Where to take trash and recycling at the Montgomery County transfer station (hours, which gate, Sunday)
Two Shady Grove gates, Sunday rule, Poolesville Saturday. Last checked 30 Aug 2026
Hours, fees, and gates change. Confirm on the official page the morning you go. This page is unofficial and not the county. Not a hauler. Holiday names and holiday clock hours: not stated.
Which kind is it?
1
Sunday?
Commercial and Truck entrance
16055 Shady Grove Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Residents only. No commercial vehicles, no businesses, no commercial waste, no commercial or rental vehicles, no loads over 500 lb. Scales are closed; if trash is not clearly under 500 lb, the county says return Monday. Residential entrance (16101 Frederick Road) is closed Sundays (and holidays / when the Scale House is closed to commercial traffic). Holiday clock hours: not stated.
2
Monday–Saturday, residential, recyclables and/or trash that appears under 500 lb?
Residential entrance
16101 Frederick Road, Derwood, MD 20855. 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Proof of Montgomery County residency. No out-of-county waste. Trailer max 5 ft × 9 ft, 24-inch sideboards. No trailers at the Public Unloading Facility (PUF).
3
Monday–Saturday, ≥500 lb trash, commercial/truck, or trailer larger than 5 ft × 9 ft?
Commercial and Truck entrance
16055 Shady Grove Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Weigh at the scales and pay the posted fee. In-county material only. Contractors must verify job location / county of origin or they will not be permitted to dump.
4
Tipping floor (main floor)?
PPE required
High-visibility vest, hard hat, closed-toe shoes. Without PPE, the county says exit and return with it. PUF PPE: not stated. Do not invent it.
5
Poolesville instead?
Beauty Spot
Saturday 8 a.m.–4 p.m., 19200 Jerusalem Road, Poolesville, MD 20837. Residents only. Bulk trash under 500 lb / up to 499 lb. No charge. Not a full transfer station. Not HHW, not scrap, not yard trim.
Where to go
Shady Grove — Residential entrance
Hours
7 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon–Sat
Closed Sunday
Also closed holidays and other times the Scale House is closed to commercial traffic. Holiday names and holiday clock hours: not stated. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Montgomery County residents. Proof of residency. Recyclables and/or trash that appears under 500 lb. No out-of-county waste. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
What they take
Residential recyclables and/or trash that appears under 500 lb. Trailer max 5 ft × 9 ft, 24-inch sideboards. No trailers at PUF. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Fee
Trash / yard waste under 500 lb: no charge. No cash or checks. Debit/credit including American Express; corporate accounts. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Cap
Under 500 lb at this entrance (over 500 lb must use the Commercial and Truck entrance and the scales). Trailer max 5 ft × 9 ft, 24-inch sideboards. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
PPE
Main tipping floor only: high-visibility vest, hard hat, closed-toe shoes. PUF / recycling pads: not stated. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Montgomery County residents. Proof of residency. Recyclables and/or trash that appears under 500 lb. No out-of-county waste. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
What they take
Residential recyclables and/or trash that appears under 500 lb. Trailer max 5 ft × 9 ft, 24-inch sideboards. No trailers at PUF. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Fee
Trash / yard waste under 500 lb: no charge. No cash or checks. Debit/credit including American Express; corporate accounts. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Cap
Under 500 lb at this entrance (over 500 lb must use the Commercial and Truck entrance and the scales). Trailer max 5 ft × 9 ft, 24-inch sideboards. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
PPE
Main tipping floor only: high-visibility vest, hard hat, closed-toe shoes. PUF / recycling pads: not stated. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Mon–Sat: commercial / truck / loads ≥500 lb / trailers larger than 5 ft × 9 ft. Sunday: residents only; no commercial vehicles, no businesses, no commercial waste, no commercial or rental vehicles, no loads over 500 lb. In-county material only. Contractors must verify job location / county of origin. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
What they take
Mon–Sat: trash ≥500 lb, commercial/truck loads, larger trailers. Sunday: residential loads clearly under 500 lb (scales closed). Recyclable drop-off: no charge except as noted. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Fee
