Advance Auto Parts Battery and Oil Recycling
Advance Auto Parts takes used car batteries and used oil at most stores, gives up to a $10 gift card per eligible battery and caps oil at 5 gallons a day.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store policies change. This is a summary in our own words of Advance Auto Parts' store services, battery recycling and oil recycling pages, read on October 26, 2026. The official pages are the ones that apply, and Advance says services can vary by store and by vehicle, so check with your local store before you go.
What you can bring back
Advance lists two free recycling services on its store services page: used car batteries, and used oil and transmission fluid. Both are offered at most stores, except where the law does not allow it.
| Item | What Advance says |
|---|---|
| Car or light truck battery | Free recycling at most stores; up to a $10 gift card per eligible battery |
| Motor oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic fluid, gear oil, power steering fluid | Free recycling at most stores; limit of 5 gallons a day |
| Used oil filters | Taken at select stores only; call ahead |
| Lawn and garden, power sport, lithium-ion and household batteries | Not part of the gift card offer |
Battery recycling and the gift card
Advance calls its battery offer the battery bounty. You bring an unwanted car or light truck battery to a store, and Advance gives you a gift card worth up to $10 for each core battery returned. The card works on a later purchase, in store or online.
A few limits apply:
- No gift card on a core swap. If you are buying a new battery that needs a core return, that old battery does not earn the card.
- Excluded batteries. Lawn and garden, power sport, lithium-ion (such as hybrid battery packs) and household batteries do not qualify.
- No cash. Advance says it does not buy used car batteries.
- No cap. Advance says there is no limit on how many batteries you can recycle.
The core charge, in short
When you buy a new car battery without handing in an old one, you pay a core fee. Bringing back a used battery at the time of purchase avoids that fee, Advance says. Ask the store how the core charge works on the battery you are buying.
Used oil and transmission fluid
Advance takes used motor oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic fluid, gear oil and power steering fluid at most stores. You need to bring it in a sealed container made of a suitable plastic, such as polyethylene; Advance asks for no milk cartons. Each customer can drop off up to 5 gallons of used fluid per day.
Oil filters can go back at select stores only. Advance suggests punching a hole in the filter and draining it into your catch pan first.
Advance says roughly 90 percent of the oil collected at its stores is re-refined into new oil products. Depending on the store and the season, other oil is refined into fuel oil for industrial burners or goes to asphalt plants.
Other battery services
The store services page also lists free battery testing, charging of car and marine batteries, and free battery installation with a new battery bought in store or online, for most vehicles at most locations. Advance will also register a new battery for free when the vehicle needs it.
Sources
Free store services, Car battery recycling and Oil and transmission fluid recycling, Advance Auto Parts. Policy checked October 26, 2026.