“Do you remember when air for your tires was free at gas stations and now it's a $1? Do you know why? – Inflation.”
Kidding aside, your car’s tires will eventually need air refills. If you’re looking to cut the costs of owning a vehicle, you probably want to find ways to get free air for your tires.
Fortunately, there are ways for you to get it for free, especially if you want to get your tanks filled, too.
We scoured the web for places that let you inflate your tires at no cost, including options that may have not crossed your mind.
We’ve also included state laws that involve free tire refills. Who knows? You might be living in a state that provides free air tires!
Remember that well-pumped tires let you save money on gas. It’ll also make your tires last longer, improve your car’s performance, and keep you safe when you’re on the road.
Stop driving an unsafe vehicle or wasting money filling up your tank when your car doesn’t have fuel economy because of low tire air pressure.
What Are The States That Require Gas Stations To Provide Free Air?
You’re in luck if you live anywhere in California or Connecticut. Both states require all gas stations within the area to provide a functioning and free air pump that people can use to fill their tires.
Otherwise, check your options below.
20 Places That Offer Free Air For Tires
Listed below are the places that offer free air for tires.
1. Discount Tire
Discount Tire is the largest tire and wheel retailer in the United States. It operates more than 1,000 stores in 35 different states offering a wide range of product choices.
You can visit Discount Tire in your area for a complimentary air pressure check. Look for a sign that says “free air check.”
You can talk to a staff member and have the tread checked and the tires aired at no charge.
2. Quiktrip
Quiktrip has more than 900 stores in the U.S. You can browse their directory to find a Quiktrip location in your area.
Aside from offering free tire air, you can also fuel your car and buy some food and drinks from their stores.
3. Wawa
Wawa operates a chain of convenience stores and gas stations at 800 locations. The company operates in;
- Pennsylvania
- Washington D.C.
- Florida
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Delaware
- New Jersey
It offers free tire inflation at all of its outlets. You can use its store locator to find a branch in your area.
4. Royal Farms
Royal Farms is a chain of convenience stores with more than 200 locations in:
- Maryland
- Delaware
- Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- West Virginia
However, not all of its branches offer free air. You can use its store locator to find one near you. You may also want to call the store first and ask if it offers free tire refills.
5. Gate
Gate gas stations have 200 locations spread throughout:
- Florida
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
Head over to its website to find a Gate store in your area.
6. Holiday Stationstores
Holiday Stationstores has more than 600 locations in the country. It operates in certain states including:
- Wyoming
- Wisconsin
- Washington
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Minnesota
- Michigan
- Montana
- Idaho
- Alaska
Find the nearest outlet near you using the store finder feature on their website.
7. Costco
Costco operates in more than 50 U.S. states. The retail behemoth offers a wide range of consumer products ranging from food to household essentials. It also has filling stations where you can get tire air for free.
You can join Costco’s membership program so you can access its nitrogen refills in some of its convenience stores and parking lots for free.
8. Kroger
Kroger operates retail stores and supermarket chains in more than 2,800 locations in the U.S.
You can shop online and have the items delivered to your doorstep or go to their brick and mortar stores in your area. You can also fill your tire with free air.
9. BJ’s Wholesale Club
BJ’s Wholesale Club is a warehouse club chain that has gas stations. It operates in more than 200 locations and some of them offer free tire inflation.
Visit their website and use their club locator to find the nearest outlet in your area.
10. Getgo
Getgo is one of the largest supermarket stores in the country that offers various consumer products. It has more than 200 stores located in;
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Maryland
- West Virginia
- Pennsylvania
11. Sheetz
Sheetz is another chain of convenience stores in the United States. It has more than 580 locations in the country that offers a wide array of consumer products.
Some of its stores in certain locations will let you fill your tire with air for free. The company operates in:
- Maryland
- Ohio
- West Virginia
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania.
You can search by state to find a Sheetz store near you.
12. Belle Tire
Belle Tire offers free tire inflation at any of its locations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It has more than 130 locations in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.
13. Rutters
Rutters is a chain of convenience stores with 78 locations in the United States. It offers various consumer goods and gives free tire air to its customers. You can visit their website to find a Rutter store near you.
But you need to use a Rutters Rewards card to activate the air pump. You can get one for free from any of their stores.
The card, which can only be used at Rutter’s locations, also lets you save up to 3 cents per gallon of fuel when you refill your tank.
