Unofficial lookup · not District of Columbia · not DPW · not a hauler

MoCo Drop-Off

Where to take leftover paint in Washington, DC (unofficial)

PaintCare DC year-round (locator only). DPW events need Eventbrite 30-minute arrival windows. Fort Totten is the wrong building for HHW and paint. Last checked 15 Sep 2026

Event dates, lots, and PaintCare sites change. Confirm on the official page the morning you go. This page is unofficial and not DPW, DOEE, or the District. Not a hauler.

Which path?

  1. Leftover house paint, primer, stain, or varnish (any day)?

    PaintCare DC · locator

    Zero Waste: “the most convenient option.” Separate DC program (since Nov 2016) — not Maryland PaintCare. Free drop-off for PaintCare products. Use the locator; this page does not list stores. Hotline 855-724-6809. Limited-time door-to-door for households in wards 2, 4, 7, 8 with ~10+ gallons: paintcare.org/dc-d2d.

  2. Also have other HHW, or prefer a DPW event for paint?

    Special Waste · Eventbrite

    Pre-register. One 30-minute arrival window per vehicle (not service time). Bring proof of DC residency + ticket. Latex and oil-based paints are on the accepted list (latex note points to PaintCare). No entry after 2:00 p.m. Capacity or weather can close the gate — check @DCDPW / @dczerowaste.

  3. Thinking Fort Totten Transfer Station for paint or HHW?

    Wrong building

    Fort Totten unacceptable list includes Household Hazardous Waste and e-cycling (computers/TVs/electronics taken at HHW events). Up to four tires and some appliances are different streams — not paint. Do not treat Fort Totten as the paint drop.

  4. Commercial waste or no Eventbrite ticket?

    Not the DPW resident event

    Events: DC residents only; no commercial waste. Registration required. Walk-up without registration: not stated as allowed on the pages fetched.

Where to go

PaintCare District of Columbia (locator — no store list)

Hours

Site hours vary — call ahead

PaintCare reported 7 year-round drop-off sites on the DC program page as of this fetch — treat that as a count, not a store list. Do not scrape the locator. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Call 855-724-6809 Locator

PaintCare DC · wards 2/4/7/8 D2D: paintcare.org/dc-d2d

Address Use the locator. This page does not list store addresses. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Who Households, businesses, government agencies, and others with leftover paint (PaintCare DC program). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
What they take House paint, primers, stains, sealers, clear coatings (shellac, varnish) that carry the PaintCare fee. Aerosols / leaking / unlabeled / empty: confirm with PaintCare — typically not accepted. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Fee Free drop-off. Point-of-sale fee on new paint in DC: half-pint or smaller $0; larger than half-pint to smaller than 1 gal $0.30; 1–2 gal $0.70; larger than 2 gal up to 5 gal $1.60. Not a tax or deposit. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Cap Typical retail site caps: not restated as a single number on the DC program page fetched; call the site. 100+ gallons: Large Volume Pickup. Households wards 2, 4, 7, 8 with ~10+ gallons: limited-time door-to-door. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Phone 855-724-6809 (855-PAINT09). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked 15 Sep 2026
Source PaintCare DC locator Zero Waste — special waste DOEE paint stewardship Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Address
Locator only — no store list. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Fee
Free drop-off; DC PaintCare fee schedule as above. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked
15 Sep 2026

DPW Special Waste Collection Events (HHW / paint / e-cycle / shredding)

Upcoming (as of fetch)

Sat 12 Sep 2026 · 8 a.m.–2 p.m. · RFK Parking Lot 8

Thu 24 Sep 2026 · 10 a.m.–2 p.m. · RFK Parking Lot 8

2500 Independence Ave SE. Eventbrite registration required. One 30-minute arrival window per vehicle. No entry after 2:00 p.m. Dates and lots move — confirm on DPW + Eventbrite the morning you go. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Register Eventbrite Map

DPW Special Waste · 311

Address Upcoming events listed at RFK Parking Lot 8, 2500 Independence Ave SE. Confirm lot on Eventbrite for your ticket. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Who DC residents only. Proof: driver’s license, utility bill, or lease plus Eventbrite registration. One ticket per vehicle; free. No commercial waste. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
What they take Accepted list includes paints (latex — with PaintCare note — and oil-based), stains, lacquers, varnishes, thinners, plus batteries, motor oil, propane ≤20 lb, fluorescent lamps, and other HHW; electronics; document shredding (up to 5 medium boxes). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Fee No cost to register; event drop-off described as free for residents. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Cap One ticket / one 30-minute arrival window per vehicle. Paint gallon cap at events: not stated on the Special Waste page fetched. Shredding: up to 5 medium boxes (~20×14×14 in). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Phone 311. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked 15 Sep 2026
Source DPW Special Waste Zero Waste residents Eventbrite registration Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Address
RFK Parking Lot 8 for listed Sep 2026 events — confirm on your ticket. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Who
DC residents; proof + Eventbrite; no commercial. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked
15 Sep 2026

Fort Totten Transfer Station — not for paint / HHW

Hours

Resident transfer-station clock: not restated on this paint page

Included only as a wrong-building warning. Direct HTML fetch of the Fort Totten service page timed out this check; unacceptable-materials facts from search-indexed copies of the official Fort Totten URL and DPW Special Waste cross-links. Confirm on the official Fort Totten page before any non-paint trip. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Call 311 Official page

4900 John McCormack Rd NE (address from county clone brief / common DPW listing — confirm on official page)

Address Fort Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John McCormack Rd NE (confirm on official page). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Who Not the resident paint / HHW path. Hauler / transfer rules are separate. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
What they take Not HHW. Not paint. Unacceptable materials include Household Hazardous Waste and e-cycling (computers, TVs, or other electronics taken at HHW events). DPW Special Waste page: up to four tires may go to Fort Totten during regular business hours — still not paint. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Fee not stated on this paint page (wrong building). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Cap n/a for paint (not accepted). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Phone 311. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked 15 Sep 2026
Source Fort Totten DPW Special Waste Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Wrong building
Do not bring leftover paint or HHW to Fort Totten. Use PaintCare or a registered DPW Special Waste event. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked
15 Sep 2026

Bring this

Not here

Official sources