Frequently Asked Questions
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Find answers to frequently asked questions about the Clean Cars for All program.
To participate in Clean Cars for All, you must own a model year 2007 or older passenger vehicle that has been registered or operated in California for more than two (2) years, live in the Bay Area within the Air District’s jurisdiction, and have a qualifying household income below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Visit the Eligibility page to learn more.
- Complete an application to verify your eligibility.
- Bring your vehicle to an authorized dismantler to verify your vehicle is eligible.
- Sign a contract agreeing to the terms and conditions of the program.
- Receive an Award Letter from the Air District.
- Secure a loan, if needed, before visiting a dealership.
- Purchase your replacement vehicle or get a pre-paid card for public transit and/or e-bikes for you and your household.
- Turn in your old vehicle to an authorized dismantler.
New or used plug-in hybrid, battery electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles are eligible for purchase with the Clean Cars for All program. Used vehicles must be eight (8) model years old or newer. For example, calendar year 2025 requires used vehicles to be model year 2018 or newer. Applicants may also lease a new plug-in hybrid, battery electric vehicle, or fuel cell electric vehicle that is listed on the California Air Resources Board’s eligible vehicle list AND meets Clean Cars for All eligibility and price limits. Conventional hybrids cannot be chosen as a replacement option for new applications after October 14, 2024, and awarded participants cannot purchase a conventional hybrid vehicle after December 31, 2024.
Grants of $9,500-$11,500 are available for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Grants for battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles range from $10,000-$12,000. Grants of $7,500 are available for mobility options (e.g. public transit and e-bikes).
You can confirm if you live in a DAC census tract by following our Disadvantaged Community Census Tract Guide.
Financing is available through our lending partner, Beneficial State Bank. You may also get financing from other sources, but all loans must have an interest rate less than 16 percent to be eligible under this program.
Participants with an ITIN are encouraged to apply. Not all banks and financial institutions offer financing to Participants with an ITIN, so it is recommended that the participant first obtain pre-approval from ITIN-friendly institutions before considering buying a vehicle from an authorized dealership. Beneficial State Bank, and Travis Credit Union are two institutions that offer financing.
No, this is a one-time grant and does not need to be re-paid if you abide by the program’s Terms and Conditions. You may need to repay the grant or a prorated portion of the grant if you do not abide by the program’s Terms and Conditions.
No, the grant can only be applied at our network of authorized dealerships.
Bring your Award letter and your loan pre-approval letter to any authorized dealership. In order to provide a better experience for customers, you must contact the authorized contact person at each dealership to purchase a vehicle. See our list of authorized dealerships, and our clean vehicle checklist for more information.
If you purchase a new or used plug-in hybrid electric or battery electric vehicle, up to $2,000 of funding is available for an at-home Level 2 charger. Visit the Charging Your EV page to learn more. The eligible applicant must own the property where the charger will be installed or provide evidence from the property owner allowing the applicant to install and operate the charger. Applicants are required to first submit an estimate of pay for the equipment and installation costs up-front – upon completion, award funding will be reimbursed to the applicant. Find out more by downloading the EV Charger Rebate Manual.
We cannot give you individual tax advice, and we would recommend that you talk to your tax preparer or someone else who can advise you on your taxes. But we have been informed by the California Air Resources Board, the agency that gives us funding for the Clean Cars For All program, that Clean Cars For All grants do not count as taxable income under IRS rules.
We want you to choose a clean vehicle that best fits your situation and your needs. Visit our Eligible Replacement Vehicles page to learn more about eligible vehicles, technology types, and resources to help your vehicle search.
Participants who receive funding from Clean Vehicle Assistance Program, Driving Clean Assistance Program, Clean Cars 4 All Sacramento, Clean Cars 4 All San Diego, Replace Your Ride, Tune-in & Tune-up, and Drive Clean in the San Joaquin, statewide Clean Cars 4 All, statewide Financing Assistance program, or any other program deemed ineligible to be combined, stacked or received in addition to CCFA by the Air District or the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are not eligible for the CCFA Program. Participants must retire their vehicle through Clean Cars for All and may not sell their vehicle, donate their vehicle, or receive funding by retiring the same vehicle through the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) or Vehicle Buy Back Program (VBB). Other programs may be able to stack with the Clean Cars for All Program, such as MCE’s, PG&E’s, Federal Income Tax Credit, and PCE’s EV Rebate programs. Please visit Access to see what other programs you may be eligible for.