14. Casey’s General Stores
Casey General Stores have more than 2,000 locations in 16 different states. All of their locations offer free tire refills.
Use their store locator to find the nearest outlet near you.
15. Kum & Go
Kum & Go is a chain market with more than 400 locations in the United States. You’ll find air pumps where you can inflate your tire at some of their locations.
Their convenience stores are found in some states, such as:
- Missouri
- Montana
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Wyoming
16. Citgo
You can also find free air pumps in some of Citgo’s stores in the country. The company has more than 4,600 locations in the U.S. Use their store locator to find the nearest outlet near you.
17. ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil has more than 12,000 locations in the country. Some of its stores offer free tire refills. Find a service station near you using the search location feature on their website.
18. Racetrac
You can also get a free tire air refill in some RaceTrac locations, including:
- Texas
- Tennessee
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Georgia
- Florida
- Alabama
Visit their website to find a store near you.
19. Shell
Shell gas stations also offer free tire inflation in some of their outlets. There are about 25,000 gas stations in the United States and some of its locations may offer free air pumps.
Find the nearest gas station in your area using their online locator. Not all locations have free air compressors, so be sure to call the outlet first beforehand.
20. Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee is a supermarket chain that has more than 200 locations in the country. It operates in certain states including:
- Missouri
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
- South Dakota
Use their store finder to locate the nearest outlet near you. Make sure to call first and ask if they offer free tire inflation.
Freeairpump.com
You may also want to check online for locations where you can get free tire refill. Visit Freeairpump.com for places that offer free tire inflation. It’s a website that offers a map of locations where you can get a free tire refill.
All you need to do is enter your address, city, state, or zip code and start finding free air in your area. You’ll get a zoomable Google-type map that gives you the locations with free local air pumps.
Where Are The Other Places Where You Can Get Free Tire Inflation?
Aside from gas stations and convenience stores, there are other places where you can use free air dispensers.
Car Dealership
Car dealerships offer free tire inflation to their customers. You can also go to the dealership where you purchased your vehicle and use their free air pumps.
Auto Repair Shops
Companies that offer auto services, such as oil changes, repairs, and maintenance, generally provide free tire air.
Pep Boys and Jiffy Lube, for instance, most likely offer tire inflation at no extra cost. So, if you’re due for an oil change or tune-up, why not have your tires checked and refilled with air.
RV Fuel Lanes At Gas Stations
Some gas stations have a lane allotted for RVs or other large vehicles. Generally, this lane should have a free air compressor that you can use. You don’t need to have an RV to inflate your tire.
Aside from going to gas stations and other places where you can get free tire air, you can also do it yourself at home provided that you have the tools to get the job done right.
- Buy an air compressor at the nearest hardware or home improvement store
- Borrow an air compressor from friends or family
- Use a bike pump
Does Having The Right Tire Pressure Help You Save Money?
Owning a car can be expensive. For cost-conscious individuals, finding ways to cut costs is crucial. Making sure that your tires have the right pressure is a start.
Properly inflated tires can help you save money on fuel and can improve your gas mileage by as much as 3%. It’ll also help extend the life of your tires by 4,700 miles.
Likewise, you should never drive with low tire pressure. Improper tire inflation could lead to structural damage, accelerated and uneven tire wear, and poor gas mileage.
Driving with low tire pressure can lead to tire failure. When this happens, you’ll lose control of your vehicle, which is very dangerous if your vehicle is running at high speed. You’ll endanger yourself, your passengers, as well as other drivers on the road.
How Much Does Tire Air Cost?
If you can’t find a free air pump near you and you have no other way of getting free tire air refills, you don’t have a choice but to pay for tire air.
To avoid getting ripped off, you need to have a good idea of how much tire air costs. Depending on your location, you may have to pay between $1 and $2 to inflate your tires.
In Summary
There are regular expenses associated with owning a vehicle. These include insurance, car payments, regular maintenance, and gas. The cost of driving a vehicle can easily pile up to thousands of dollars every year.
Refilling your tires with air costs between $1.50 and $2.00 every month. That’ll cost you about $24 every year. If you want to be frugal and save on your monthly car expenses, then finding places where you can fill your tires for free is a good way to start.
Aidan has been writing about personal finance for over 6 years. Prior to this, he worked as a Corporate Finance Analyst where he specialized in Due Diligence, Company Valuations and more. He is a CFA charterholder.
