The quick answer
- Do not put ammunition in the trash or recycling cart. County and city waste programs are clear on this.
- Do not count on the dump or the hazardous waste drop-off. Many household hazardous waste (HHW) sites, transfer stations and landfills refuse ammunition.
- Call your local police non-emergency line first. Some departments take ammunition or can tell you who does. Call before you show up with it.
- Ask a shooting range, rod and gun club or gun shop. Some accept unwanted rounds as a courtesy. Always call ahead.
- Call 911 for anything that looks like military ordnance or for ammunition that is leaking, burning or badly damaged. Do not handle it.
Why ammunition is not regular trash
A cartridge is a small package of propellant with a primer that is designed to ignite from a sharp blow. That makes it a poor fit for every stage of the waste system. Garbage trucks crush their loads, transfer stations push trash around with heavy equipment, and landfills compact it with machines that weigh many tons. Heat, impact or a fire in a truck body can set off loose rounds. Waste workers are not trained or protected for that risk.
HHW programs might seem like the obvious answer, since they take paint, solvents and pool chemicals. Most of them, though, are set up for chemicals rather than explosives, so ammunition is usually on the list of items they will not take, alongside fireworks and some types of flares. That is why the right first call is usually law enforcement rather than the waste department.
What local programs actually say
Here is how a few large waste programs handle the question. Your own area may differ, but the pattern is consistent:
| Program | What it tells residents |
|---|---|
| King County, Washington | No ammunition in the garbage, and none at its HHW collection sites or its county recycling and transfer stations. Residents are told to call their local police on the non-emergency line. Some rifle and pistol ranges may take it as a courtesy if you ask for a manager. |
| Hennepin County, Minnesota | The county does not accept ammunition and explosives. Some police departments accept them, so call the non-emergency number for your area, not 911. Never put them in the trash or recycling. |
| Denver, Colorado | Flares, explosives and ammunition should never go in the trash. Do not take them to a landfill or police station on your own. Call the police non-emergency line or the fire department first. |
| Boise, Idaho | Ammunition cannot go in the trash cart and cannot be dropped off at the HHW site or the county landfill. The city points residents to a local gun shop that accepts it after a phone call. |
Two things stand out. First, every program says no to the trash. Second, several of them stress calling before you go anywhere, including to a police station. Walking into a lobby with a box of ammunition can cause alarm, and the station may have no way to take it that day.
Where to take old ammunition
Work through these options in order and call each one first:
- Police or sheriff’s office, non-emergency line. Ask whether they accept unwanted ammunition, what hours, and how they want it packaged. Some agencies collect it for safe destruction, and others will refer you elsewhere.
- Fire department. Some fire departments will advise on disposal, especially for damaged ammunition or ammunition mixed with other household explosives such as flares.
- Shooting ranges and rod and gun clubs. A range may take factory ammunition in good condition as a courtesy. Ask for the manager, as King County suggests.
- Gun shops. Some shops take unwanted rounds or know who does. Policies vary from store to store.
- Your HHW program. Even if it does not accept ammunition, it usually knows the local answer and may run occasional special collections.
- A licensed hazardous waste company. For a large quantity, such as a whole collection after an estate cleanout, a hazardous waste contractor can pack and haul it for a fee.
If the ammunition is in good shape and legal where you live, giving it to a licensed dealer or a range can be the simplest route. Follow your state’s laws on transferring ammunition.
How to store and transport it until then
- Keep it in the original box or a sturdy, labeled container, sorted by type and caliber.
- Store it somewhere cool and dry, away from heat sources, and locked away from children.
- Keep it separate from firearms and from loose powder or primers while you transport it.
- Do not try to clean or sort damaged rounds. Corroded, swollen or dented cartridges should be left alone and described to whoever you call.
- Bring it only after someone has agreed to take it, and at the time and place they gave you.
What not to do
- Do not throw it in the garbage, recycling or a dumpster. Every program above says no.
- Do not burn it in a fire pit, burn barrel or brush pile. Rounds can go off in a fire and throw fragments.
- Do not bury it or throw it in a pond or river. It does not make it safe, and someone else may find it later.
- Do not take cartridges apart to separate powder and bullets unless you are an experienced reloader working with proper equipment.
- Do not assume old or wet ammunition is dead. Age and water do not reliably make a round safe. Treat it as live.
- Do not leave it at a landfill gate, transfer station or police station without talking to staff first.
Special cases: powder, primers, brass and military items
Smokeless powder, black powder and primers
Reloading supplies are more hazardous in bulk than finished cartridges. Keep them in their original containers and ask the police, fire department or a hazardous waste company how to dispose of them. Never pour powder into the trash or down a drain.
Spent brass and shotgun hulls
Fired brass casings with no live primer are scrap metal, and many scrap yards buy clean brass. Check each casing first. A cartridge that misfired still has a live primer and powder, and it belongs with the live ammunition. For clean metal, our note on choosing a scrap yard versus the landfill may help.
Military ordnance and found items
Grenades, artillery shells, mortar rounds and anything you cannot identify are a different category. Do not move it, do not take it anywhere, and call 911. Bomb squads handle these items.
Flares, fireworks and other explosives
Road and marine flares and old fireworks are often refused by the same programs that refuse ammunition. See our guide on how to dispose of road flares. Other pressurized items, such as fire extinguishers and CO2 cartridges, have their own rules.
When you are clearing out a garage or an estate, set aside ammunition and other hazardous items before the rest of the load goes out. Our list of what you can take to the dump and the guide to where to dump household hazardous waste help you sort everything else, and the dump near me page finds the nearest landfill or transfer station to call.
Ammunition disposal FAQ
Can you throw ammunition in the trash?
No. Waste programs such as King County, Hennepin County, Denver and Boise all say ammunition does not go in the trash. Garbage trucks and landfill equipment crush and compact loads, and that is no place for live rounds.
Does household hazardous waste take ammunition?
Usually not. Many HHW sites, transfer stations and landfills refuse ammunition. Call your local program to confirm, since a few areas hold special collections.
Will the police take old ammunition?
Some police departments accept it and others refer you elsewhere. Call the non-emergency line first and ask how and when to bring it, rather than walking into a station with it.
Do gun shops or shooting ranges take unwanted ammunition?
Some do, often as a courtesy. Call ahead, ask for a manager and describe what you have and its condition.
Is old or wet ammunition still dangerous?
Treat it as live. Age and water do not reliably make a round safe, and corroded or damaged cartridges can be less predictable, so leave them boxed and ask the police or fire department.
What should I do with military ammunition or a grenade I found?
Leave it where it is, keep people away and call 911. Military ordnance is handled by bomb squads, not by waste programs, police lobbies or gun shops.
The bottom line
Ammunition does not belong in the trash, the recycling cart or, in most places, the household hazardous waste drop-off. Start with your police non-emergency line, then ask ranges, gun clubs and gun shops, and always call before you bring anything in. Keep old rounds boxed, dry and locked up until someone agrees to take them, and call 911 for anything that looks like military ordnance or is damaged.