In this guide 5 min read
This guide is for businesses that change oil and replace filters, such as auto shops, quick lubes, dealerships, fleets and plants. It covers the federal rule for used oil filters, how to drain and crush them, how state rules differ, how to store filters until pickup and what happens to them after.
Key takeaways
- Used oil filters that are hot-drained, are not terne-plated and are not mixed with listed hazardous waste are excluded from the federal hazardous waste rules.
- Puncture the dome end or the anti-drain back valve and drain the filter while it is warm. Georgia EPD says at least 12 hours.
- The oil that drains out goes in your used oil tank.
- State rules differ. Florida keeps used oil filters out of its landfills.
- Store drained filters in a closed, labeled container until pickup, and recycle them.
When used oil filters are exempt from the federal hazardous waste rules
A used oil filter still holds oil when it comes off the engine. Under 40 CFR 261.4(b)(13), used oil filters are excluded from the federal hazardous waste rules when all three of these are true:
- They are not terne-platedA filter with a metal casing made of an alloy of lead and tin. The federal exclusion does not cover these filters.. A terne-plated filter has a metal casing made of an alloy of lead and tin.
- They are not mixed with listed hazardous waste. Listed wastes are the ones named in subpart D of 40 CFR Part 261, such as certain spent solvents.
- They have been hot-drained by one of the four methods in the rule.
When a filter meets these conditions, EPA says it may be recycled or disposed of as nonhazardous waste. EPA also notes that states can set stricter rules for filters, and some do.
The oil that drains out is still used oil. EPA says to recycle it along with the oil from your oil changes, so it goes in your used oil tank. A drained filter with no visible free-flowing oil left in or on it is not used oil (40 CFR 279.10(c)).
The four hot-drain methods in the federal rule
Hot-drainingDrained while still warm, at a temperature between near engine operating temperature and room temperature (Massachusetts DEP). means draining the filter while it is still warm. Massachusetts DEP describes it as draining at a temperature between near engine operating temperature and room temperature (60°F). Any of these four methods meets the federal rule (40 CFR 261.4(b)(13)):
- Puncture and drain. Puncture the dome end or the anti-drain back valveThe valve inside an oil filter that keeps oil in the filter when the engine is off., then hot-drain the filter.
- Drain and crush. Hot-drain the filter, then crush it to press out more oil.
- Take it apart and drain. Dismantle the filter and hot-drain the parts.
- Another method that removes the oil. Any other hot-drain method that removes the used oil just as well.
How to drain used oil filters at your shop
These steps follow the federal rule and the state guidance in this guide. Your state may add its own steps.
- Take the filter off while the engine is warm. Warm oil drains faster.
- Puncture the dome end or the anti-drain back valve. This helps the oil run out.
- Set the filter on a drain rack or funnel over your used oil container.
- Let it drain for at least 12 hours. That is the drain time Georgia EPD gives for non-terne filters.
- Crush it if you have a filter crusher, and send the oil from the crusher to the used oil tank.
- Put the drained filter in your filter container and close the lid.
Hot-draining a used oil filter
Keep drain racks and crushers away from floor drains, and wipe up drips with absorbent pads.
What goes in the used oil tank: shop sign
A one-page sign for the wall by your tank. Goes in, keep out, and why it matters.
Download the signTerne-plated filters and filters mixed with other waste
The federal exclusion does not cover two kinds of filters:
- Terne-plated filters. Their casing is made with lead and tin, so they need their own hazardous waste check.
- Filters mixed with listed hazardous waste.
Keep these apart from your regular filters, and tell us about them before your pickup. If you are not sure what kind of filter you have, send us a photo or a description and we will confirm whether we can take it.
State rules for used oil filters
States can be stricter than the federal rule, and their rules for drained filters differ. Two examples:
- Georgia. Georgia EPD says a properly drained filter can go out as solid waste with the regular trash.
- Florida. Used oil filters cannot go in a Florida landfill. Containers must be in good condition, protected from the weather, set on a surface oil cannot soak through and labeled "Used Oil Filters." The filters go out with a registered used oil filter transporter, with a few exceptions (Fla. Admin. Code R. 62-710.850).
Even where the trash is allowed, drained filters can be recycled as scrap metal, as EPA describes. Check your state in our guide to state used oil rules, or ask us.
