6 Unwritten Rules at a New Hampshire Town Dump That Newcomers Break

Pull up to the town dump in Durham, and nobody’s going to unload your truck for you.

Every New Hampshire town runs its dump its own way, and newcomers learn the rules one trip at a time.

Here are the unwritten rules at a New Hampshire town dump that newcomers break.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Transfer station rules, fees, and hours are set by each town and are subject to change.

1. Your Windshield Sticker

Epping’s transfer station is open to residents only, and each vehicle you drive in needs a $20-a-year permit.

Epping has no curbside pickup, and all trash must be brought to the transfer station.

Your permit goes on the passenger side of the front windshield.

A vehicle whose permit doesn’t match its registration and inspection sticker won’t be allowed to enter, the town says.

A resident or non-resident property owner hauling items in a vehicle without a permit must get a special pass from the Town Clerk’s Office.

Those passes are issued case by case and are good only for set dates.

Merrimack puts a license plate number on each sticker.

A sticker that doesn’t match the vehicle will be taken, which may bring a fine of up to $500.

A new resident can use closing papers, a lease, or a utility bill as proof of address.

Durham requires its sticker on the lower left, the driver’s side of the windshield.

Proof of residency is required, and the sticker is valid January 1 through December 31 of the year issued.

2. Stickers on Every Bag

Lyme charges for trash with fee payment stickers, which you can buy at the Town Clerk’s Office and participating local vendors, the town says.

You put a sticker on each bag of trash weighing no more than 30 pounds.

Your bulky items and construction debris go to the Lebanon Landfill, with associated fees.

3. Appliance and Mattress Fees

Durham’s code requires an electronics/appliance sticker when you dispose of items that need special handling.

Refrigerators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers contain toxins such as freon and must be identified for proper disposal.

You buy those stickers at Durham Public Works.

If you’re dropping off a mattress, a bulky waste coupon covers one set, which is a mattress with its box spring or the mattress or box spring alone.

Stark charges $10 each for refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers.

Tires up to 24 inches cost $7 each there, and tires over 24 inches cost $25.

See the attendant for proper placement of these items.

4. Rechargeable Batteries

New Hampshire’s ban on sending rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to landfills and incinerators started July 1, 2025.

Households and businesses must recycle them.

Stark’s transfer station page says that from that date, putting them in the trash is illegal.

According to the state, damaged or crushed batteries can ignite and cause fires at trash and waste facilities.

Wet-cell batteries and electronic devices were already banned from landfills and incinerators under the same law.

If you’re clearing out a garage, check what runs on a rechargeable battery.

5. Swap Shop Volunteers

You can use Durham’s swap shop if you have a Transfer Station sticker.

Anything you donate must first be approved by a swap shop volunteer.

Mattresses and appliances bigger than a microwave are on the not-accepted list.

Electronics/appliance stickers must be attached to items such as televisions and refrigerators.

The shop is open Saturdays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., when the transfer station is open.

You’re encouraged to stay no longer than 30 minutes per visit.

Amherst’s swap shop is for residents only.

6. Unloading and Scavenging

Durham’s code says transfer station employees aren’t required to offload private vehicles.

You do the lifting.

Material must be deposited in the location and manner the attendant directs, and unauthorized removal of material is prohibited.

Epping’s page calls taking items from its dumping facilities scavenging and says it isn’t permitted.

Public use of the transfer station outside the posted hours of operation is also prohibited.

Open Hours

Lyme lets you come Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Stark is open Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Amherst closes on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, and the Friday after, Nov. 27, in 2026.

The town strongly encourages residents to view its two transfer station live cameras.

Sorting the Recycling

Lyme’s page says the transfer station uses single-stream recycling.

Amherst’s page says items put in the trash compactors cost the town more than anything else for disposal.