Helena Transfer Station (Montana) — Hours, Permits & Fees
Helena's dump is the city Transfer Station at 1975 North Benton Avenue, just north of Carroll College, open every day from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
City homeowners and Scratchgravel district residents get a permit good for 3,000 pounds a year, paid through property taxes. Everyone else, including East Helena residents, pays cash: a $7 minimum for up to 200 pounds, then $64.75 a ton.
Disposal sites in Helena
Helena Transfer Station
Transfer station
City of Helena Solid Waste Division
1975 N. Benton Ave., Helena, MT 59601 Directions ↗
City and Scratchgravel district permit holders: 3,000 pounds a year free
Everyone else: $7 minimum (up to 200 pounds), then $64.75 a ton
Mattress or box spring: $10 each, plus weight
Refrigerators, freezers, AC, water coolers: $15 each, plus weight
Tires: $5 off the rim, $10 on; truck tires $15 / $25
Accepts: Household trash, yard waste (to the compost yard), scrap metal, car batteries, used oil and antifreeze (up to 5 gallons), electronics, TVs (as trash)
Won't take: Tires taller than 3 feet or wider than 18 inches
Show your actual permit at the scale. A photo of it doesn't count, and scale operators can't look permits up.
All vehicles must be unloaded and out by 4:30 p.m. Closed on most holidays. Just north of Carroll College.
Item fees are on top of the weight charge. Permit holders pay nothing until they pass 3,000 pounds in the fiscal year (July 1 to June 30); after that they pay the cash rate. Yard waste and electronics count against the allowance too.
Your solid waste fee is on your property taxes, so renters get the permit from their landlord. Homeowners can pick one up at the Transfer Station office (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with a photo ID and closing papers, or call (406) 447-8086 to check you're in the system. A lost permit costs $10 to replace from September 1, 2026, and only the legal homeowner can get one.
East Helena residents can use the station on a cash basis. The Lewis and Clark County landfill on Deal Lane is for account holders only and doesn't take city or Scratchgravel permits.
Paint, chemicals and electronics
Outside of special collection events, the station takes paint and household chemicals only once they're dried out or soaked up in sand or kitty litter and double-bagged. Electronics go in the e-waste containers past the oil drop, but monitors, printers and every kind of TV are now trash, not recycling. Refrigerators and freezers must be empty with the doors removed, and they're checked and stickered at the scale. Questions: the recycling line at (406) 447-8094.
Find a disposal site near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest sites across Montana, then call ahead — hours and access rules vary a lot here.
Every day, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., and everyone must be unloaded and out by 4:30. It closes on most holidays.
How much does it cost to dump in Helena?
With a city or Scratchgravel permit, nothing for your first 3,000 pounds each year. Without one, there's a $7 minimum for up to 200 pounds, then $64.75 a ton.
How do I get a Helena dump permit?
Homeowners get one at the Transfer Station office with a photo ID and closing papers, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Renters get theirs from their landlord.
Does the Helena Transfer Station take mattresses?
Yes. Permit holders pay nothing extra; cash customers pay $10 a mattress or box spring plus the weight.