Storing drained filters until pickup
Between pickups, keep drained filters:
- in a closed container, such as the cart, bin or drums we provide;
- labeled "Used Oil Filters." Florida requires this label, and it tells everyone what goes in;
- under a roof or with the lid on, so rain does not collect in the container;
- on concrete or another surface oil cannot soak through, away from floor drains and storm drains;
- away from the regular trash, so filters do not end up in a dumpster by mistake.
Keep the oil that drains from filters in your used oil tank, and keep oily rags and pads in their own closed container.
Does it go in the filter container?
Pick an item, then choose where it goes.
Filter container
- A drained engine oil filterDrained oil filters go in the filter container.
- A crushed oil filterCrushed filters go in too.
- A drained hydraulic filter from shop equipmentUES collects industrial oil filters too.
Somewhere else
- Oil that drained out of the filtersIt goes in the used oil tank with the oil from oil changes.
- A filter still dripping oilLeave it on the drain rack until no free-flowing oil is left.
- A terne-plated filterKeep it apart and ask us first. The federal exclusion does not cover it.
- Oily rags and padsThey go in their own closed container.
- Spent antifreezeAntifreeze gets its own container.
All sorted.
Containers UES provides for used oil filters
We provide the container and replace or service it on your collection schedule. The right one depends on how many filters you generate and how much space you have:
- Rollaway cart. A 95-gallon wheeled cart made for used oil filters. It moves around the shop and keeps filters contained between pickups.
- Large bin. About 275 gallons, roughly equal to five 55-gallon drums. Depending on filter size, it can hold up to 2,000 used filters.
- Drums. A simple option for lower-volume sites, or for businesses that already keep filters in drums.
What happens to used oil filters after pickup
After pickup, the filters are processed so the steel and the leftover oil can be recycled. EPA describes the same path: drained filters are recycled as scrap metal, and the drained oil is recycled with other used oil.
Every pickup is documented and added to your service history in the Customer Portal, so you have a record of each one.
How UES collects used oil filters
Filter collection runs on a schedule set by how fast your container fills and the routes in your area. If we already collect your used oil, filters can often be added to the same visit.
- Tell us about your filtersYour location, roughly how many filters you generate and how you store them now.
- We recommend a containerA rollaway cart, a large bin or drums, based on your volume and space.
- A UES driver collects themOften on the same visit as your used oil.
- Your service is recordedEach pickup is added to your service history in the Customer Portal.
Request used oil filter collection
Tell us roughly how many filters you generate, how you store them now and where your business is on our used oil filter collection page, or find your state on our locations page. You can also call 800.988.7977. We reply the same business day, and no account is needed to ask.
UES locations serve Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Texas and 24 more states.
Questions businesses ask
Are used oil filters hazardous waste?
Not when they are hot-drained, are not terne-plated and are not mixed with listed hazardous waste. Those filters are excluded from the federal hazardous waste rules (40 CFR 261.4(b)(13)).
How long should a used oil filter drain?
Georgia EPD says to hot-drain non-terne filters for at least 12 hours. Start while the filter is still warm from the engine.
Can drained oil filters go in the trash?
It depends on your state. Georgia allows properly drained filters in the regular trash. Florida does not allow used oil filters in its landfills. Recycling works in either state.
What do I do with the oil that drains out of the filters?
Put it in your used oil tank. EPA says to recycle it along with the oil from your oil changes.
Are used oil filters universal waste?
No. The federal universal waste types are batteries, lamps, mercury-containing equipment, aerosol cans and some pesticides (40 CFR Part 273). Drained used oil filters have their own exclusion in 40 CFR 261.4(b)(13). Our guide to universal waste covers the five types.
Can UES add filter collection to my used oil pickups?
Often, yes. If we already collect your used oil, filter collection can usually be added to the same service schedule.
Written by Universal Environmental Services. Checked against 40 CFR Parts 261 and 279 on October 24, 2026.
Sources
- 40 CFR 261.4, Exclusions, ecfr.gov
- 40 CFR 279.10, Applicability, ecfr.gov
- EPA, Managing Used Oil: Answers to Frequent Questions for Businesses, epa.gov, updated Jun 23, 2026
- Georgia EPD, How to Manage Your Used Oil: a quick reference guide for businesses, epd.georgia.gov
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 62-710.850, Management of Used Oil Filters
- Massachusetts DEP, Policy for the Management of Used Oil Filters, HW 93-02
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