California E-Waste Recycling: Drop-Off Sites, Costs, and Fines

California bans electronics from household trash and landfills, so e-waste disposal in California means taking old TVs, monitors, laptops, tablets, phones, and most battery-powered gadgets to a state-approved collector or recycler. Drop-off is free at hundreds of locations because the state funds the program through a fee you already paid when you bought the device.¹

What You Can’t Put in the Trash

The state’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 created a category called “covered electronic devices” (CEDs): any video display device with a viewable screen larger than four inches measured diagonally.²³ That measurement is the screen itself, not the housing. The category covers:

CRT televisions and computer monitors
LCD and LED televisions, desktop monitors, and laptops
Plasma televisions (excluding projection models)
OLED televisions, monitors, laptops, and tablets
LCD and LED tablets and smart displays
Portable DVD players with LCD screens

Beyond screens, California classifies all electronic waste as “universal waste,” a type of hazardous waste. The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) prohibits putting any of it in household trash. Cell phones fall in this group, and the Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 requires cell phone retailers to accept used phones from consumers at no charge.⁴

Starting January 1, 2026, a new category called covered battery-embedded products (CBEPs) is folded into the state’s fee and recycling program. A CBEP is any product with a battery that isn’t designed to be removed with common household tools: wireless earbuds, electric toothbrushes, robotic vacuums, and similar sealed-battery devices.⁵ Devices already covered as CEDs, certain medical devices, energy storage systems, and electronic nicotine delivery systems are excluded.

One rule people miss: you cannot smash or physically destroy e-waste yourself unless you’re an authorized handler. DTSC notes that activities like destroying electronics in “rage rooms” are illegal in California because breaking these devices can release hazardous dust and debris.⁴

Where to Take Your Old Electronics

CalRecycle maintains an online directory of approved collectors and recyclers that participate in the state’s Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program.¹ You can search by location. Most sites accept CEDs at no cost because CalRecycle reimburses them for the handling expense.

A few other options work well:

Major electronics retailers periodically host free e-waste drop-off events, sometimes with local governments.
Some manufacturers accept their own products back for recycling.
Any cell phone retailer must take used cell phones from any consumer.
City or county household hazardous waste facilities often accept e-waste at permanent collection sites or periodic events.

Call ahead to confirm hours and that the site accepts your specific device. CalRecycle notes that listed organizations may not always be in full compliance with current rules, so established facilities or government-run events are the safer choice.⁶

Wipe Your Data Before You Drop It Off

The recycling program handles the device. It does nothing for the personal data inside it. Wipe any phone, tablet, laptop, or storage device yourself before letting it go.

A factory reset is a reasonable start for phones and tablets, but it doesn’t always make data unrecoverable on traditional hard drives. For computers with hard disk drives, use a dedicated data-wiping tool that overwrites the entire drive with random data; deleting files alone only removes the pointers, not the data. For solid-state drives and flash storage, the built-in secure erase function (often in the drive manufacturer’s software) is usually effective. The federal media sanitization standard, NIST Special Publication 800-88, lays out the accepted approaches.⁷

If a device won’t power on, or if the data is particularly sensitive, physical destruction of the storage drive is the most reliable route. Professional drive shredding services typically run $7 to $20 per drive. Just remember: the storage drive is what you can arrange to have destroyed. The rest of the device still has to go to an authorized handler.

What It Costs You

Dropping e-waste off is free. The money comes from the Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fee, which you already paid when you bought a new or refurbished CED. It isn’t a deposit and you don’t get it back at recycling. The fee is tiered by screen size:⁸

$6 for devices with screens under 15 inches
$8 for screens 15 inches to under 35 inches
$10 for screens 35 inches or larger

Retailers collect the fee at the point of sale and remit it to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.⁹ A separate recycling fee for covered battery-embedded products also took effect January 1, 2026, with CalRecycle setting that rate.

Fines for Tossing E-Waste in the Trash

California treats dumping e-waste as illegal dumping, and the fines rise with repeat offenses. For an individual, mandatory fines run $250 to $1,000 on a first conviction, $500 to $1,500 on a second, and $750 to $3,000 on a third or later conviction.¹⁰ When the quantity reaches commercial levels, it becomes a misdemeanor with up to six months in county jail and higher fines.

Because e-waste is also classified as hazardous waste, disposal violations can trigger penalties under the state’s hazardous waste control laws, which are much steeper. Intentional disposal at an unauthorized location carries civil penalties of $1,000 to $70,000 per violation, and each day the waste remains in place counts as a separate violation.¹¹ Even negligent disposal can draw penalties up to $70,000 per violation per day.

If You’re a Business

Businesses have more to do than individuals. California treats e-waste as universal waste, and any business that generates, collects, or recycles it qualifies as a “universal waste handler” subject to management rules under California Code of Regulations Title 22, Division 4.5, Chapter 23.¹² A business handling e-waste must file a Notice of Intent with DTSC through its online Universal Waste Electronic Devices notification system before collection or recycling activities begin, and annual reports are due by February 1 each year, including for facilities that host collection events.⁴ If you export e-waste, a separate export notification is required. Keep e-waste separate from regular trash, use only approved recyclers for pickup, and stay current on DTSC filings; the same hazardous waste penalties that reach individuals apply here too.

1
CalRecycle. Where Do I Recycle E-Waste
2
CalRecycle. Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003
3
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fees Guide – Industry Topics
4
Department of Toxic Substances Control. Electronic Hazardous Waste (E-Waste)
5
CalRecycle. SB 1215 Covered Battery-Embedded Products
6
CalRecycle. Directory of Approved Collectors and Recyclers of Covered Electronic Waste
7
Computer Security Resource Center. NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1, Guidelines for Media Sanitization
8
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fee – Section 42464
9
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fees Guide
10
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 374.3 – Illegal Dumping
11
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code HSC 25189
12
Department of Toxic Substances Control. Hazardous Waste Generator Requirements