Drop it off free
2 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Pennington County Household Hazardous Waste FacilityHazardous waste site1.1 mi
- Hardware HankPaint store1.6 mi
- Red Lake County Household Hazardous Waste FacilityHazardous waste site16.8 mi
Thief River Falls, MN Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Thief River Falls.
NOW AVAILABLE IN THIEF RIVER FALLS
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Thief River Falls5
Start with these
Les's Sanitation (Pennington County household hazardous waste drop-off), Thief River Falls
1345 Hwy 32 S, Thief River Falls, MN 56701
- Accepts
- Paint and paint products, solvents, cleaners, pesticides, petroleum products and anything with a caution, warning or danger label, according to the city and Les's fee list. Fluorescent bulbs, ballasts and car batteries are taken too.
- Who can use it
- PaintCare lists it for Pennington County households only, no businesses. The city page doesn't add any residency rule.
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 8 am–noon and 1–4 pm, except major holidays, according to the City of Thief River Falls. Les's office hours and PaintCare's listing match. No Saturday hours are listed.
- Load limits
- PaintCare lists 200 gallons per visit, in containers up to 5 gallons.
- Fees
- No charge for paint, pesticides, petroleum products or chemicals, according to Les's fee list. Bulbs, electronics, tires and some appliances cost extra.
Addresses and phones differ. The city and Les's give 1345 Hwy 32 South, and Les's phone is 218-681-7312. PaintCare lists 1345 Barzen Ave S and 218-683-7030; that phone is the one Pennington County Ag Services gives on the county Extension page. Les's fee list also mentions a waste-oil drop south of Digi-Key on Barzen Ave. Call 218-681-7312 if you're unsure where to unload. City garbage crews don't pick up any household hazardous waste.
Hardware Hank, Thief River Falls (PaintCare drop-off)
17108 US Hwy 59 NE, Thief River Falls, MN 56701
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in original labeled containers up to 5 gallons. No spray cans, and no leaking, unlabeled or empty containers.
- Who can use it
- Minnesota households and businesses, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- PaintCare says paint is taken during regular store hours. We didn't check store hours; call first.
- Load limits
- 10 gallons per visit, according to PaintCare. That's double the usual 5-gallon store limit.
- Fees
- Free for paint.
This is the only Thief River Falls store on PaintCare's list. It's useful for businesses, since the county site at Les's is listed for households only. Stores may turn paint away when they're full, so call first.
Northwest Minnesota Regional Household Hazardous Waste Facility, Bagley
324 Park Ave NW, Bagley, MN 56621
- Accepts
- All paints, stain, varnish, thinners, paint strippers, aerosol cans, pesticides, adhesives and other household hazardous waste. Not used motor oil, oil filters or car batteries.
- Who can use it
- PaintCare lists households and very small businesses (VSQG) in Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau counties, and says businesses come by appointment. The program's sheet doesn't name the counties or mention businesses.
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 8 am–4:30 pm, plus the first and third Tuesday of each month until 8 pm. The program says it's occasionally closed during the week, with closures posted on the door.
- Load limits
- PaintCare lists 200 gallons per visit, in containers up to 5 gallons.
- Fees
- Free for residents of participating counties, according to the program's information sheet.
The program's information sheet is undated and gives directions but no street address; the address comes from PaintCare. Directions: take Hwy 2 one mile west of the Hwy 2 and Hwy 92 junction, turn right on Park Ave NW, go to the end, turn right; it's the blue buildings behind the recycling center. Toll-free 800-637-2090.
2 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Thief River Falls.
2 paint stores and 3 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 Minnesota
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.
Pennington County Household Hazardous Waste Facility
1.1 mi1345 Barzen Ave S, Thief River Falls, MN 56701
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Pennington County
- Hours
- Monday - Friday 8 am - 12 pm and 1 pm - 4 pm.
- Limits
- Limit: 200 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.
Hardware Hank
1.6 mi17108 US Hwy 59 NE, Thief River Falls, MN 56701
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
Red Lake County Household Hazardous Waste Facility
16.8 mi510 Jefferson Ave, Red Lake Falls, MN 56750
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Red Lake County
- Hours
- May-October: Monday-Thursday 7:30 am - 12 pm and 1 pm - 5:30 pm, Friday 8 am - 12 pm, 1st and 3rd Saturday 8 am - 11 am. November-April: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8 am - 12 pm & 1 pm- 5 pm.
- Limits
- Limit: 200 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.
Crookston Local Ace Hardware
30.1 mi1400 University Ave, Crookston, MN 56716
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Marshall County Demolition Landfill
31.1 mi27641 US Hwy 75, Warren, MN 56762
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Marshall County
- Hours
- May-October, Wednesdays, 8 am - 4:30 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 200 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.
- Notes
- Marshall County Households.
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 Thief River Falls cleanout?4
You work days and can't make it by 4 pm
Les's lists no evening or Saturday hours. Hardware Hank takes paint during store hours. Or use the Bagley regional site, open until 8 pm on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
You're a painter with job leftovers
Hardware Hank takes 10 gallons per visit from businesses. For more, call the Bagley regional site (218-694-2090) to book as a very small business. With 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free pickup.
