Holding onto an old car? It might be time to part ways — and get paid for it. Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) is now accepting vehicles from year 2002 or older.
Sponsored by the APCD, the Old Car Buy Back Program has purchased vehicles from Santa Barbara County residents since 1993, but in light of a recent upgrade, participants can now receive $2,200 per eligible vehicle, up from $1,000.
The program’s goal is simple: remove high-polluting, older cars and trucks from local roads to improve air quality.
“With the increased cost of used cars, these program changes are critical to entice people to retire their old, polluting vehicles and replace them with cars that use cleaner technology,” said APCD Executive Director Aeron Arlin Genet. “Cleaner cars mean better air quality in Santa Barbara County and throughout California.”
To qualify, vehicles must be vans; gasoline- or diesel-powered passenger cars; or light or medium-duty trucks from model year 2002 or older. They must weigh less than 10,000 pounds, be operable, have a valid smog certificate, and have been registered in Santa Barbara County for at least the past two years.
Participating auto dismantlers in Goleta, Lompoc, and Santa Maria will permanently destroy cars and trucks voluntarily retired under this program.
“Under this program, people can put that $2,200 toward the purchase of a newer, cleaner car or they can pocket it and take advantage of alternative transportation options like riding the bus or a bicycle,” Genet said.
To start the process, visit ourair.org/old-car-buy-back-program.
Editor’s Note: This story’s headline was updated to clarify that it is the Air Pollution Control District is running the buyback program, not the County of Santa Barbara, which is a separate entity.
