Rhode Island guide

How to get rid of tires in Rhode Island

Most Rhode Island towns that run a transfer station publish a per-tire fee. You can also bring acceptable tires to Rhode Island Resource Recovery in Johnston. Fees below come from RIRRC's FY27 schedule and each town's own sources.

Facts checked against RIRRC and town sources on 2026-11-05.

Statewide option: Resource Recovery (Johnston)

Facility: Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, 34 Shun Pike, Johnston, RI 02919. Phone 401-942-1430.
Tires are accepted at the Residential Recycling Area for special and bulky item drop-off. Individual residents pay commercial fees, not municipal contract rates.
FY27 Fee Schedule (effective November 1, 2026 on the schedule TownDumps verified): car tire $8 each; tractor trailer tire $15 each; oversized / off-road tire $125 each; commercial or municipal tire loads $300/ton (minimum charges apply on the PDF); non-recoverable tires $300/ton.
Materials Acceptance Criteria: whole tires, clean and free of dirt or debris, including on rims, from cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, plus tractor-trailer and oversized tires. Tires in mixed loads are charged the per-unit tire fee in addition to the solid waste fee. Dedicated loads that fail the criteria can be charged as non-recoverable.
Operating hours published by RIRRC: Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Confirm holidays on the RIRRC site.

Sources: RIRRC tires item page, Residential Recycling Area, Materials Acceptance Criteria PDF, Fee Schedule FY27 PDF.

Hard-to-dispose tax (not a drop-off fee)

Rhode Island's Division of Taxation lists a Hard-to-Dispose Tax of $1.00 per tire. Wholesalers collect it from retailers. Official tax guidance says retailers are not permitted to charge that tax to customers or separately state it on customer invoices. It is not a transfer-station disposal fee and it is not a mandated retailer take-back program.

Source: RI Division of Taxation: Hard-to-Dispose Tax.

Other statewide listings on RIRRC

RIRRC's tires item page lists statewide options open to anyone, including drop-off at Resource Recovery in Johnston and Across RI - Bob's Tire Co. RIRRC states it does not recommend any one business or organization over another. Confirm hours, accepted tire types, and any fee directly with the business before you go.

Town transfer stations on TownDumps

These Rhode Island town pages list a tire fee from official town sources. Re-check the linked town page before you load the truck.

Bristol - Automobile tires: $8 each (town fee schedule) Truck tires: $13 each (town fee schedule)
Coventry - Tires: Fee starts at about $10; varies by size — confirm at station
Exeter - Automobile tire: $5 (ordinance) / see attendant; town fee page also lists truck and large sizes Truck tire: $10 on town fee page; ordinance lists $20 — confirm at station
Glocester - Small / auto tire: $5 Medium / truck tire: $10 Large / off-road tire: $75
Hopkinton - Car tire off rim: $8 Car tire on rim: $10 Truck / large tractor tire: $30
Little Compton - Car tires: $5.00 each (fee effective January 2022). Fee doubles if tire is on rim. Tractor trailer tires: $10.00 each (doubles with rim) Oversized / off-road tires: $100.00 each (doubles with rim) Bicycle, motorcycle, or small utility trailer tires: Free
Narragansett - Tire 18 inches and under: $12 Tire over 18 inches: $20
New Shoreham - Car tire: $10 Truck tire: $20 Heavy equipment tire: $100
Newport - Tires: $10 each (not included in the 2 free trips)
North Kingstown - Car tire: $8 Tractor trailer tire: $25 Small farm tractor tire: $35 Large farm tractor tire: $80 Loader tire: $420
Portsmouth - Passenger tires (under 20 inches, rims removed): $6 each (pay at Tax Collector before drop-off) Truck tires (20 to 24 inches, rims removed): $21 each (pay at Tax Collector before drop-off)
Richmond - Car tire off rim / lawn mower or trailer tire: $8 Car tire on rim: $10 Truck tire / large tractor tire: $30
South Kingstown - Tire 18 inches and under: $12 Tire over 18 inches: $20
West Greenwich - Car tire without rim: $4 Car tire with rim: $7 Truck tire without rim: $20 Truck tire with rim: $25
Westerly - Tires: Must go on scale; confirm current rate at scalehouse

All Rhode Island towns