LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Tire Amnesty Program which began Sept. 6, 2011, will end this coming June 30.

The Tire Amnesty Program gives residents the opportunity to dispose of up to nine old tires at no cost.  

After June 30, tires can still be taken to the facilities listed below but residents will be charged for the tires at a nominal fee based on the tire size as the following rates:

Passenger tires
Without rims: $20 each
With rim: $3 each

Truck tire 10.00/20 or larger
Without rim: $10 each
With rim: $15 each

Farm or heavy equipment 8.4/16.1 without rim
Cut in half along circumference: $20 each
Not cut in half: $50

Where can I take my tires?

Residents (no commercial tire, auto repair, or salvage business) can dispose of up to nine passenger or light truck tires (up to R 19.5), with or without rims. Proof of Lake County residency is required. A form also must be filled out with the number and origin of tires.

Up to nine tires can be transported without a waiver to:

Lake County Waste Solutions
230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport
707-234-6400 or 1-888-718-4888
Monday-Saturday  
7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

South Lake Refuse & Recycling
16015 Davis St., Clearlake
707-994-8614
Daily, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Used tires cannot be disposed of in landfills or in curbside recycling bins.

The only proper way to dispose of used and old tires is to transport them to Lake County Waste Solutions or South Lake Refuse and Recycling and pay a disposal fee, which is why all residents should take advantage of the Tire Amnesty Program before the program ends June 30, funded by a grant from CalRecycle.

Need to transport more than nine tires?

It is illegal in the State of California to transport more than nine tires at one time without a proper waiver.

Failure to obtain the waiver can result in fines up to $25,000 per violation per day and increased administrative penalties up to $5,000 per violation per day and is enforced by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

The waivers are free. To dispose of 10 or more tires, waivers can be obtained at no cost from Lake County Environmental Health, 922 Bevins Court in Lakeport, 707-263-1164.

Application for a waiver must be made before transporting the tires to a facility as it takes a minimum of a full business day to process the paperwork.

For more information on more recycling and disposal programs such as the monthly HazMobile events or bulky item pick-up, please call the Recycling Hotline at 707-263-1980 or visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us .