10 Best Places to Sell Used Tires (or Recycle Them)

Old tires can be “remolded” or “re-manufactured,” meaning that they receive a new rubber veneer on the sidewall, which makes the tire look better.^[1]

These processes help reduce environmental waste and prevent tires from going into landfills – and can also provide a way for you to earn some money on the side while not having old tires take up space in your garage.

Below, we have more about the process of selling your used tires, as well as the places that will buy or recycle them. 

Find a Tire Retreader 

If you intend to collect tires and sell them to a retreader, it’s important to only choose and collect tire casings that retread shops can use.

There are a few things to watch for as you rummage through an auto garage’s old casings:^[2]

• Make sure that there are no holes in the casing. There shouldn’t even be patches or rubber plugs repairing a small tear.
• Inspect the tire’s bead (the part of the tire that mounts it onto the rim of the wheel) for cuts and excessive wear. A tire’s bead must have no cuts, tears, or excessive wear.
• Make sure that the tire’s cords aren’t showing. (Cords are the threads that are embedded into the rubber.)
• Inspect the tire for surface cracks. Small, superficial cracks may be okay, but there shouldn’t be any deep cracks.
• Take note of the brand and the model. This is especially important if you’re selling your tires online.
• Find out if the tire has been recalled. This protects you if you’re selling the tire online and also helps you bargain if a buyer tries to offer you less than a tire is worth under false claims that it might have been recalled.

How to Collect and Sell Used Tires

While it may be tempting to pick up the phone and call local service shops, you may be better off traveling to your local auto shops and asking them if they have any old tires that you can take from them.

If you’re collecting tires from an auto repair shop, you’ll likely receive cash or a check on the spot to haul them away (exact amounts will vary widely by location).

If you’re selling to a tire retreader, you can simply take the tires to the retreader, who will then inspect them.

You may be able to get an inspector to check over the tires while you wait, although it’s more common for retreading shops to give you a receipt and instruct you to call or stop by later to see how many were accepted.

We cannot compile a comprehensive list of all local shops, but the quickest way to find a tire retreader or recycler near you is to check out the Retread Tire Buyer’s Guide from the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau. It’s a directory of tire buyers, organized by state.

Not all companies will be buying tires at a given time, however. You may want to call a few locations near you and ask about their policies for buying used tires.

Make sure you ask the following questions:

• What type of tires are accepted? 
• What are the policies for buying old tires?
  
• How many tires do you accept at a time?
  
• How much do you pay for old tires?

Payment for old tires is dependent on the buyer, as well as the size and quality of the tire.

While one buyer might pay $3, another buyer might see more use for the tire and be able to offer as much as $40 for a good quality truck tire.

To help you get started, we’ve provided the following list of regional tire retreaders that offer physical locations where you can sell used tires below.

Where to Sell Used Tires In-Store

The following tire retailers accept a variety of tire types throughout various regions in the U.S.

We’ve ordered the list starting with the best overall options.

1. Pomp’s Tire (Midwest)

• Accepted tire types: Only semitruck tires in specific sizes. No car tires and no light truck tires are accepted.^[3]
  
• Policies: Tires have to be semitruck tires in whatever size is in demand at the time.^[3]
  
• How many tires are accepted at a time? Dependent on demand^[3]
  
• Payment: Dependent on demand and the quality of the tire^[3]
  
• Contact

2. Corporate Tire (East Coast)

• Accepted tire types: Truck tires only^[4]
• Policies: Used tires shouldn’t have too much rust, critical bead damage, or other serious issues.^[4]
  
• How many tires are accepted at a time? Dependent on demand^[4]
  
• Payment: Dependent on demand and the quality of the tire(s)^[4]
  
• Contact

3. Santa Ana Wheel (California)

• Accepted tire types: Only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) wheels. These are wheels that are produced by a car maker’s specific equipment manufacturer. Santa Ana Wheel uses the following grading scale when purchasing tires:^[5]
  
