Driving Clean Assistance Program: California Clean Car Grants, Who Qualifies, and What Is Open Now

What the driving clean assistance program does

DCAP exists to get older, higher-polluting cars off the road and put cleaner ones within reach of households that could not otherwise afford them. According to CARB’s DCAP page, it does two things: it offers a statewide Financing Assistance program, and it brings Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) to air districts that do not run their own.

The program is aimed at people in low-income, underserved, Tribal, and disadvantaged communities. It covers battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles, new or used. It also offers a “mobility option” for people who would rather not own a car, such as an e-bike or transit pass. Approved participants can work with a financial counselor before they shop.

Who runs it now

Many older articles say Beneficial State Foundation runs this program. That was true of an earlier pilot, the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program, which Beneficial State says launched in 2018 and concluded in March 2024. CARB now names the Community Housing Development Corporation as the sole statewide administrator of DCAP, and applications go through CHDC’s site at drivingcleanca.org.

Current status of each part

When we checked, the DCAP website carried a notice dated August 21, 2026 saying that, because of an extraordinary response and high demand, Financing Assistance was closed to new applications. The same notice said Clean Cars 4 All (scrap and replace) remained open to applicants in all tiers. The site did not mention a waiting list or a reopening date.

Status can change quickly when money runs low or new funding arrives. Check the DCAP site or sign up for CARB’s DCAP newsletter before you plan a purchase.

Grant amounts by option

CARB’s DCAP program details and its Clean Cars 4 All fact sheet list these maximums. “Disadvantaged community” is a state designation based on your address; DCAP checks it for you.

The CC4A fact sheet also mentions up to $5,000 for vehicle adaptive equipment for buyers who need it. The grant goes toward the price at the dealer, not to you as cash. On a $25,000 used electric car, for example, a $12,000 grant would leave $13,000 to cover with savings, a trade-in, or a loan.

Eligibility rules

CARB lists these requirements for DCAP. You must meet all of them.

• Residency: you live in California.
• Income: your household income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level.
• Timing: you apply and are approved before you buy. A car bought first does not qualify.
• First time only: you have not received a CARB light-duty vehicle incentive before, such as EFMP, EFMP Plus-Up, CC4A, or an earlier financing pilot. Each household can get one incentive for the life of the program.
• The new vehicle: a new car must be on CARB’s eligible list. A used car must be eight calendar years old or newer with no more than 75,000 miles. Either way, the price must be $45,000 or less before taxes and fees.
• Keep it: you agree to keep the vehicle in California for at least 30 months and to complete program education and surveys.
• Scrap car (CC4A only): you must turn in an eligible older vehicle. DCAP sets the details, such as registration history and whether the car must run.

DCAP does not lend you money directly. Under Financing Assistance, loans came from its lending partners or your own credit union or bank, with the rate capped at 8% APR. If that option reopens and you plan to borrow, it helps to know where your credit stands first; our guide to credit scores explains how to check yours free.

Income limits by household size

DCAP uses 300% of the federal poverty level. The state’s car retirement and repair program, covered below, uses 225%. Here is what those levels work out to using the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines ($15,960 for one person plus $5,680 for each added person):

These are our calculations, not official program tables. CARB’s DCAP page still cites $93,600 for a family of four, which reflects an older year’s guideline, and each program decides when to switch to the new figures. Use this table as an estimate and confirm your number with the program. Count gross income for everyone in the household.

Local Clean Cars 4 All programs

CARB says CC4A is offered by five air districts, plus DCAP for everywhere else. If you live in one of these districts, you usually apply to the district’s own program instead of DCAP:

• South Coast AQMD (Los Angeles, Orange, and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties)
• San Joaquin Valley APCD
• Bay Area AQMD, which runs Clean Cars for All
• Sacramento Metropolitan AQMD
• San Diego APCD

Each district sets its own application window, funding level, and waiting list, and amounts can differ from the DCAP table. CARB’s Clean Cars 4 All page links to each one. If you are not sure which district covers your address, DCAP can tell you.

Retiring or repairing a car through BAR

If you do not want a new car, or your area’s CC4A money is gone, California’s Bureau of Automotive Repair runs the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP). It pays to retire a running car at a BAR-contracted dismantler, or helps pay for smog repairs. Funding is set each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) and can run out.

Vehicle retirement amounts

BAR’s retirement page lists three payments:

• $1,350: no income test, but the car must have failed its most recent Smog Check.
• $1,500: income at or below 225% of the poverty level, and a completed Smog Check (pass or fail) within 180 days before you apply.
• $2,000: income at or below 225% of the poverty level, and the car failed its most recent Smog Check.

The car must be registered to you (title in your name), currently registered or not expired more than 120 days, without a lapse of more than 120 days in the prior two years, not registered to a business, and able to drive to the dismantler under its own power. BAR also limits how many cars one person can retire in 12 months.

Repair assistance

For income-eligible owners whose car failed its biennial Smog Check, BAR’s repair option pays up to $1,450 toward emissions repairs for model year 1996 and newer, or up to $1,100 for 1976 to 1995 models. You pay a co-payment at a STAR test-and-repair station, and you must wait for BAR’s eligibility letter before any work starts; BAR will not reimburse repairs done earlier. Questions: (866) 272-9642. For other repair help, see our guide to car repair for low-income families.

Other incentives you can combine

MyFirstEV. California’s MyFirstEV incentive launched August 3, 2026. It takes $3,500 off a new zero-emission vehicle or $1,750 off a used one at participating automakers’ dealers, for California residents buying or leasing their first ZEV. There is no income limit, no separate application, and funding is first come, first served. The state says it can be combined with DCAP and Clean Cars 4 All.

Federal tax credits. The federal new and used clean vehicle credits ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, according to the IRS pages on the new and used credits. Do not count on one for a purchase today.

Utility rebates. Many California utilities offer their own EV or charger rebates. Ask your utility what it offers before you choose a home charger.

Applying, step by step

1. Check your district. If you live in one of the five CC4A districts, start with that district. Otherwise, use DCAP.
2. Estimate your income against 300% of the poverty level for your household size.
3. Look at your old car. Note its registration dates, title name, and Smog Check history. These decide whether it can be scrapped through CC4A or retired through BAR.
4. Apply through drivingcleanca.org and wait for approval. Do not sign a purchase contract first.
5. Use the counseling. Compare total cost, insurance, and charging before you choose a car.
6. Buy from a participating dealer, apply your grant and any MyFirstEV discount, and choose your charging option.

For a wider look at car help outside California, see our guides on down payment car assistance programs and the government car voucher program.

Related guides

• Free cars for low-income families
• Grants for cars for low-income families
• Emergency car repair assistance
• California assistance programs

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Grant amounts, income limits, and program status are set by CARB, the program administrator, air districts, and BAR, and they change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the California Air Resources Board, the Community Housing Development Corporation, the Bureau of Automotive Repair, or any government agency.