The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) is expanding its popular Old Car Buy Back program, offering residents $2,200 for qualifying vehicles manufactured in 2002 or earlier. The initiative aims to reduce air pollution by encouraging the retirement of older, higher-emission vehicles.
The program targets gasoline and diesel-powered cars, light-duty trucks, vans and SUVs that meet specific conditions. Those conditions include, but are not limited to:
Vehicles must be registered in Santa Barbara County for the past two consecutive years
Vehicles must be in working condition
Vehicles must be smog-certified.
Once accepted, the vehicles are permanently removed from circulation and crushed to eliminate their environmental impact.
“With the increased cost of used cars,