): state rules let a landfill take a tire only once it's shredded or quartered. Stores that sell car batteries must take used ones back one for one (SDCL 34A-6-91), though state landfill rules allow a lead-acid battery found in household trash. We didn't find a state landfill ban on appliances or electronics; each landfill sets its own rules, like Sioux Falls' electronics ban and Watertown's refusal of batteries and tires.