Drop it off free
10 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- PPG PaintsPaint store0.1 mi
- Dunn-EdwardsPaint store1.1 mi
- Vista PaintPaint store1.2 mi
Bakersfield, CA Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Bakersfield13
Start with these
Kern County Bakersfield Special Waste Facility (with the Stop 'n' Shop)
4951 Standard Street, Bakersfield, CA 93308
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based paint and paint-related products, aerosol spray cans (including spray paint), pesticides, pool chemicals, used motor oil, batteries, fluorescent lamps, electronics, and small BBQ and camping propane tanks.
- Who can use it
- Kern County residents only. Business, landlord, property manager, church, school, farm and nonprofit waste counts as business waste and needs a VSQG appointment. Businesses must make less than 27 gallons or 220 pounds of hazardous waste a month.
- Hours
- Households: Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., per the county page (PaintCare's map still lists Tuesday–Saturday, so call before a Monday trip). The free Stop 'n' Shop reuse area is open Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–noon. Businesses come only by appointment.
- Load limits
- Up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds per vehicle per trip. No single container over 5 gallons. Don't mix products together.
- Fees
- The county page lists no charge for household drop-off. Businesses in the very small business (VSQG) program pay by weight, including the container, and are billed within 30 days.
It's at the southwest corner of Standard and Foster streets. You park, turn off the engine and stay in your car (state rule, no smoking), and fill out a short form with your name, address and signature while staff unload. Tell staff right away if you want a container back; some can't be returned. Call Kern County Public Works at 661-862-8900 with questions.
Roberts Lane Transfer Station (Kern County)
1900 Roberts Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93308
- Accepts
- Old house paint, stain and varnish from households, along with household trash, appliances, furniture and electronics.
- Who can use it
- Kern County households only. Businesses must use the Special Waste Facility.
- Hours
- Monday and Thursday, 5–8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Load limits
- PaintCare's map lists 20 gallons per visit, in containers of 5 gallons or less. No spray cans, unlabeled or leaking containers.
- Fees
- No charge for residential house paint, stain and varnish. The site takes no payments at all.
The same county page also says the transfer station doesn't take hazardous waste or liquids, but its fee table lists house paint as free for residents, and PaintCare lists the site. Bring only house paint here; take thinner, spray cans and chemicals to Standard Street. Loads must be covered and tied down. PaintCare lists the phone for this site as 661-862-5100; 661-862-8900 is the county's main Public Works line.
Sequoia Paint Company PaintCare drop-off
700 Baker Street, Bakersfield, CA 93305
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses in California, per PaintCare's listing.
- Hours
- PaintCare says paint is taken during regular business hours. Call for hours and to check there is room.
- Load limits
- 20 gallons per visit, per PaintCare's map.
- Fees
- Free for PaintCare products.
No spray paint or other aerosols, no unlabeled, leaking or empty containers. Thinner and chemicals go to the county's Standard Street facility instead.
10 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Bakersfield.
9 paint stores and 1 hazardous waste site, closest first. Paint stores take house paint, stain and varnish, usually up to a set amount per visit. Hazardous waste sites also take chemicals like thinner, but some only serve local residents. Call before you go.
Rules most stores here share
Who: Households and Businesses in California
Hours: Paint is accepted during regular business hours. Call ahead for hours and to make sure the store can accept the amount and type of paint you would like to recycle.
Products: This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site does not accept aerosols (spray paint or other spray products), containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking or empty.
Each listing below shows only what’s different, plus its limit.
PPG Paints
0.1 mi3000 Brundage Ln, Bakersfield, CA 93304
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
1.1 mi3929 Ming Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93309
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Vista Paint
1.2 mi2160 Wible Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93304
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
2 mi3300 Wible Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93309
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sequoia Paint Company
2.9 mi700 Baker St, Bakersfield, CA 93305
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Bakersfield Paint
2.9 mi3435 Landco Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93308
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
Kern County Bakersfield Special Waste Facility
3.3 mi4951 Standard St, Bakersfield, CA 93308
- Who
- Households and Businesses in Kern County
- Hours
- Households: Tuesday-Saturday 8 am - 4 pm. Business by appointment only.
- Limits
- Limit: 15 gallons per visit.
- Products
- This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site also takes most other household hazardous waste -- contact the site for details and restrictions. Please do not bring empty, leaking or unlabeled containers. SOME BUSINESSES may use this program by appointment or on special days. Contact the program for details if your paint (or other hazardous waste) is from a business.
Roberts Lane Transfer Station
4.6 mi1900 Roberts Ln, Bakersfield, CA 93308
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Kern County
- Hours
- Monday and Thursday 5 pm - 8 pm, Saturday 8 am - 2 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
- Products
- This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site does not accept aerosols (spray paint or other spray products), containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking. This site will accept empty containers.
Show 2 more sites
Dunn-Edwards
5.1 mi9680 Hageman Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93312
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
5.6 mi2660 Oswell St, Bakersfield, CA 93306
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Which option fits your Bakersfield cleanout?4
Cans of latex after work on a Thursday
Standard Street closes at 4 p.m., but Roberts Lane Transfer Station takes house paint Thursday evenings, 5–8 p.m., free for Kern households. Leave spray cans and thinner at home for a Standard Street trip.
Garage cleanout with spray cans, pool chlorine and old stain
Take the whole mix to the Special Waste Facility at Standard and Foster. It takes aerosols, pool chemicals and oil-based stain. Keep each product in its own container and stay under 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip.
Leftovers from a rental turnover
Kern says landlord and property manager waste is business waste. Register with the VSQG program by email and bring it at your appointment, or take only the house paint to a PaintCare store that lists businesses as welcome.
