California mattress disposal law gives you several free ways to get rid of an old mattress, box spring, or futon: drop it off at a participating recycling site, schedule a bulky-item pickup with your local waste hauler, or have the retailer haul it away when a new one is delivered. Leaving it on the curb or in an alley without arranging pickup is illegal dumping, a misdemeanor that starts at a $1,000 fine for a first offense.
Free Ways To Get Rid of a Mattress
You have three routes, and all of them are no-cost to you because the state built the program into the price of every new mattress sold.
- Drop it off at a Bye Bye Mattress site. The Mattress Recycling Council runs participating drop-off locations throughout California. Search by address at byebyemattress.com to find the nearest one.1Bye Bye Mattress. Mattress Disposal in California
- Schedule a bulky-item pickup. Many cities collect large items at the curb on your regular trash day if you call ahead. In Los Angeles, LA Sanitation picks up bulky items on your collection day when you call 1-800-773-2489 at least one business day in advance or request pickup through the MyLA311 app. Check with your own city’s sanitation department for its procedure.2City of Los Angeles. Bulky Item Collection
- Let the retailer take it when they deliver a new one. California law requires retailers to haul away your old mattress for free when they deliver a replacement.
Renters have one extra reason to use these options: landlords can deduct disposal costs from your security deposit if you leave a mattress behind without making arrangements.
Retailer Take-Back: Your Right When Buying New
Any retailer that sells you a new mattress or box spring in California has to offer to pick up your old one at no extra charge. Since January 1, 2021, that requirement covers online sellers too, including those that ship by common carrier. If your new mattress arrived by freight, the retailer must offer to arrange pickup of your old one within 30 days of delivery.3Mattress Recycling Council. Retailer Take Back
There is one exception. A retailer or its delivery crew can refuse a mattress that appears contaminated or poses a health risk to workers, equipment, or the new product being delivered. If your old mattress is intact and reasonably clean, take-back is mandatory and free. Ask about it before you buy; if it isn’t offered, request it.
The Recycling Fee You Already Paid
Every new mattress, futon, and foundation sold in California carries a recycling fee collected at checkout. As of April 1, 2026, that fee is $18.00 per unit, up from $16.00, and it applies to in-store and online purchases alike.4Mattress Recycling Council. 2026 California Mattress Recycling Fee Adjustment The money funds the statewide collection network under the Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act, which requires manufacturers to finance a recovery program aimed at the maximum feasible recovery rate.5California Legislative Information. California Code PRC 42985 – Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act
Paying the fee doesn’t fulfill your disposal obligation. It funds the system that gives you the free options above; you still have to use one of them.
Penalties for Dumping a Mattress Illegally
Leaving a mattress on the sidewalk, in an alley, on a vacant lot, or anywhere else that isn’t an authorized disposal site is illegal dumping under California Penal Code 374.3. When the dumping is in commercial quantities, it’s a misdemeanor, and the fines are mandatory.
- First offense: up to six months in jail and a fine between $1,000 and $3,000.
- Second offense: a fine between $3,000 and $6,000.
- Third or subsequent offense: a fine between $6,000 and $10,000.
On top of the fine, a court can order you to remove the waste or pay the cost of removal, and can require at least 12 hours of picking up waste in the community.6California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 374.3 – Illegal Dumping Local code enforcement handles smaller violations; law enforcement steps in when the conduct crosses into criminal territory.
If You Want To Sell or Donate a Used Mattress Instead
Selling or donating a used mattress is a different legal situation from throwing one out, and California adds requirements that catch people off guard.
A sanitized secondhand mattress has to carry a permanent label at least 3 by 3 inches, printed in English with the words “Secondhand Article” and “Sanitized” in capital letters at least 3/8 of an inch tall, firmly attached and easy to find.7New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Section 1256 – Official Sanitization Label Requirements If you go further and renovate the mattress — replacing the ticking or filling, adding filling, or rebuilding it — California treats you as a renovator, and federal law treats you as a manufacturer. That means the renovated mattress has to pass the same open-flame flammability tests as a new one: peak heat release no higher than 200 kilowatts during a 30-minute burn test, and total heat release no higher than 15 megajoules in the first 10 minutes.8eCFR. 16 CFR Part 1633 – Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattress Sets It also has to carry a permanent label showing month and year of manufacture and the manufacturer’s location.9eCFR. 16 CFR Part 1632 – Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads
There are health reasons to think twice before passing a mattress along informally. A 2025 study commissioned by the Mattress Recycling Council found that six out of ten mattress samples tested above the bacterial threshold considered non-hygienic by CDC standards, with one seven-year-old mattress registering 290,000 colony-forming units per square inch. The EPA also warns that bed bugs travel easily on used furniture and bedding and recommends inspecting any secondhand mattress for signs of infestation before bringing it inside.10US EPA. Protecting Your Home from Bed Bugs For most people, the free recycling routes are the simpler path.