No. Participants may submit one application per household and lifetime. Household is defined as all individuals included in the tax return submitted in the Clean Cars for All (CCFA) application, household individuals included in the income affidavit, or household individuals included in any other income verification documents. Participants may not receive more than one grant per vehicle owner or joint vehicle owner even if owners are not in the same household.
The Clean Cars for All program is open until available funds are exhausted. Applications are processed on a first come first served basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
No. Your vehicle must be brought to an authorized Clean Cars for All dismantler. Infinity Salvage, Pick-N-Pull, and Fernandes Auto Wrecking and Towing are currently the only authorized dismantlers participating in the Program.
Please contact cleancars@gridalternatives.org if the vehicle you purchased is not a right fit for you. Authorized dealerships provide a minimum 3-day return period for used vehicles. The dealership will specify the exact return-by date at the point of sale. Dealerships may have restrictions that may void the 3-day return period, such as a limit on miles driven or condition of vehicle.
Please contact cleancarsforall@baaqmd.gov immediately AND contact PEX immediately at 866-685-0898 to report lost, stolen, or damaged cards, as well as fraudulent charges.
Applicants can check the status of their application in the Air District’s Grantee Portal.
Email us at cleancars@gridalternatives.org or call 855-256-3656.
Upon approval, Participants will receive an email notification to download their Award Letter from their Fluxx account. Participants should bring a copy of their award letter to an authorized dealership and present it to the salesperson. The salesperson will then verify the authenticity of your award and, if a sale occurs, deduct the award amount from the total selling price. Participants are responsible for the any remaining balance. Grant funds are paid directly to the dealership, on behalf of the grantee. If you select the Mobility Option, Air District staff will issue a PEX public transit card directly to you.
Grants do not need to be repaid if Participants meet the program’s Terms & Conditions. To get a grant, you must first apply, receive approval, and then receive an award letter prior to purchasing an eligible vehicle along with complying with all program requirements throughout the program term. The grant will be given to the authorized dealership to lower the overall cost of the new or used clean vehicle.
No. You must apply, receive approval and then issued an award letter before you can purchase an eligible vehicle. A grant cannot be applied to a vehicle sale prior to the date when the award letter is issued.
After you receive and Award Letter and purchase your replacement vehicle or receive your mobility option, you will go to an authorized dismantler for a post-inspection. You must bring your completed pre-inspection checklist, blank post-inspection list, California driver's license, and certificate of title for your post-inspection. After the post-inspection, you are required to leave your old vehicle at the dismantler for scrapping. Donating the vehicle or selling the vehicle to the dismantler or retiring the vehicle through a different program, such as Vehicle Buy Back, Consumer Assistance Program, or Driving Clean Assistance Program, is prohibited.
No, but there are other programs, i.e. MCE’s, PG&E’s, and PCE’s EV Rebate programs, that do not require you to retire a prior owned vehicle. Please visit our Other Grants and Rebates page providing a comprehensive list of programs that require—or do not require—a vehicle to retire.
Yes, you can have a co-signer, but the participants' address and name (as shown on the Award Letter) must be listed on the sales or lease contract.
There is no limitation on the length of time required to own a qualifying vehicle before retiring it through the Clean Cars for All program. However, the vehicle must meet the operation requirements for the program. Please visit the Apply page to view the Proof of Operability requirements.
We determine the household size based on the number of dependents in your taxes; For example, if you have a roommate, but file as single and claim zero dependents in your federal tax filing, then you are a household size of one.
The Clean Cars for All grant is for personal use vehicle and does not support business purchases.
Dealerships conducting business within the boundaries of the BAAQMD and interested in joining the program can submit a Request for Qualification (RFQ). The process can take 2-4 weeks to enroll in a new dealership.
The RFQ is currently closed, but we anticipate reopening in the fall of 2024. If a dealership is interested in joining the program, please send an email demonstrating interest to cleancarsforall@baaqmd.gov. Once the RFQ reopens, we will notify interested parties and provide instructions on how to submit an RFQ.
After being awarded, you have 120 days (about 4 months) to purchase a clean vehicle. 30-day extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis.
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