Drop it off free
9 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Dunn-EdwardsPaint store1.1 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.2 mi
- Santa Barbara Paint DepotPaint store1.8 mi
Santa Barbara, CA Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Santa Barbara12
Start with these
MarBorg Santa Barbara Recycling Center — ABOP
132 Nopalitos Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
- Accepts
- MarBorg lists oil- and water-based paint. It takes less than a full hazardous waste site.
- Who can use it
- Household paint. Businesses must ask if they can use it, and the cost, before coming.
- Hours
- MarBorg lists Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. City summaries show shorter, weekday-only hours.
- Load limits
- No posted paint limit. Ask before a big load; household transport limits still apply.
- Fees
- The city says household paint drop-off is free. Businesses should ask about charges.
Bottle-and-can weight limits aren't paint limits. Current rules differ from older handouts, so ask about unusual products. Take solvents to UCSB.
Dunn-Edwards — Santa Barbara
233 W Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Accepts
- Latex or oil house paint, primer, stain, varnish.
- Who can use it
- Homes and businesses; oil-based business paint needs PaintCare's OK.
- Hours
- Monday–Friday 6 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday 6 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Sunday closed.
- Load limits
- No posted limit; ask before a big load. Cans 5 gallons max, sound and labeled.
- Fees
- Free for PaintCare products.
No spray paint, thinner or washwater. Call about room; open hours aren't a promise of space.
Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center at UCSB
Environmental Health and Safety Building 565, Henry T. Yang Drive, UCSB, CA 93106
- Accepts
- Household latex or oil paint, stain, finishes, solvents, glue, spray cans and other listed hazardous waste.
- Who can use it
- Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang and qualifying unincorporated county households, with proof of address.
- Hours
- Households: Saturday 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m.; no appointment. Closed in rain and some holiday weekends. Businesses: Friday appointments.
- Load limits
- Households: 15 gallons of liquid or 125 pounds of solids per trip. Business amounts need approval.
- Fees
- Free for households. Businesses pay and are screened separately.
Check rain and holiday closures. Weekends are for households only. Old Mesa Road directions may be outdated; check the current campus route.
9 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Santa Barbara.
8 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.
Dunn-Edwards
1.1 mi233 W Carrillo St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
1.2 mi617 Chapala St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Santa Barbara Paint Depot
1.8 mi526 Laguna St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
Vista Paint
1.9 mi516 E Gutierrez St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Santa Barbara Recycle Center
2.3 mi725 Cacique St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
- Who
- Households and Businesses in Santa Barbara County
- Hours
- Monday-Saturday 8 am - 4 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 15 gallons per visit.
- Notes
- Both Households and CESQG's Serviced
Miners Ace Hardware
7.2 mi125 N Fairview Ave, Goleta, CA 93117
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
Goleta Recycle Center
7.5 mi20 David Love Pl, Goleta, CA 93117
- Who
- Households and Businesses in Santa Barbara County
- Hours
- Monday - Saturday 9 am - 4 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 15 gallons per visit.
Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center
7.9 miUSCB EH&S Bldg - 565 Mesa Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- Who
- HHW and VSQG Businesses in Santa Barbara County - Unincorporated Areas Goleta Solvang Santa Barbara
- Hours
- Households: Saturday 9 am - 3 pm, Sunday 11 am - 3 pm. Businesses by appointment Friday 9 am - 3 pm; call (805) 882-3602. Closed for rain.
- 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.
- Notes
- Areas served: Unincorporated Santa Barbara County, Goleta, Solvang, City of Santa Barbara.
Show 1 more site
City of Carpinteria ABOP Center
11.8 mi5775 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Carpinteria
- Hours
- 2nd and 4th Saturday each month 9 am -1 pm (Closed holidays)
- Limits
- Limit: 5 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 Santa Barbara cleanout?4
A weekday paint drop-off
Try Nopalitos or Dunn-Edwards on Carrillo. Both take paint, but neither is a general chemical drop-off. Ask how much they'll take and about unusual paints; neither promises unlimited room.
Thinner, spray cans and leftover paint
UCSB's county household center takes all three. Bring proof of address and keep the whole load within the household limit. The city's table shows the South Coast transfer station doesn't take paint.
A small business or nonprofit
The county business program uses Friday morning appointments and needs an EPA ID. It lists a $31 processing fee plus material charges, with no material charge for PaintCare products. 501(c)(3) nonprofits get set discounts and no user fee. Confirm your list and final quote; ignore the old $29 brochure.
Good paint you don't want to waste
The city points to free latex paint downtown and reuse at the county center. Ask what's there, and keep paint to donate in its original cans. You can't reserve a color or amount.
Santa Barbara rules and tips2
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take paint to MarBorg on Nopalitos Way or a PaintCare paint store. For paint plus solvents or other chemicals, UCSB's Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center is open Saturday and Sunday, except in rain and on holidays.
Santa Barbara has a weekday paint drop-off, a PaintCare paint store and a weekend hazardous waste center at UCSB. What you have and where it came from decide which to use.
Check MarBorg's own hours
MarBorg lists Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. at Nopalitos Way and takes oil- and water-based paint. City summaries show shorter hours, so call if you need Saturday or early.
Watch Sunday weather
UCSB's household center opens at 11 a.m. Sunday, not 9, and closes in rain. Check the county page or call before loading a mixed trip.
Free pickup programs and other options
The city has no regular curbside hazardous waste pickup. A 100-gallon paint inventory can get a PaintCare pickup review. City College events in old announcements were one-time, not weekly.
Getting your paint ready
Pack containers upright and labeled. Bring a driver's license, utility bill or car registration as proof of county address. Before going to UCSB, check the Henry T. Yang Drive directions and rain or holiday notices.
Full preparation checklist →Santa Barbara questions3
Can a business use UCSB on the weekend?
No. Businesses and other non-households use the appointment program, not the weekend household line.
Does the downtown drop-off take all painting chemicals?
No. MarBorg lists oil- and water-based paint. Check its rules for solvents, or take them to UCSB.
Does free bulky-item pickup take paint?
No. The city keeps hazardous waste out of curbside and bulky pickup. Use a paint or hazardous waste option here.
Sources and how we checked8
MarBorg's current hours replace the city's shorter summaries, and its current page lists oil paint where older handouts didn't. UCSB fees are from its current page, not the 2024 brochure. Capacity wasn't checked.
Checked October 4, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
County CHWCC at UCSB ↗Santa Barbara County business qualifications and current fees ↗Santa Barbara disposal options and curbside exclusions ↗Santa Barbara public drop-off comparison ↗MarBorg Santa Barbara receiving facility ↗Dunn-Edwards Santa Barbara participation and store hours ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗PaintCare accepted products ↗
