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California vehicle donation

Donate a Car in California

That old car that keeps failing its California smog check has value as a donation - donating it funds commissary grants instead of sitting dead in the driveway. Free tow pickup anywhere in California - Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, and every town between.

Start Your DonationCall 855-500-RIDE

Reference facilities in California: San Quentin State Prison, Marin County · Folsom State Prison, Folsom

The need

Incarceration in California

2nd

largest state prison population in the nation

Source: The Sentencing Project

Largest

death row in the United States - more than 600 people

Source: Death Penalty Information Center

173,000+

California's prison population peaked above 173,000 in 2006 - by late 2025 it had fallen to its lowest point in more than 30 years

Source: Public Policy Institute of California

How it works

Three steps, start to finish

  1. 1

    Start online or by phone

    Begin with the donation link or call 855-500-RIDE. You give the year, make, model, and condition — nothing more. There is no donation form on this site.

  2. 2

    Free tow pickup

    A licensed tow operator schedules pickup in California. You sign the title, the driver collects the keys, and the tow costs you nothing — running or not.

  3. 3

    Proceeds fund commissary grants

    The vehicle is sold at auction. Net proceeds fund commissary grants through Soul Tribes International Ministries, and the sale is processed by CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services).

Start Your DonationCall 855-500-RIDE

California paperwork

Title transfer in California

Sign the California title over to the donation recipient, then file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (Form REG 138) with the DMV within five days of the transfer - online or by mail. Once recorded, liability for parking and traffic violations and civil litigation after the date of transfer becomes the recipient's responsibility, and the DMV stops mailing you renewal notices. The recipient completes the actual title transfer using the endorsed title.

Notarization
No - notarization is not required for a California title transfer.
Liens and paperwork
The donated vehicle must be lien-free at pickup. If a lienholder is listed on the title, the lender must sign a lien release on the title itself or provide a separate release letter before the donation can proceed. Consult your tax advisor about any tax questions; donations over $500 receive IRS Form 1098-C from the processor.

Consult your tax advisor. Vehicles over $500 receive IRS Form 1098-C from the processor.

Donor thank-you

A free hotel stay

Donors in California are eligible for a free hotel stay as a thank-you. The room rate is covered; the donor pays taxes and fees.

  • Room rate only — the donor pays all taxes and fees.
  • Activate the stay within 7 days of receiving it.
  • Travel must be completed within 18 months.
  • Recipient must be 21 or older.
  • One free hotel stay per household per 12 months.
Read the full free hotel stay terms →

All 150 California donation cities

Every city below has free tow pickup and its own California donation page.

Questions

California donation questions

How do I donate a car in California?

Start with the donation link or call 855-500-RIDE with the year, make, model, and condition of your vehicle. A licensed tow operator schedules free pickup. There is no donation form on this site — the process runs through CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services).

Where in California do you tow from?

Free tow pickup anywhere in California - Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, and every town between.

What does the California title transfer require?

Sign the California title over to the donation recipient, then file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (Form REG 138) with the DMV within five days of the transfer - online or by mail. Once recorded, liability for parking and traffic violations and civil litigation after the date of transfer becomes the recipient's responsibility, and the DMV stops mailing you renewal notices. The recipient completes the actual title transfer using the endorsed title.

Is a notary required in California?

No - notarization is not required for a California title transfer.

What if there is a lien on the title?

The donated vehicle must be lien-free at pickup. If a lienholder is listed on the title, the lender must sign a lien release on the title itself or provide a separate release letter before the donation can proceed. Consult your tax advisor about any tax questions; donations over $500 receive IRS Form 1098-C from the processor.

Who receives the proceeds?

Net proceeds from the auction sale fund commissary grants through Soul Tribes International Ministries. Impact figures are reported once verified.

Start Your DonationCall 855-500-RIDE

Start your California donation

Free tow pickup statewide, running or not. Net proceeds fund commissary grants.

Start Your DonationCall 855-500-RIDE