  • A+ is new from the factory and has never been mounted.
  • A is like new. It applies to a wheel that has been mounted but only slightly used.
  • A- is very good. It applies to a wheel with very light scratches on the surface that are not noticeable from a distance.
  • B+ is good. It applies to a wheel with minor curb scratches that may not be noticeable from a short distance.
  • B is fair. It applies to a wheel with noticeable, minor curb scratches. The finish is still good and looks like what would be expected out of regular usage.
  • B- is acceptable. It applies to a wheel with noticeable curb scratches and some clear coat issues.
  • C is poor. It applies to a wheel with a combination of surface issues but that isn’t cracked or bent.
• Policies: Tires must have a rating of A through C on the tire grading scale.^[5]
  
• How many tires are accepted at a time? Dependent on the current demand^[5]
  
• Payment: Dependent on demand and the quality of the tire^[5]
  
• Contact

4. Tire Management, Inc. (Illinois)

• Accepted tire types: Dayton, Unimount, and Budd^[6]
  
• Policies: Tires have to be regroovable and have capable casings. Steel and aluminum wheels must have good bold holes and rim flanges.^[6]
  
• How many tires are accepted at a time? Large quantities are preferable.^[7]
  
• Payment: Dependent on demand and the quality of the tire^[6]
  
• Contact

Have rims to sell, too? See our list of places that buy used rims.

Where to Sell Used Tires Online

SellMyTires.com, Craigslist, and eBay are websites that allow sellers to post free listings advertising their used tires.

If you sell your tires through one of these websites, make sure that your descriptions are accurate and that you upload multiple photos.

Be sure to always conduct transactions in a safe, public place and only accept cash or money orders for payment.

Where to Recycle Used Tires

Although tire recycling companies won’t pay you — they may actually charge you a fee for each tire you bring them — you can still make money by recycling tires.

Auto repair shops don’t want old tires lying around, usually because they don’t have room for storage and can even be fined for keeping the tires on site.

These auto shops have to get rid of old tires quickly, which involves hiring someone to pick them up and take them to a recycling facility. This can be costly.

While some recycling companies offer pickup of old tires, many won’t provide this service unless the auto shop has a minimum amount of tires.

This is where you can earn money. If you have a truck, you can pick up the tires yourself and take them to a recycling center.

If the auto shop pays you $3 per tire and the recycling center charges $1 per tire you drop off, you can make $2 per tire that you deliver.

Besides making money, you’ll also be helping the environment when you recycle tires. Recycling companies can turn recycled rubber into other products that they sell to manufacturers.

State-funded tire recycling programs are responsible for decreasing the number of stockpiled scrap tires in the United States.^[8]

Turning those old tires into reusable products costs money. Therefore, recycling plants have to charge a fee for each tire donated. The fee ranges from $0.25 per tire in Indiana and Kansas to $10 for large (off-road) tires in Louisiana.

On average, the fee is about $1 per tire — the U.S. Tire Manufacturer’s Association provides a complete list of the tire recycling fees by state.

The following companies offer tire recycling services to large portions of the United States, ordered starting with the best overall options.

1. Liberty Tire Recycling

• Picks up used tires? Yes; the company provides a complete service profile of collection options, including backdoor pickup, drop-and-hook pickup, and drop-off sites. Tire deliveries are accepted at any Liberty Tire facility.^[9]
• Pays for used tires? No^[9]
• Charges a fee for accepting used tires? Yes; fees vary by state.^[9]
• Request a quote

2. Emterra Environmental USA

• Picks up used tires? Yes^[10]
• Pays for used tires? No^[10]
• Charges a fee for accepting used tires? Yes; fees vary by state.^[10]
• Request a quote

3. Lakin Tire

• Picks up used tires? Yes; Lakin Tire has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, and Washington and provides pick-up services throughout the country.^[11]
• Pays for used tires? No^[11]
• Charges fee for accepting used tires? Yes. Fees vary by the size of the load.^[11]
• Request a quote

For information on where to buy used tires, check out our research on Discount Tire’s used tire policy and list of places that sell used tires.