You need a gallon of exterior paint for a shed
Check the Stop 'n' Shop first. It's free and open weekday and Saturday mornings, but stock depends on what other residents drop off.
Bakersfield rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take paint to Kern County's Bakersfield Special Waste Facility, 4951 Standard St., Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; it's for Kern County residents, with no charge listed, up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds per vehicle per trip. For house paint only, the Roberts Lane Transfer Station takes it free Monday and Thursday evenings (5–8 p.m.) and Saturday. Spray paint and thinner go to Standard Street, not to stores.
In Bakersfield and the rest of Kern County, household paint goes to the county's Special Waste Facility at Standard and Foster streets. The county lists no charge for residents, it's open six days a week, and it has a free reuse area called the Stop 'n' Shop. PaintCare paint stores and the Roberts Lane transfer station also take house paint.
Standard Street takes spray paint too
Kern's list for the Special Waste Facility includes aerosol cans, latex and oil-based paint, and other paint products. PaintCare stores don't take spray cans, so a mixed garage box is easier to drop at Standard Street in one trip.
Evening option at Roberts Lane
Roberts Lane Transfer Station, 1900 Roberts Lane, is open Monday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Its fee table lists old house paint, stain and varnish as free for residents. It's for households only and takes no payments.
Pick up free paint at the Stop 'n' Shop
The Stop 'n' Shop at Standard Street gives away usable leftover paint, cleaners and pool chemicals, Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. It's the only Kern site with a reuse area.
Landlords and contractors are businesses here
Kern counts waste from landlords, property managers, farms, churches and nonprofits as business waste. If you make under 27 gallons or 220 pounds a month, email the VSQG forms to VSQG@kerncounty.com and wait for an appointment. You pay by weight and get a bill within 30 days.
Living outside Bakersfield in Kern
Kern has two smaller special waste sites with limited days. Mojave (17035 Finnin St.) opens the first Saturday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November), 9 a.m.–noon. Ridgecrest (3301 W. Bowman Rd., at the landfill) opens the second and fourth Saturday of each month, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Kern's page also lists one-day events for the rest of 2026, each 9 a.m.–1 p.m.: California City (Oct. 17), Boron Landfill (Oct. 31), Lebec Transfer Station (Nov. 6), Rosamond's Hummel Community Center (Nov. 13), Tehachapi Transfer Station (Nov. 20–21 and Dec. 4–5) and Kern Valley Transfer Station (Dec. 19). Events take no business waste and may be canceled for weather.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare stores in Bakersfield take house paint free; Sequoia Paint Company on Baker Street and the Dunn-Edwards stores on Ming Avenue and Hageman Road are each listed for 20 gallons a visit. PaintCare's map also lists the Bena landfill (2951 Neumarkel Road) and the Shafter-Wasco landfill (17621 Scofield Avenue, Shafter) for up to 15 gallons of house paint, daily 8 a.m.–4 p.m., but the county's own landfill page doesn't mention paint, so call 661-862-8900 first. If you have 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare about a free pickup.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original can with a tight lid, or label what's inside. Don't pour cans together. Pack containers upright so they can't tip or break, and keep the load under 15 gallons or 125 pounds. Put thinner and spray cans in a separate box for Standard Street.
Full preparation checklist →Bakersfield questions5
Is the Bakersfield Special Waste Facility open on Mondays?
The county's page says yes: Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. PaintCare's map still lists Tuesday–Saturday, so call 661-862-8900 before a Monday trip.
Do I have to get out of my car?
No. State rules say you stay in your vehicle. Staff unload while you fill out a short form with your name, address and signature.
Can I bring paint from a rental property I own?
Not as household waste. Kern treats landlord and property manager paint as business waste, which needs a VSQG appointment and is charged by weight. A PaintCare store that takes business paint is another choice for house paint.
Can I get free paint in Bakersfield?
Yes, sometimes. The Stop 'n' Shop at 4951 Standard St. gives away leftover paint and other products Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, while supplies last.
I live in Tehachapi or Ridgecrest. Do I have to drive to Bakersfield?
Not always. Ridgecrest has a county special waste site open the second and fourth Saturday of each month, and Mojave's opens the first Saturday of every other month. Tehachapi has one-day events at its transfer station on Nov. 20–21 and Dec. 4–5, 2026.
Sources and how we checked8
October 13, 2026: read Kern County Public Works' residential and business hazardous waste pages, its disposal sites list and the Roberts Lane page, and checked PaintCare's locator data for Kern. Peer-reviewed the same day in a browser (the county site blocks scripted requests). The county page lists Monday–Saturday hours at Standard Street, but PaintCare's listing says Tuesday–Saturday; we follow the county and tell readers to call before a Monday trip. The county page lists no charge for residents but doesn't use the word free. A county news post about the schedule change returned an access error and was not read. Unresolved: the Roberts Lane page lists free residential house paint in its fee table but also says the site takes no hazardous waste or liquids, so we tell readers to bring only house paint there. PaintCare lists Roberts Lane's phone as 661-862-5100. PaintCare lists the Bena and Shafter-Wasco landfills for paint, but the county's disposal page doesn't, so we route readers to call. The VSQG fee amounts were not published on the pages we read. One-day event dates are copied from the county page (Ridgecrest and Mojave event rows match those sites' regular Saturdays) and must be moved to past tense as they pass.
Checked October 13, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Kern County Public Works: residential hazardous waste ↗Kern County Public Works: business hazardous waste (VSQG program) ↗Kern County Public Works: disposal sites ↗Kern County Public Works: Roberts Lane Transfer Station ↗PaintCare California ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program products ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
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