Trash ≥500 lb $70/ton; C&D and/or open-top roll-off $105/ton; yard waste ≥500 lb $46/ton; concrete/dirt/rubble $75/ton. Recyclable drop-off: no charge except as noted. No cash or checks. Debit/credit including American Express; corporate accounts. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Cap
Sunday: loads greater than 500 lb are not accepted. Scales closed Sunday; if the load is not clearly under 500 lb, the county says return Monday. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
PPE
Main tipping floor: high-visibility vest, hard hat, closed-toe shoes. Without PPE, exit and return with it. PUF PPE: not stated. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Mon–Sat: commercial / truck / loads ≥500 lb / trailers larger than 5 ft × 9 ft. Sunday: residents only; no commercial vehicles, no businesses, no commercial waste, no commercial or rental vehicles, no loads over 500 lb. In-county material only. Contractors must verify job location / county of origin. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
What they take
Mon–Sat: trash ≥500 lb, commercial/truck loads, larger trailers. Sunday: residential loads clearly under 500 lb (scales closed). Recyclable drop-off: no charge except as noted. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Fee
Trash ≥500 lb $70/ton; C&D and/or open-top roll-off $105/ton; yard waste ≥500 lb $46/ton; concrete/dirt/rubble $75/ton. Recyclable drop-off: no charge except as noted. No cash or checks. Debit/credit including American Express; corporate accounts. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Cap
Sunday: loads greater than 500 lb are not accepted. Scales closed Sunday; if the load is not clearly under 500 lb, the county says return Monday. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
PPE
Main tipping floor: high-visibility vest, hard hat, closed-toe shoes. Without PPE, exit and return with it. PUF PPE: not stated. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Montgomery County residents only. Proof of residency. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
What they take
Bulk trash only. Does not accept commercial waste, regular household trash, scrap metal, yard trim, mixed paper and cardboard, commingled recycling, or household hazardous waste. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Fee
Under 500 lb / up to 499 lb: no charge. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Cap
Bulk trash under 500 lb / up to 499 lb. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Montgomery County residents only. Proof of residency. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
What they take
Bulk trash only. Does not accept commercial waste, regular household trash, scrap metal, yard trim, mixed paper and cardboard, commingled recycling, or household hazardous waste. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Fee
Under 500 lb / up to 499 lb: no charge. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Cap
Bulk trash under 500 lb / up to 499 lb. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
HHW and ECOWISE sit on the Shady Grove campus, not a third street address. The HHW page says household hazardous waste drop-off is “open daily” and does not post a separate Monday–Sunday clock. Do not copy gate hours onto the HHW compound. Unreconciled: that page still tells visitors to enter from Frederick Road (16101); Sunday and holiday rules close that entrance and send all traffic to 16055 Shady Grove Road. This page does not pick a winner. Confirm the morning you go. Last-checked 30 Aug 2026.
Commercial mattresses and box springs: county restriction effective 1 July 2026 (commercial loads need a residential manifest for same-day collection within Montgomery County, or they are turned away). See the mattresses page when it is live. Not this page’s decision tree.
Bring this
Proof of residency (residential): Maryland license or photo ID with a Montgomery County address; a current utility bill with a physical MoCo address and your name; or a mortgage statement / lease in your name for a physical MoCo address. Out-of-county plates still need one of those. Proof of County Residency.
Covered load. County code requires it (residents, self-haulers, haulers). Uncovered: verbal warning, written Notice of Violation, or a citation. Tarping for Haulers.
PPE if you go onto the main tipping floor: high-visibility vest, hard hat, closed-toe shoes. PUF PPE: not stated.
Contractors: verification of job location / county of origin. In-county material only.
Not here
Uncovered loads (warning / notice / citation).
Out-of-county waste.
Sunday: commercial vehicles, businesses, commercial waste, commercial or rental vehicles, loads over 500 lb.
Shingles or roofing materials of any kind.
Car parts (disposal or recycling).
Paper shredding at the transfer station (the hours page still says they do not shred).
