Drop it off free
7 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store0.8 mi
- PPG PaintsPaint store1 mi
- Dunn-EdwardsPaint store1.1 mi
Santa Maria, CA Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Santa Maria.
NOW AVAILABLE IN SANTA MARIA
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Santa Maria10
Start with these
Santa Maria Regional Landfill Household Hazardous Waste Facility
2065 E. Main Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454
- Accepts
- Paint and paint thinner, antifreeze, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, cleaners, pesticides, photo chemicals, starter fluid, and used motor oil and filters.
- Who can use it
- Residents. PaintCare's listing says Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County households, plus very small businesses that qualify, by appointment.
- Hours
- Households: Wednesday, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Business appointments: Wednesday mornings, 8:15–9:45 a.m.
- Load limits
- 15 gallons of liquid or 125 pounds of dry waste per trip. Each container 5 gallons or smaller, with a lid that fits. Don't mix products in one container.
- Fees
- Free for residents. Businesses pay by weight and type, at the landfill scalehouse (cash, Visa debit, or major credit cards).
Turn left right after the landfill's main gate. Businesses need an EPA ID number and an approved request form (bizhazwaste@cityofsantamaria.org) before booking; call 805-925-0951 ext. 7270. PaintCare marks this site as having a reuse shelf, but the city's pages don't describe it.
Santa Maria Recycle Center, West Betteravia Road (PaintCare drop-off)
1850 W. Betteravia Road, Santa Maria, CA 93455
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons.
- Who can use it
- Santa Barbara County households and very small businesses, per PaintCare's listing.
- Hours
- PaintCare lists Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Load limits
- 10 gallons per visit, per PaintCare's listing.
- Fees
- Free for PaintCare products.
No aerosols and no unlabeled, leaking or empty containers. Santa Barbara County's LessIsMore list names this address as a MarBorg recycling center that takes antifreeze, batteries, oil and paint (an "ABOP" center); PaintCare calls it Santa Maria Recycle Center. The 10-gallon limit and hours come only from PaintCare, so call first.
Dunn-Edwards, South Broadway (PaintCare drop-off)
2339 S. Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 93455
- 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 ahead for hours and room.
- Load limits
- 20 gallons per visit, per PaintCare's listing.
- Fees
- Free for PaintCare products.
No spray cans and no unlabeled, leaking or empty containers. Sherwin-Williams a few blocks north at 2049 S. Broadway is also listed for 20 gallons.
7 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Santa Maria.
5 paint stores and 2 hazardous waste sites, 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.
Sherwin-Williams
0.8 mi2049 S Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 93454
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
PPG Paints
1 mi721 S Miller St, Santa Maria, CA 93454
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
1.1 mi2339 S Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 93455
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Santa Maria Recycle Center
2.2 mi1850 W Betteravia Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93455
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in Santa Barbara County
- Hours
- Monday - Saturday 7 am - 4 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
Santa Maria Landfill and HHW Facility
3.7 mi2065 E Main St, Santa Maria, CA 93454
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in Santa Barbara County San Luis Obispo County Santa Maria
- Hours
- Households: Wednesday 10 am - 1 pm, Saturday 9 am - 3 pm Businesses by appointment; call (805) 925-0951 x7270
- 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
- Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo County, & Santa Barbara County Residents.
Nipomo HHW Facility
6.4 mi509 Southland St, Nipomo, CA 93444
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in San Luis Obispo County
- Hours
- Thursday 1 pm - 3 pm.
- Limits
- Limit: 27 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
- Business that are eligible to use the program must submit a form online to set up an appointment and pay applicable fees.
Miners Ace Hardware
7.4 mi553 W Tefft St, Nipomo, CA 93444
- 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 Maria cleanout?4
Paint thinner and half-used cans on a Saturday
Take them to the landfill's hazardous waste area, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Keep each product in its own closed container, 5 gallons or less, under 15 gallons in all.
Twelve gallons of house paint on a Tuesday
The landfill site is closed that day. Dunn-Edwards or Sherwin-Williams on South Broadway each take up to 20 gallons. The Betteravia recycle center takes 10.
Nipomo household with oil-based stain
You can use Santa Maria's landfill site on Wednesday or Saturday, or San Luis Obispo County's Nipomo site on Thursday afternoons, 1 to 3 p.m.
