The goal of the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District's buyback program is to retire older cars that produce more pollution than newer vehicles.
The goal of the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District's buyback program is to retire older cars that produce more pollution than newer vehicles. Credit: Steelhead Recyclers photo

The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District is now accepting vehicles from 2002 or older for its Old Car Buyback Program. 

Participants can now get $2,200 for their old cars. The district previously only accepted vehicles from 1997 or older for $1,000. 

Air Pollution Control District Executive Director Aeron Arlin Genet said the program’s goal is to retire older cars that produce more pollution than newer vehicles. 

“With the increased cost of used cars, these program changes are critical to entice people to retire their old, polluting vehicles and replace them with cars that use cleaner technology,” Genet said. “Cleaner cars mean better air quality in Santa Barbara County and throughout California.”

By paying participants more money, Genet said they hope residents can put the money toward a newer vehicle or bike, or use the money for public transportation.

The APCD has been accepting old cars since 1993 and has bought more than 8,000 vehicles from Santa Barbara County residents. 

Lyz Bantilan, APCD public information officer, said recent changes to the state guidelines allowed them to start accepting more vehicles for more money. 

“We’ve been seeing that used cars are expensive,” Bantilan said. “We’re hoping that increasing the payment amount for participation in this program might entice people to make that switch.”

Funding for the buyback program comes from vehicle registration fees that the state designates for local air control districts, Bantilan said.

To qualify for the buyback program, vehicles must be from 2002 or older and be registered in Santa Barbara County for the last two consecutive years. Additionally, vehicles must be smog certified and in working condition. 

After buying the cars, the APCD works with dismantlers that permanently destroy the vehicles. 

For questions regarding vehicle eligibility, residents can contact one of the dismantlers below:

— Noozhawk staff writer Rebecca Caraway can be reached at rcaraway@noozhawk.com.