How your car donations help veterans

It’s easy, fun, free and secure! We convert the car into cash, which becomes a welcome donation to DAV. Your gift qualifies for a tax deduction, and you avoid the cost and hassle of repairing or selling a car you no longer want.

All vehicles are considered. We strive to accept any vehicle – cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, boats, airplanes, heavy equipment, farm machinery, and most other motorized vehicles – anywhere, running or not. Call us toll free at 833-CAR-4DAV (833-227-4328) seven days a week or submit a form online to find out if we can accept your vehicle.

Yes! We can accept most vehicles, running or not. However, it must be in one piece, have an engine, be tow truck accessible and towable. No smog certificate is necessary. To find out if we can accept your vehicle, please complete our secure online donation form or call us toll-free at 833-CAR-4DAV (833-227-4328) seven days a week during regular hours of operation.

In most states, you will need the clear title to the vehicle— but if you do not have it, or have problems with your title, please call us anyway. It is possible that other arrangements may be made. Any lien holder listed on the title must be cleared and or released by the bank. Please refer to the Motor Vehicle Division in your state for clear instructions. We are also available seven days a week during regular hours of operation. Please call us toll-free at 833-CAR-4DAV (833-227-4328).

No. There is no cost to the donor. All expenses are deducted from the gross sales price, and if the costs ever exceed the price, those costs are covered.

In most cases, once the donation record has been created, we can schedule the vehicle to be picked up on the initial call. In other cases, we will contact you within two to three business days to schedule a convenient appointment time with one of our preferred vendors. If you need your car picked up sooner, please let one of our vehicle donor support representatives know during your initial call. We will do our best to accommodate your time frame.

We have multiple sales outlets and work hard to find the best buyer for each vehicle. The entire sale process may take up to 4-12 weeks. The net cash proceeds from your generous vehicle donation are sent to DAV within 5 business days upon the receipt of the sale proceeds from CARS auction or direct buyer providers.

Donated vehicles are sold through the used-car markets and provide crucial funding for DAV programs. We work with a very large network of nationwide and independent suppliers, as well as analyze vendor pricing and performance on a regular basis to improve the process, ensure the best possible return, and maximize the donor’s tax benefit. For unique or specialty items that have been donated, we may use other means to sell the vehicle to help ensure the maximum funds are received for each donation.

We are available seven days a week. Please call 833-CAR-4DAV (833-227-4328) or email [email protected] to get the answers to your questions.

The amount of money DAV receives will depend on the age and condition of the vehicle. The actual costs of towing, title transfer and handling will be deducted with the net proceeds being sent to DAV.

CARS, Inc. (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) runs the DAV Vehicle Donation Program. CARS is an ISO 9001 certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Diego that operates under the governance of an independent board of directors and specializes in vehicle donation services for other nonprofits. CARS follows governmental compliance with all IRS and state regulations concerning vehicle donation programs, fundraising registrations, and charitable receipting requirements throughout all 50 states and Canada, as required. CARS has also maintained an A+ Better Business Bureau rating for over 10 years.

Yes! Your vehicle donation is tax-deductible. Individual tax situations vary, so please check with a tax professional to determine how you may benefit.

Most vehicles are sold through local auctions and we work to get the highest return per vehicle for you and DAV. According to the IRS Guidelines, you may claim fair market value for your donation: “Fair market value is the price a willing buyer would pay and a willing seller would accept…” However, if your vehicle is sold for more than $500, the maximum amount of your deduction will be the sales price of the vehicle.

The “fair market value” of a vehicle is the price that you could sell it for in its current condition to another individual, willing seller and willing buyer, and it represents the cash that you forgo to make the donation. A convenient source of this information is the private party sale value as shown in online valuation guides such as Kelley Blue Book.

DAV’s Vehicle Donation Program must file Form 1098-C with the IRS for all vehicle donations, including your Social Security number and the vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). DAV’s Vehicle Donation Program gives no tax advice. It is solely your responsibility to report vehicle value and tax status. For more information about tax deduction for vehicle donation please refer to the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov.

You will receive an initial donation receipt from the tow driver at the time of your vehicle pick-up. This initial acknowledgement will indicate your name as well as the year, make, model and condition of the vehicle you are donating. You will then be mailed a tax receipt within 30 days of the sale of the vehicle. This will be your only receipt if your vehicle sells for less than $500.

If your vehicle sells for more than $500 and your tax identification number has been provided, an IRS Form 1098-C, ‘Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes’, will be mailed to you within 30 days of the sale stating the amount of gross proceeds received from your donation. Individual tax situations vary. For specific tax-related questions, please consult your tax advisor or refer to IRS Publication 4303.

You will receive a donation receipt from the driver during your pick-up. If your vehicle sells for more than $500, you’ll receive a 1098-C. If you never received your receipt or would like a replacement, please call us at 833-CAR-4DAV (833-227-4328) during regular hours of operation and we would be happy to help you.

This vehicle donation program protects the privacy of donors. Donor information is not given to any organization except the IRS as required by law and DAV policy. Donor names, addresses, excluding Social Security Numbers, are shared exclusively with the donor-designated organization. Social Security Numbers required under the current tax law for vehicle donations are only shared with the IRS. Social Security Numbers are maintained away from other data on a special high-security server not connected to the Internet.

The steps needed to complete a release of a donor’s liability for their donated vehicle vary by state. Each Donor Service Representative is equipped with a 50-state guide for the steps necessary in each state and will advise the donor of these steps during the donation process.

Charitable Adult Rides & Services, Inc (CARS) is licensed and bonded as required to meet all legal qualifications to operate in all states, The District of Columbia, and in Canada as required. CARS follows governmental compliance with all IRS and state regulations concerning vehicle donation programs, fundraising registrations, and charitable receipting requirements.

The CARS program protects donors and fully indemnifies organizations. The logos, names, and indices of the DAV Vehicle Donation Program, (CARS) and other companies used on the site are protected by the copyright and trademark laws of the United States.

To ensure compliance with all registration requirements, CARS works with a nationally recognized law firm that represents nonprofit organizations, professional fundraisers, and commercial telemarketers — in the areas of nonprofit registration, regulation, charitable solicitation, commercial telemarketing, and fundraising. CARS headquarter office is located at 4669 Murphy Canyon Road Suite #200, San Diego, California 92123.