Cape Cod Trash

Chatham, MA transfer station guide

The Chatham Transfer Station and Recycling Center is on Sam Ryder Road and is run by the Town DPW. It is open seven days a week from Memorial Day to Columbus Day and closed Wednesdays in the off-season. Without a sticker you can pay by the bag.

Last checked against official town sources on November 8, 2026. Confirm anything important with the town.

Operating hours

Verified hours

Hours as of November 8, 2026 (New York time). Operating hours only: sticker-office hours, pass-sale periods and pass validity are listed under “How to buy a pass”. We do not show an “open now” indicator because holiday closures and real-time status are not reliably known.

Weekly schedule that applies today
DaysHours
Thursday – Tuesday8:00 am – 4:00 pm
WednesdayClosed

All published schedules

As posted by the town Verified from official source

Off-season schedule (closed Wednesdays) — Off-season, per the 2026 brochure and the town’s page

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – Sunday
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday
Closed

The town’s page lists six days with Wednesday closed “until further notice”, and the brochure (fees effective July 1, 2026) says “Closed Wednesdays off-season”.

Holiday closures: Closed on these holidays.
  • New Year’s Day
  • Easter Sunday
  • July 4
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

The Sticker Office is separate: Tuesday and Friday, 9 am – 1 pm.

Source: Transfer Station (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com); Transfer Station & Recycling Center (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com); Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF) (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com)

Ended Oct 12, 2026 Verified from official source

Summer schedule (7 days) — Memorial Day through Columbus Day 2026

Dates published by the town: May 25, 2026 to October 12, 2026.

Every day
8:00 am – 4:00 pm

This dated schedule has ended. The town has not published the next one in the sources we checked, so do not assume it repeats.

The brochure says “Memorial Day through Columbus Day, open 7 days”. The dates shown are Memorial Day and Columbus Day 2026, taken from that phrase in a document effective July 1, 2026. We do not assume the 2027 dates.

Holiday closures: The same holiday closures apply (see the off-season schedule).

Source: Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF) (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com); Transfer Station (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com)

Hours last checked: November 8, 2026 against the official source (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com). Next routine review: December 8, 2026.

How to buy a pass

Confirm with town

Buy through the town’s online stickers portal (the town encourages it), by mail, or at the Sticker Office. Stickers are mailed in about 10–12 business days.

Buy online (official town portal) (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com) Town of Chatham — Sticker Office (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com)

These links leave CapeCodTrash.com and go to official town websites. We never take payment, and nothing is bought through us.

Annual transfer station sticker (2026–2027 application)
Transfer station only (includes recycling)$150
Combination beach and transfer station (includes recycling)$180
2nd vehicle, transfer station only (when vehicle 1 has combo or transfer)$25
2nd vehicle, combination (additional car in household)$50
Recycling sticker (no trash; not needed with a transfer station sticker)$35
Replacement sticker$2
Remove the old sticker and mail it in; otherwise the first-sticker price applies.
ValidThe 2026–2027 application does not give an expiry date. The 2025–2026 stickers expire June 30, 2026, and all must be renewed by then.
At the gateSticker placed inside the windshield, driver’s side, lower left corner. Stickers are non-transferable; misuse can bring a fine of up to $50.

Ways to buy

  • Online through the town’s stickers portal (card or ACH).
  • By mail with the 2026–2027 application, a check payable to “Town of Chatham”, a self-addressed envelope and vehicle documents, to Chatham Sticker Office, 261 George Ryder Road, Chatham, MA 02633.
  • In person at the Sticker Office (card, cash or check).

In person

Sticker Office: Lower-Level Town Annex, 261 George Ryder Road (the town’s hours page also lists the Main Lobby, 549 Main Street). Tuesday and Friday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm; closed all other days and holidays. The town lists these as September hours at 261 George Ryder Road and as fall and winter hours at 549 Main Street.

Sticker Office: 508-945-5180, stickeroffice@chatham-ma.gov.

What you need

  • A copy of a current, unexpired registration for each vehicle. For full-time residents it must show a Chatham address.
  • If the vehicle is not registered in Chatham or is registered to a post office box: also a copy of a tax bill or deed linking your name to your Chatham address.
  • Leased vehicle without your name on the registration: a lease agreement, monthly lease bill or proof of insurance with your name linked to the vehicle.
  • Company-registered vehicle: proof of employment (pay stub, business card) or proof of insurance naming you as driver.
  • Your Chatham street address (in addition to any P.O. box) for Assessor verification; trust documents must be recorded at the Barnstable Registry of Deeds.

When the pass starts working

Stickers ordered online or by mail are mailed by the U.S. Postal Service; allow 10–12 business days.