You live in Goodridge or St. Hilaire
Les's fee list names the county sheds there only as waste oil and filter drops. Bring paint into Thief River Falls to Les's or Hardware Hank.
You're clearing out farm chemicals too
Les's takes pesticides and other labeled chemicals free. The Northwest Minnesota program has also run summer ag pesticide collections; the posted schedule is from 2024, so ask about this year.
Thief River Falls rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take house paint to Les's Sanitation, 1345 Hwy 32 South, Monday–Friday 8 am–noon or 1–4 pm; it's free, and the city doesn't pick paint up at the curb. For up to 10 gallons, Hardware Hank at 17108 US Hwy 59 NE also takes paint from households and businesses.
Thief River Falls is in Pennington County, in northwest Minnesota. The city doesn't pick up paint. Instead, household paint goes to Les's Sanitation on Hwy 32 South, which takes paint and other household hazardous waste for free on weekdays. Hardware Hank on US Hwy 59 NE takes up to 10 gallons per visit, from households and businesses.
Les's Sanitation is the drop-off
The city's page says paint, solvents, cleaners, pesticides and other labeled hazardous products go to Les's Sanitation, 1345 Hwy 32 South. It's open Monday–Friday 8 am–noon and 1–4 pm, closed major holidays. Les's fee list shows no charge for paint. No Saturday hours are listed.
Two addresses for the same site
The city and Les's give 1345 Hwy 32 South, and Les's lists 218-681-7312. PaintCare lists the Pennington County site at 1345 Barzen Ave S and 218-683-7030, the county Ag Services number. If you're not sure where to unload, call 218-681-7312.
Hardware Hank takes 10 gallons
Hardware Hank at 17108 US Hwy 59 NE is the only Thief River Falls store on PaintCare's list. It takes 10 gallons of house paint, stain and varnish per visit, twice the usual store limit. No spray cans.
County sheds are for oil, not paint
Les's fee list names county sheds in Goodridge and St. Hilaire, plus a spot south of Digi-Key on Barzen Ave, as drop spots for waste oil and filters. It doesn't list them for paint. Bring paint from Goodridge or St. Hilaire into town.
Small businesses can use Bagley
PaintCare lists the Pennington County site for households only. PaintCare also lists the Northwest Minnesota regional site in Bagley for very small businesses from ten counties, Pennington included, by appointment. Call 218-694-2090.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare also lists these, each for its own county's households only: Red Lake County's site at 510 Jefferson Ave in Red Lake Falls, Marshall County's demolition landfill in Warren (Wednesdays, May–October) and the Polk County Transfer Station in Crookston. Crookston Local Ace Hardware is on PaintCare's list too (5 gallons). For 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free pickup.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid on tight. Don't bring leaking, unlabeled or empty cans to Hardware Hank. Bring spray cans and thinner to Les's, not the store. Pack cans upright in a box. Les's closes from noon to 1 pm.
Full preparation checklist →Thief River Falls questions5
Where do I take old paint in Thief River Falls?
To Les's Sanitation, 1345 Hwy 32 South, Monday–Friday 8 am–noon or 1–4 pm. Paint is free. For up to 10 gallons, Hardware Hank on US Hwy 59 NE also takes it.
Will city garbage pick up paint?
No. The city says its sanitation department doesn't pick up any household hazardous waste, paint included.
Does it cost anything to drop off paint at Les's?
No. Les's fee list shows no charge for paint, pesticides, petroleum products or chemicals. Bulbs, tires and electronics cost extra.
I own a business. Where do I take paint?
Hardware Hank takes 10 gallons a visit from businesses. PaintCare lists the regional site in Bagley for very small businesses by appointment (218-694-2090), and the Pennington County site for households only.
Is the Bagley site open late?
Yes, on the first and third Tuesday of each month, until 8 pm. Other weekdays it's 8 am–4:30 pm. It's free for residents of participating counties; PaintCare lists Pennington among them.
Sources and how we checked7
Checked October 16, 2026 from the City of Thief River Falls hazardous waste page (read in a browser; older city pages now return errors), Les's Sanitation's fee page, the Northwest Minnesota HHW information sheet (undated), the Pennington County Extension page and PaintCare's Minnesota page and locator data; no calls or visits. The city and Les's list 1345 Hwy 32 South, and Les's lists 218-681-7312; PaintCare lists 1345 Barzen Ave S and 218-683-7030, which the county Extension page gives as Pennington County Ag Services' number. We found no Pennington County page of its own on household hazardous waste, no residency or ID rule, no rule on dried latex in the trash, and no 2026 ag pesticide schedule. Store hours weren't checked.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Thief River Falls: Electronics, Hazardous Waste & Other Items ↗Les's Sanitation disposal fees ↗Northwest Minnesota Household Hazardous Waste information (Clearwater County) ↗Pennington County Extension (2024 ag pesticide collection) ↗PaintCare Minnesota ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
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