Drop it off
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Black Hills Area Habitat For Humanity · Rapid City ReStorePaint store1.1 mi
Rapid City, SD Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Rapid City4
Start with these
Rapid City Landfill (solidified paint only)
5555 S Hwy 79, Rapid City, SD 57701
- Accepts
- Paint and primer only after it is bulked up or hardened (no liquid left). Sawdust, cat litter, dirt, sun-drying or a store-bought paint hardener all work. Lead-based paint is taken, solidified the same way, in amounts of 5 gallons or less at a time.
- Who can use it
- Residents and non-residents. The city calls it a regional landfill that serves people from up to a hundred miles away.
- Hours
- Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. The city posts holiday closures on its Solid Waste calendar.
- Load limits
- No liquid paint. The landfill is a solid waste site and turns away liquids. Lead-based paint: 5 gallons or less at a time.
- Fees
- Normal landfill charges apply. Non-residents pay by weight; see the city’s rate page. During the city’s Free Dump Week, fees are waived for Rapid City residents, but the no-liquid-paint rule still applies.
You don’t have to haul dried paint here. The city says hardened paint can go in your regular trash can at home. Empty cans go in the recycling bin; cans with dried paint stuck inside go in the trash.
Tri-City Rubble Site (takes paint for a per-gallon fee, Lead)
21314 Yellow Creek Road, Lead, SD 57754
- Accepts
- Paint at $2.00 per gallon and aerosol cans at $0.50 each, per the City of Deadwood’s page. The page doesn’t say whether that means latex, oil-based or both.
- Who can use it
- The page lists rates for residents and for commercial customers. It doesn’t say whether you must live in Lead, Deadwood or Central City. Call to check.
- Hours
- Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed listed holidays.
- Load limits
- Not posted. Ask about amount and container rules before you go.
- Fees
- Paint $2.00 per gallon; aerosol cans $0.50 each. Cash and checks only.
It’s in the northern Black Hills, a long drive from Rapid City. Rapid City’s paint page names it as a place that takes paint for a price per gallon. The Deadwood page’s holiday list gives Labor Day as August 7, so call before a holiday trip.
Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Rapid City (unopened or near-full paint for reuse)
610 E Omaha St, Rapid City, SD 57701
- Accepts
- Rapid City’s paint page says the ReStore takes paint that is new and unopened. PaintCare’s listing allows latex paint in 1- or 5-gallon containers at least half full, plus full spray paint cans with working nozzles.
- Who can use it
- Households only, per PaintCare’s listing.
- Hours
- Store Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; donations 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. PaintCare’s listing gives a yearly paint donation season of April 1–September 30, Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., so the 2026 season has ended.
- Load limits
- Per PaintCare’s listing: labels intact, no leaks or rust, a working lid, never frozen, less than five years old, and nothing marked for industrial or professional use only.
- Fees
- Free to donate.
Habitat’s own ReStore and donate pages don’t mention paint, and list “toxic or hazardous materials” and “lead-based materials” as not accepted. PaintCare’s donation season (April–September) has ended for 2026. Call 605-791-1880 before bringing paint.
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles of Rapid City.
Your state doesn’t have a PaintCare program, so stores here don’t take paint for free. These are the public drop-off programs PaintCare’s map lists, closest first. Most only serve their own residents and some charge a fee. Call before you go.
Black Hills Area Habitat For Humanity · Rapid City ReStore
1.1 mi610 E. Omaha St, Rapid City, SD 57701
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Rapid City
- Hours
- April 1-September 30. Tuesday-Saturday, 9 am - 4:30 pm.
- Limits
- Latex paint one and five-gallon bucket and must be at leat 1/2 full.. Consumer labels intact and readable, no leaking or rusting. The lid must work. Contents never frozen and less than five years old. Nothing labeled industrial use only or professional use only will be accepted. Spray Paint: Container must be full, the nozzle must function, agitator ball must rattle freely. Must have cap or lid.
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 Rapid City cleanout?4
A few half-empty gallons of latex
Open them outside and stir in cat litter or sawdust until no liquid is left, or let thin layers dry on cardboard. Bag the hardened paint for your trash cart. Recycle cans you get clean.
Ten gallons too many to dry
The Tri-City Rubble Site in Lead lists paint at $2 a gallon, Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–4 p.m., cash or check. Call first to check who can use it.
Old oil-based stain and thinner
Pennington County says to harden oil-based paint with dirt or sawdust for the trash. Keep paint thinner for the next city hazardous waste event, which takes thinner and solvents but not stain.
Unopened cans from a project you skipped
The city says the Habitat ReStore at 610 E Omaha St takes new, unopened paint. PaintCare’s listing shows a paint season that ended September 30. Call 605-791-1880 before you go.
