Car Donation California

You've come to the right place – our Kars4Kids crew in California can pick up virtually any car donation, regardless of condition, and usually without a title too.

  • Free towing in CA within 24 to 48 hours
  • Tax deductible receipt
  • Vacation voucher Details
Start here
Join our 500,000+ donors
Does it run?
Have the title?
DONATE NOW

How it works in CA

Tell us about your car

1. Tell us about your car

Take 2 minutes to fill out a donation form - online or over the phone.

Schedule a free pickup time

2. Schedule a free pickup

Within 24 hours we’ll call you to arrange a convenient pickup time.

We tow your car

3. You are done!

Within 2-4 weeks you receive a tax receipt and vacation voucher .

400,000+ donors trust us with their car.

Here’s what our California donors had to say about how donating went for them.
P.S. we didn’t make these up! They're all real donors, with real experiences.

Joe R.
I enjoyed working with Kars for Kids
By Joe R., San Jose  CA (I donated a 1996 Volkswagen Jetta)

Really good! I enjoyed working with Kars for Kids, best radio commercial out there and great service on the pickup!

Richard C.
We appreciate the efficiency of Kars4Kids
By Richard C., La Mirada  CA (I donated a 2002 Honda Civic)

Our three experiences with Kars4Kids have been wonderful! After calling other organizations to receive our autos and finding them to be more complicated than expected, we appreciate the efficiency of Kars4Kids no hassle process for helping us donate o. . .

Michael T.
I wish every business deal went this easy
By Michael T., Novato  CA (I donated a 1991 Ford Escort)

Every part of the transaction was easy,I wish every business deal went this easy.I know this went to a great cause and I hope someone gets some use from my Escort

3 of reviews
More Reviews

How your car helps

Our charity programs are the essence of what we do. We are thankful to be able to give back to many local communities across North America and to bring educational opportunities to so many children, with the help of our sister charity Oorah. We're a registered nonprofit Jewish organization. Learn about what we do and see our charity programs here.

Kars4kids Mentor Program
The Kars4Kids Vision

Kars4Kids‘ vision is to give our children the ability to succeed in life. We focus on educational, mentorship and year-round programs for our children, their families and their communities, looking at the big picture of our children‘s development and the environment they grow up in. We rely on thousands of volunteers to help us change the world, one child at a time.

Whole Family Support

A child is just one part of a whole: his family. At Kars4Kids we understand that helping children means offering supports and programming for parents and siblings. Outreach and mentoring for all the members of a family is a critical part of our approach. The result: happy, healthy children who are motivated to reach their fullest potential.

Just Chillin'

Kars4Kids on Guidestar
Top Rated Nonprofit
Approved Website

Still have questions?

The amount you can claim from the IRS as a tax deduction depends on the category applicable to you:
The IRS allows you to claim a tax deduction of:
a) The value of your vehicle up to $500. It is up to the donor to determine the fair market value.
b) The amount we sell your vehicle for - if it is more than $500.

Kars4kids is a classified 501(c)(3) charity organization. You can check with your tax advisor or accountant to determine the amount of your benefit. The deduction is of value only if the donor itemizes his or her deductions. For a more detailed overview the IRS publishes a Donors Guide to Car Donation.

We accept the following donations: car, snow plow, boat, bus, jet ski, truck, RV (motor home), commercial, airplane, van, trailer, motorcycle, ATV, tractor, and fleet donations. Sorry no kids.

We can usually pick up a vehicle without a title in California . We just need the registered owner to sign some paperwork for us.

In the following counties you may not need to sign any paperwork at all. Just provide a proof of ownership (such as copy of registration or insurance card): Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba

In almost all scenarios Kars4kids will apply for the new title for you. We'll handle all the paperwork and pay the title fees too.
If you'd prefer you may apply for a new title on your own. Here's how:
Download, print, and complete the Application for Duplicate Title Form. The legal owner must sign the form and have it notarized.

You may submit this application and payment of the fee either in person or by mail. You can make an Appointment at your local DMV or mail the completed forms with payment to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Registration Operations
P.O. Box 942869 MS E69
Sacramento, CA 94269-0001

California Title
ZOOM IN
The sample document to the left of this paragraph has two blue arrows. Sign where both arrows appear using the name listed on the front page of your car title. The title document should be given to the tow truck driver at the time your car is collected. Attached to the top of your title is a Release of Liability. You will need to fill out this form and mail it or deliver it to your local DMV.

1. Leave the plates on the car
You can leave the plates on the vehicle.

Personalized Plates: If the license plate is a special interest or personalized license plate, you must decide if you want to keep the plate for use on another vehicle, or release your interest in the plate. Either way you need to complete a Special Interest License Plate Application or a Special License Plate Application indicating your retention or release of the special plate and give the form to the tower.

2. Fill out a Release of Liability
The donor is responsible for reporting the change of ownership to DMV within 5 days from the date of donation. After DMV updates the information from the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, you will be cleared from future liability on the vehicle The form is attached to your title. Complete the portion attached at the top of the title called "Release of Liability". You can fill it in and mail it or deliver it to your local DMV.

Once you've filled out your release of liability there are 3 ways to submit it:

I. Online
Most donors find submitting their release of liability online easiest. Submit your Release of Liability online >

II. In Person
California DMV Office Locator >

III. Mail It:
Department of Motor vehicles
Notice of transfer and release of liability
PO Box 942859
Sacramento, CA 94259

3. Cancel your insurance
Cancel your insurance after you've submitted your release of liability.

Visit http://www.dmv.ca.gov/ for more information on your state car donation laws.

Edwin‘s Towing is based in Ontario California and has been in business for the past 7 years. The towing company services a radius of approximately 80 miles and has a substantial fleet of 11 tow trucks. While the company‘s purported business is towing cars and in particular, car donations, the staff is nothing if not flexible.

Javier recalls that one time he arrived to pick up a car to be towed and the lady of the house said he couldn‘t tow the car unless he helped her paint the house. Now this woman, though rather elderly, had presence, and Javier was simply unable to resist. He painted the front porch according to the nice lady‘s directions and then tried to get back to the real business at hand, towing her car away.

But no. She wanted him to paint the entire house. Such a nice lady she was, but work is work, and at last, the lady let Javier do what he came to do. She even tipped him for the great paint job!

For a full list of frequently asked questions check out our faq section

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CA fun factsCar owners who own Ford Windstar tend to be generous. We know that because more Ford Windstars were donated than any other model in the state!

Any information on this page related to state laws and title requirements is correct to the best of our knowledge. But because this kind of information is liable to change, please check with your local motor vehicle authority for current guidelines and requirements.
Kars4kids Car Donation

2313 Bay Hill Road
Chula Vista, CA 91915
619-872-2772

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Our Areas of Service.

We pick up from all over California , including:
Anaheim, Berkeley, Burbank, Chula Vista, Daly City, Fremont, Fresno, Garden Grove, Glendale, Hayward, Irvine, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Modesto, Mountain View, Oakland, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Pleasanton, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Gabriel, San Joaquin, San Jacinto, San Jose, San Mateo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Sanger, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Monica, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Walnut Creek

As one of the biggest car donation charities we accept donations throughout the entire USA.