Is there a cash for clunkers program now?

So the real question is whether your car fits one of those programs. If it doesn't, you still have a way out: sell it for what it is.

What the 2009 program actually was

Cash for Clunkers was the nickname. The official name was the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS. Under the federal rule, a buyer got $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new car with better fuel economy when they traded in an older car that burned more gas.

It was never meant to last. The rule gave it a fixed $1 billion and an end date of November 1, 2009, or earlier if the money ran out. Congress then added as much as $2 billion more in Public Law 111-47, money that stayed available only until September 30, 2010.

Any site that promises federal clunker cash today is describing a program that closed more than fifteen years ago.

Where the money is now: California

California runs more than one program. Which one fits depends on your income, your smog result and whether you want another car.

The state's Consumer Assistance Program

The Bureau of Automotive Repair runs CAP vehicle retirement. It pays to take a car off the road for good:

The income limit is based on 225% of the federal poverty level (BAR). Two more rules apply to every CAP retirement. The car has to be drivable. And you must be the registered owner, with the title issued in your name.

Clean Cars 4 All

The Air Resources Board's Clean Cars 4 All is a scrap-and-replace program. You retire an older car and get an incentive toward a plug-in hybrid, a zero-emission car or a zero-emission motorcycle. Household income can't top 300% of the federal poverty line, and the replacement has to be eight years old or newer.

Local air district buybacks

CARB calls these the Voluntary Accelerated Vehicle Retirement program, also known as car scrappage or old-vehicle buyback. CARB says a car that passed its last Smog Check, or isn't subject to one, may qualify for a local district program.

The Bay Area's version is a good example. The Bay Area Air District pays $2,000 for a working car from model year 2000 or older. The car must be registered as operable and actually in operating condition.

Colorado's trade-in rebate

Vehicle Exchange Colorado, or VXC, works more like the old federal program. You trade in the old car at a participating dealer when you buy or lease an electric car.

• Rebate: $9,000 on a new EV, $6,000 on a used one. The state says these amounts took effect November 3, 2025, and they come off at the dealer, not after the sale.
• The old car: an operational gas or diesel vehicle that is at least 12 model years old (model year 2014 or older for a 2026 application), or one that fails a Colorado emissions test.
• Income: household income below 80% of the area median in your county, or enrollment in one of the listed income-based programs.

The catch for a car that won't run

Read the rules above again and one word keeps coming back. California's CAP wants a drivable car. The Bay Area wants one in operating condition. Colorado wants an operational one.

So if your car has a blown engine, a dead transmission or has sat for years, these programs probably aren't open to you.

A few other things to check before you count on program money:

• Where you live. We confirmed programs in California and Colorado only. Ask your state environmental agency or county air district whether one runs where you are.
• Whose name is on the title. CAP requires it to be yours. See a car not in your name if it isn't.
• Whether you want another car. Clean Cars 4 All and VXC pay toward a replacement. If you don't plan to buy, they don't help.
• The smog result. In California it decides which tier you get, and whether a local buyback is open to you.

If the car doesn't qualify

A retirement program takes the car off the road for good in exchange for a set amount. If your car doesn't qualify, or you don't want a new one, selling it whole is the simpler route.

We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US. Send us the car's details and what broke, then compare our offer with any program payment you qualify for. For a sense of what an old car brings, see what a junk car is worth.

Close out the paperwork in your state

However the car leaves, a program, a private buyer or us, your state may expect you to tell it the car is gone. Skipping that step can leave tickets, tolls or tax bills in your name. Here's what each state's own pages and laws say a seller does.

For plates and the last steps state by state, see after you sell.

A quick way to decide

• Your car runs, you're in California or Colorado, and you meet the rules: apply to the program first. It pays a set amount.
• Your car runs but you don't qualify: sell it, and get more than one offer.
• Your car doesn't run: the programs we found won't take it. Selling it whole, as it sits, is usually the cleanest exit. Read selling a non-running car for the steps.

Questions about your car before you decide? Call (877) 421-6008.