Rapid City rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Harden leftover paint with cat litter, sawdust or dirt, or let it dry, then put it in your trash or take it to the Rapid City Landfill, 5555 S Hwy 79. The city’s hazardous waste event does not take paint or stain, and liquid paint isn’t allowed at the landfill. For paint you can’t harden, the Tri-City Rubble Site in Lead lists paint at $2 a gallon; call 605-340-5411 first.
In Rapid City, South Dakota, liquid paint has no free drop-off. Harden it with cat litter, sawdust or dirt, or let it dry, then put it in your trash or take it to the Rapid City Landfill on South Highway 79. The city’s hazardous waste event does not take paint or stain. For liquid paint, the city points to the Tri-City Rubble Site in Lead, which charges $2 a gallon.
Harden it, then trash it
The city says to mix paint with cat litter, sawdust or dirt, or let it dry on cardboard, until no liquid is left. Then put it in your regular trash can or bring it to the landfill.
The hazardous waste event won’t take paint
The city’s event says it will not accept paint or stain. Pennington County says oil-based paint is not taken there either. The last event was in October 2025, and no new date is posted.
Empty cans go in recycling
Once the paint is out, the city says the can goes in the recycling bin. If dried paint is stuck inside, put the whole can in the trash.
Lead pays for liquid paint
Rapid City’s paint page names the Tri-City Rubble Site in Lead as a paid option. The City of Deadwood lists paint at $2 a gallon and spray cans at $0.50 each, cash or check only.
Unlike Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls has a year-round hazardous waste facility. Rapid City says there is no hazardous waste facility in the area, so hardening paint is the main home option.
Free pickup programs and other options
South Dakota has no PaintCare program, so stores don’t take paint back. The Black Hills Habitat ReStore may take new, unopened paint for reuse; call first. Spray cans must be completely empty before they go in the trash. For other chemicals, the city’s hazardous waste event takes things like paint thinner, solvents and degreasers. Sign up on Pennington County’s form to hear about the next event. Businesses can call Safety-Kleen or Veolia, which the city names.
Getting your paint ready
Work outside or in a ventilated spot away from kids and pets. Pour thin layers of paint onto cardboard, or stir in cat litter or sawdust until it’s crumbly with no liquid. Store-bought paint hardener works too. Bag it for the trash, and recycle cans that are empty.
Full preparation checklist →Rapid City questions5
How do I get rid of paint in Rapid City, SD?
Harden it first with cat litter, sawdust, dirt or a store-bought hardener, or let it dry. Then put it in your trash or take it to the Rapid City Landfill, 5555 S Hwy 79, open Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–4 p.m.
Does the Rapid City hazardous waste event take paint?
No. The city’s event page says it will not accept paint or stain. It does take paint thinner and solvents.
Is there anywhere that takes liquid paint near Rapid City?
The city points to the Tri-City Rubble Site in Lead, which lists paint at $2 a gallon, cash or check only. Call 605-340-5411 to confirm you can use it.
What about oil-based paint?
Pennington County says to add dirt or sawdust and put it in the trash, and that the event won’t take it. The landfill takes it only once no liquid is left.
Can I donate leftover paint?
Maybe. The city says the Habitat ReStore at 610 E Omaha St takes new, unopened paint. Habitat’s own page doesn’t mention paint, so call 605-791-1880 first.
Sources and how we checked12
October 13, 2026: read Rapid City Solid Waste’s home, Paint, Household Hazardous Waste, Hazardous Chemicals, FAQ, Free Dump Week and What Is Not Accepted pages, Pennington County’s disposal page, the City of Deadwood’s Tri-City Rubble Site page, Black Hills Habitat’s ReStore and contact pages and PaintCare’s locator data. The landfill address is 5555 S Hwy 79 on the city site (a county listing shows 5165). The city calls its event biannual; the county says about every two years and that the last was in October 2025; we give no next date. The Deadwood page doesn’t say whether the $2 paint fee covers both latex and oil-based, or whether only Lead, Deadwood and Central City residents may use the site. The ReStore’s paint rules conflict among the city, PaintCare’s listing and Habitat’s own page. Unresolved: all three of those points. Peer review (Oct. 13): Habitat’s donate page also doesn’t mention paint; the city’s last event was Oct. 4, 2025 at the Central States Fairgrounds.
Checked October 13, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Rapid City Solid Waste: Paint & Primer / Paint Cans ↗Rapid City Solid Waste: Household Hazardous Waste event ↗Rapid City Solid Waste: Hazardous Chemicals ↗Rapid City Solid Waste: What is not accepted (aerosols, flammables) ↗Rapid City Solid Waste: FAQ ↗Rapid City Solid Waste Division: landfill hours and contact ↗Rapid City Solid Waste: Free Dump Week rules ↗Pennington County: household hazardous waste disposal ↗City of Deadwood: Tri-City Rubble Site (Lead) ↗Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity: Shop and donate at ReStore ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program states ↗
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