Tire disposal in Texas: where your old tires can go

Texas doesn't let a landfill bury a whole tire. Under 30 TAC 330.15(e)(4), a permitted landfill may take scrap tires only once they've been split, quartered or shredded, so every city sets its own route, and the rules swing wildly: Dallas takes six a year from residents, Houston's depositories five a visit, and Grand Prairie charges $1 a car tire.

What Texas cities take, and what they charge

City	What it takes and what it costs
Dallas	Residents: up to 6 a year, no larger than 25 inches
Houston (neighborhood depositories)	Up to 5 passenger tires a visit, 10 a month; no truck tires
San Antonio (bulky collection)	Up to 6 car tires, no rims, with your scheduled bulky pile
Brownsville	Four tires go in free with your PUB statement
Laredo	Residents: up to 4 passenger tires a day, with ID and a City utility bill
New Braunfels	Up to 4 passenger tires without rims at the City's free quarterly Bulky Goods Drop Off
Grand Prairie	$1 a car or pickup tire (4 a visit), $5 a truck tire (2), $10 a tractor tire (1)
Harlingen	$4, $6 or $8 a tire by size
Killeen	$4 up to a 12-inch rim, $8 for passenger and pickup tires, $13 for commercial truck tires
Stephenville	$5 passenger, $15 truck, $50 tractor
Tyler	$5 a tire through a separate special collection; more for larger tires
Henderson	Up to 6 tires a load a day; no tires on rims
Kerrville	Not on a landfill voucher; Walmart on Junction Hwy takes them at $1.50 each as space allows

Limits are per resident and usually need proof of address. Houston's depositories take passenger tires only; Henderson won't take tires on rims; San Antonio's bulky crews won't take rims either.

Where whole tires get turned away

Because whole tires can't be buried, many Texas landfills refuse them outright or take them only cut up:

Denton's landfill prohibits tires outright.
Kilgore and Longview accept tires only split, quartered or shredded.
Lufkin and Marshall list tires among the things they won't take, and Midland's collection stations send them to the landfill instead.
The WM landfill serving New Braunfels refuses tires; residents use the City's quarterly drop-off instead.

One landfill that does: Arlington's, which lists tires among the items it accepts. Austin's Recycle & Reuse Center takes them too, by appointment and for a fee, even from residents.

The Texas rule, in plain terms

A permitted landfill may take scrap tires only once they've been split, quartered or shredded. Whether your city does that for you, and at what price, is local policy — which is why the Texas rows below vary so wildly.

And don't leave tires out with the trash. In Midland, setting out tires your trash service won't take counts as illegal dumping, and abandoned tires everywhere breed mosquitoes and catch fire.

For every Texas landfill, transfer station and drop-off we cover, start from our Texas page, or see what it costs to dump in Texas.

Common questions

Can you put tires in a landfill in Texas?

Not whole ones. Under 30 TAC 330.15(e)(4), a permitted Texas landfill may take scrap tires only once they have been split, quartered or shredded. Many landfills, such as Denton's, refuse them entirely; Kilgore and Longview take them only cut up.

Where can I get rid of tires for free in Texas?

Brownsville takes four tires free with your PUB statement, and New Braunfels takes up to four passenger tires without rims at its free quarterly Bulky Goods Drop Off. Dallas residents can bring up to six a year, and San Antonio's bulky collection picks up to six car tires without rims.

How much does it cost to dispose of a tire in Texas?

Usually a few dollars a passenger tire where a fee applies: $1 in Grand Prairie, $1.50 at the Kerrville Walmart, $4 to $8 in Harlingen and Killeen, $5 in Stephenville and Tyler. Truck and tractor tires cost more, up to $50 in Stephenville.

Hours, fees and rules change. Always call the facility to confirm before you load up. Sources: Texas 30 TAC 330.15(e)(4) via TCEQ; our Texas city pages; tire disposal guide.