Contractor with leftover primer and solvent
Get an EPA ID number, send the city's business request form, and wait for a Wednesday-morning slot. House paint alone can go to a PaintCare store that takes business paint.
Santa Maria rules and tips4
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take paint and thinner to the Santa Maria Regional Landfill's hazardous waste facility, 2065 E. Main St., Wednesday 10 a.m.–1 p.m. or Saturday 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; it's free for residents, up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds a trip. Turn left right after the main gate. On other days, the Santa Maria Recycle Center at 1850 W. Betteravia Rd. takes up to 10 gallons of house paint, Monday–Saturday.
Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, runs its own household hazardous waste facility at the city landfill, 2065 E. Main Street. It's open Wednesday and Saturday and is free for residents. That's a different setup from the city of Santa Barbara, on the south coast, where the county lists UCSB's collection center and MarBorg sites. A recycling center on West Betteravia Road and stores on South Broadway take house paint during the week.
Two short windows a week
The landfill drop-off is open only Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Recycling Park at the same landfill handles mattresses, e-waste and appliances, not paint; head straight to the hazardous waste area on the left.
Orcutt, Nipomo and Guadalupe
PaintCare lists the landfill facility for Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County households, so Orcutt, Guadalupe and Nipomo households can use it. The city's page just says "residents," so bring proof of address. PaintCare also lists San Luis Obispo County's own site in Nipomo, 509 Southland St., Thursdays 1–3 p.m.
Businesses book Wednesday mornings
Painters and other very small businesses (under 27 gallons or 220 pounds of hazardous waste a month) need an EPA ID number and an approved request form. Staff then book a 15-minute slot between 8:15 and 9:45 a.m. on a Wednesday. You pay by weight at the scalehouse.
The county's store list is out of date
Santa Barbara County's LessIsMore list for the Santa Maria Valley uses older names. It calls the paint store at 721 S. Miller St. "Glidden Professional"; PaintCare's current data lists it as PPG Paints. It also names a South Broadway store that isn't in PaintCare's current data. Check PaintCare's map before you go.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare lists Dunn-Edwards at 2339 S. Broadway and Sherwin-Williams at 2049 S. Broadway (20 gallons each), and PPG Paints at 721 S. Miller St. (5 gallons). In Nipomo, Miners Ace Hardware at 553 W. Tefft St. takes 5 gallons. Lompoc households use their own city facility by appointment at 805-875-8024. With 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free pickup.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in containers of 5 gallons or less, with lids that fit, in the original labeled can if you can. Don't combine products. Pack them so nothing tips or breaks, and stay under 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip.
Full preparation checklist →Santa Maria questions4
What days can I drop off paint at the Santa Maria landfill?
Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Turn left right after the main gate.
I live in Orcutt. Can I use it?
PaintCare's listing says Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County households can use it, and Orcutt is in Santa Barbara County. The city's page only says "residents," so bring something with your address.
Is there a place to drop paint on a weekday afternoon?
Yes. PaintCare lists the Santa Maria Recycle Center on West Betteravia Road, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., for up to 10 gallons of house paint. Paint stores on South Broadway take it during business hours.
Does it cost a business anything?
Yes. The city charges businesses by weight and type of waste. Call 805-925-0951 ext. 7270 or email bizhazwaste@cityofsantamaria.org.
Sources and how we checked8
October 15, 2026: read the City of Santa Maria's residents and business hazardous waste pages and its Recycling Park page (in a browser), Santa Barbara County's LessIsMore latex paint list, and PaintCare's locator data for Santa Maria, Orcutt and Nipomo. The city's page doesn't define "residents"; the Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County eligibility comes from PaintCare's listing. The city's business page gives the Utilities address with ZIP 93455; PaintCare uses 93454 for the landfill. PaintCare flags a reuse program at the landfill, but the city doesn't describe one. The Betteravia site is named differently by PaintCare and the county (MarBorg); its hours and 10-gallon limit come only from PaintCare. One South Broadway store on the county list isn't in PaintCare's data, so the guide leaves it out. The Nipomo and Lompoc sites come from PaintCare's listings. Store hours weren't checked.
Checked October 15, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
City of Santa Maria: residents hazardous waste disposal ↗City of Santa Maria: business (VSQG) hazardous waste disposal ↗City of Santa Maria: Recycling Park ↗Santa Barbara County LessIsMore: latex paint drop-off locations ↗PaintCare California ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program products ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}