Steps

  1. Print and complete the 2026–2027 Beach & Transfer application, marking the sticker type for each vehicle and giving your Chatham street address.
  2. Include a copy of a current vehicle registration for each vehicle, plus any extra documents your situation needs.
  3. Include a check payable to “Town of Chatham” for the total (do not combine it with tax payments) and a self-addressed envelope.
  4. Mail to Chatham Sticker Office, 261 George Ryder Road, Chatham, MA 02633.
  5. Place the sticker inside the windshield, driver’s side, lower left corner.

Mail-in steps are from the town’s 2026–2027 application. The online steps are not listed because the portal start page showed none.

About the online portal: The portal start page loads and has a “Resident” option for transfer station stickers, with no price shown. It adds a convenience fee and a mailing fee (amounts not shown), accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, and may request documents by email. Checkout was not tested.

Payment

Verified from official source
  • At the transfer station: credit or debit card, check, or cash up to $50.
  • Sticker Office, in person: credit or debit card, cash or check payable to “Town of Chatham”.
  • Online: credit or debit cards and ACH, plus a convenience fee and a mailing fee.
  • By mail: a check payable to “Town of Chatham”.

The town links two online systems: the application names chathamstickers.townhall247.com, and the transfer station page links a City Hall Systems payment page (epay.cityhallsystems.com). We read only the first portal’s start page, which shows no transfer station price. Nothing was purchased.

Who is eligible

Verified from official source

Stickers are for a legal resident of Chatham or an owner of property in Chatham. Year-round renters are included on the application.

  • The applicant must be a legal resident of the Town of Chatham or an owner of property in Chatham.
  • The application has a box for year-round renters. Full-time residents’ registrations must show a Chatham address.
  • Trustees listed as property owners in the town’s Assessing System are eligible; trust documents must be recorded at the Barnstable Registry of Deeds.
  • Non-residents can buy beach passes through the portal or at the beach huts (daily $30, weekly $90, seasonal $190), but the town lists no non-resident transfer station sticker.

Non-resident rules are stated for beach passes and over-sand stickers, not for the transfer station.

Paying without a pass, and additional charges

Confirm with town

The town’s fee list has household-item fees “without a sticker”: $5 for one to three bags, $10 for four to eight bags, and $20 for nine to eleven bags.

  • Fee per bag or barrel

    1 – 3 bags, no sticker

    $5.00

  • Fee per bag or barrel

    4 – 8 bags, no sticker

    $10.00

  • Fee per bag or barrel

    9 – 11 bags, no sticker

    $20.00

Limits and open questions

  • The town’s pages do not state rules for non-residents or visitors; the application says stickers require legal residency or property ownership in Chatham.
  • Payment at the station is credit or debit card, check, or cash up to $50.

Other charges: Other household items without a sticker: auto, motorcycle or mower batteries, bikes, grills, mowers, other electronics, small tires, toilets and sinks are $5 each; brush is $5 per barrel. Larger items carry the disposal fees below.

Disposal fees by item

Verified from official source

From the town’s Recycling & Transfer Station Information PDF, which states “All Fees Effective July 1, 2026”. “With/without sticker” fees apply either way. These are separate from the entry or per-bag charges above.

Bulky items and appliances (with or without sticker)
ItemFee
Mattress or box spring$50 each
Sofa or sofa bed$30 each
Upholstered chair$15 each
Air conditioner, dehumidifier, refrigerator$15 each
Appliances, white goods, microwaves$15 each
Water heater$10 each

Tires, metal, propane and demolition
ItemFee
Tire, regular size$10 each
Tire, large truck size$20 each
Metal load$65 per ton ($5 minimum)
Propane tank: 30 – 60 lb / 80 – 100 lb$10 / $20 each
Demolition$225 per ton ($5 minimum)

Brush (with or without sticker)
ItemFee
Brush, auto, per trip$10
Brush, pickup or trailer$35
Brush, one-ton truck$48

Household items without a sticker
ItemFee
Auto, motorcycle or mower batteries$5 each
Bikes, grills, mowers$5 each
Other electronics$5 each
Small tire$5 each
Propane tank, under 5 lb / 20 lb$2 / $5 each
Toilets, water closets, sinks$5 each
Brush, per barrel$5 each

Accepted and prohibited materials

Accepted

Verified from official source
  • Mixed paper (magazines, catalogs, cereal boxes, phone books, office paper) in the mixed paper bin; newspapers in the newspaper bin, no bags; flattened corrugated cardboard in the compactor.
  • Glass bottles and jars (clean, aluminum rings and caps removed); tin and aluminum cans; plastics #1–7 (clean); returnable cans and bottles at the scout trailer or the non-profit deposit table.
  • Scrap metal and appliances (drain fluids; remove tires and doors; disposal fee may apply); electrical items and CRTs (fee collected per CRT item; ask at the gate).
  • Textiles of all kinds, including damaged items, in the designated bins; books, CDs, DVDs and tapes in the book bin.
  • Food scraps (no meat or bones) in the barrels at the recycling center, composted at a farm in Sandwich. A gift shop is open May to October.
  • Paint in the paint shed; fluorescent bulbs, mercury items, rechargeable, lithium and button-cell batteries in the mercury shed; auto batteries with the gate attendant.

Prohibited or restricted

Verified from official source

From the town’s recycling and transfer station information PDF. Massachusetts disposal bans apply: glass, metal, plastics, paper, cardboard, brush, leaves, batteries, white goods, tires, electronics, wood and demolition debris are banned from household trash.

Prohibited or restricted materials
MaterialRule or fee
Twine, plastic bags, tissue paper or carbon paperNot in paper recycling
Yellow, waxed or plastic-coated cardboard; Styrofoam and staplesNot in cardboard recycling; put in trash
Food-contaminated foil or aluminum traysNot in metal recycling
Windows, mirrors, plate glass, dishes, Pyrex, light bulbsNot in glass recycling
Unmarked plastics, bags, oil containers, StyrofoamNot in plastic recycling
Automobiles and heating oil tanksNot accepted
Alkaline batteriesTrash
Household hazardous productsRegional collections, second Saturday of each month May – October, 9 am – noon, at the Harwich Transfer Station (per the town’s brochure)

Other facility rules

Verified from official source
  • Hours for the Sticker Office are separate from the transfer station: Tuesday and Friday, 9 am – 1 pm.
  • The town also publishes guidance on disposing of medicines, sharps and fluorescent bulbs, and a transfer station safety protocol (PDFs listed on its page).
  • Stickers are non-transferable and non-refundable; replacing an invalid sticker requires mailing in the original.

Villages in Chatham

North Chatham, South Chatham, and West Chatham are villages in the Town of Chatham, so this page’s rules apply across them. Eligibility depends on the town’s requirements, not the village name.

Village names per Barnstable County Registry of Deeds — Villages of Cape Cod (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com).

Private Trash Pickup in Chatham

Don’t want to make the trip? These companies offer pickup in Chatham.

Compare all Chatham trash pickup options

Official sources and verification

Official page: Town of Chatham transfer station information (official site outside CapeCodTrash.com)

Still to confirm

  • Whether non-residents or visitors may use the station without a sticker, beyond the “without a sticker” fee list.
  • The 2026–2027 sticker expiry date; the application does not state it.
  • Which online system to use: the application names chathamstickers.townhall247.com, while the transfer station page links a City Hall Systems payment page. The portal’s transfer station prices and steps were not visible.
  • The station phone number: 508-945-5151 on the town’s pages, 508-945-5156 in the brochure.
  • The Sticker Office location and hours by season: 261 George Ryder Road (September) versus 549 Main Street (fall and winter).
  • Whether the Wednesday closure ends when the town’s “until further notice” ends, and the 2027 summer schedule dates.
Field-by-field verification
FieldStatusCheckedSource
AddressVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Transfer Station, Transfer Station & Recycling Center
PhoneVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Transfer Station, Transfer Station & Recycling Center
Hours: Off-season schedule (closed Wednesdays)Verified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Transfer Station, Transfer Station & Recycling Center, Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF)
Hours: Summer schedule (7 days)Verified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF), Transfer Station
Annual pass pricingVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 20262026–2027 Beach, Transfer Station & Recycling Sticker Application (PDF), Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF), Sticker Office FAQs (PDF)
Paying without a passConfirm with townNovember 8, 2026Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF), 2026–2027 Beach, Transfer Station & Recycling Sticker Application (PDF)
How to purchaseConfirm with townNovember 8, 20262026–2027 Beach, Transfer Station & Recycling Sticker Application (PDF), Sticker Office, online stickers portal (named on the 2026–27 application), Sticker Office FAQs (PDF), Town Office Hours & Addresses
EligibilityVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 20262026–2027 Beach, Transfer Station & Recycling Sticker Application (PDF), Sticker Office FAQs (PDF)
Payment methodsVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF), Sticker Office FAQs (PDF), Sticker Office, 2026–2027 Beach, Transfer Station & Recycling Sticker Application (PDF)
Item feesVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF)
Accepted materialsVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF)
Prohibited materialsVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF)
Other rulesVerified from official sourceNovember 8, 2026Recycling & Transfer Station Information and fees (PDF), Transfer Station, 2026–2027 Beach, Transfer Station & Recycling Sticker Application (PDF)

Sources

This is an independent directory, not a town website. See our disclaimer.