Local programs in each state that give away cars or help you buy one
Living without a reliable car makes almost everything harder. It is tough to get to work, to bring children to school, and to keep medical appointments, and in many towns there is no bus that goes where you need to go.
Local charities and nonprofit programs exist to help with this. Some repair donated cars and give them away, some sell dependable used vehicles at a very low price, and some make small loans to working people that banks have turned down. In a few places, county agencies may pay for costs that come with a vehicle, such as repairs, insurance, or license fees.
This page is a directory of those local and regional programs, organized by state. If the car you already own just needs to be fixed, the NHPB guide to getting a free car repair is a better place to start. National charities that take applications from any state are a separate topic, and those are covered in the NHPB guide to finding a free car.
Most of the organizations below are small. Cars are given out as donations come in, waiting lists are common, and many programs only take applicants who are referred by a caseworker or a partner agency rather than requests from the public. Read an entry closely before you call, because each program serves a specific area and a specific kind of situation.
Programs that work in more than one state
Most vehicle charities work in a single city or state, but Good News Garage (website: https://goodnewsgarage.org/programs/all-programs/) operates in more than one. It is a program of Ascentria Community Services, and its mechanics repair donated cars so the cars can be awarded to families who need a dependable way to get to work.
The awards run through partner agencies rather than an open application. In Vermont, cars go to families referred through the state's Reach Up program, and in Massachusetts, referrals come through MassAbility and community organizations the garage works with. If you live in one of those states, start with the caseworker or agency already helping you, because Good News Garage does not take requests directly from the public.
The organization has offices at 331A North Winooski Ave. in Burlington, Vermont (802-864-3667, toll-free 877-448-3288), at 325B Merrill St. in Manchester, New Hampshire (603-669-6937), and at 18 Chestnut St., Suite 410, in Worcester, Massachusetts (877-448-3288). The Burlington office also runs a local ride service in parts of Vermont.
Community action agencies are another place to ask, since a few of them may run vehicle programs of their own, and the guide to community action agencies by state on this site explains how to find the agency that covers your state and also local county.
A national network called Ways to Work supported car loan programs at family service agencies around the country. That network has evolved into more localized and regional options, so the NHPB guide to Ways to lending model explains what happened and which successor programs still make loans.
Free car and vehicle programs by state
The states below are in alphabetical order. Some states point to a separate NHPB page because there are enough programs there to fill one, and if your state does not appear at all, the section near the end of this page explains where to look.
Alabama
Caring Cars is run by the Family Services Center in Huntsville. When donated vehicles come available, the program matches them with families that have children at home and need a way to get to work, to school, and to medical appointments. Qualifying families are expected to have steady employment and no other working vehicle in the household.
Families do not receive the car for free. A family that cannot get a regular auto loan may be able to buy a vehicle through the program with no interest, with the monthly payment based on what the household earns. A down payment and proof of liability insurance are required.
The Family Services Center is at 520 Madison St. SE (Unit B) in Huntsville, and the phone number is 256-551-1610 with the website at https://fsc-hsv.org/. The program serves the greater Huntsville area.
California
Contra Costa County runs an auto loan program called KEYS for employed people in the CalWORKs program who have trouble getting a car loan anywhere else. There is no walk-in or direct application. The only way into the program is a referral from your EHSD case manager, so if you receive CalWORKs in Contra Costa County, that is the person to ask.
The county looks for a valid driver's license in good standing, consistent work with the same employer in recent months, and a completed loan packet. Credit is reviewed, but the program exists for people who cannot qualify for a loan on their own. Cars financed through the program are inspected by a certified mechanic at no cost, and budgeting help and car maintenance guidance come with it.
Whether loans can be made depends on county funding at the time. The program information line is 925-608-5869 and website is https://ehsd.org/benefit-programs/transportation/.
The Salvation Army also operates throughout California, and some local corps may be able to help with transportation needs when funds allow. TheNHPB guide to Salvation Army assistance in California explains what may be offered and how to ask.
Colorado
SparkHope Automotive in Aurora (formerly Good Neighbor Garage) and its vehicle placement program is a possibility. Donated cars are repaired by certified mechanics and placed with single mothers and widows in the Denver area who are working, in school or job training, or receiving Social Security or disability benefits.
You cannot apply on your own. A direct referral from a nonprofit partner or a caseworker is required, so the starting point is the organization or caseworker already helping you.
The cars are not free. Each placement carries a fee set on a sliding scale, paid in full rather than in installments. Applicants need a valid Colorado license, a copy of their current driving record, insurance in place before the purchase, and no recent impaired-driving offenses. The placed car must be the household's only vehicle, so anyone who already owns one is expected to turn it in.
Applications open and close during the year, so ask whether requests are currently being taken. SparkHope Automotive is at 16097 S. Golden Rd. in Golden, and the phone number is 720-941-5897. Reduced-cost repairs may also be available to single women in Jefferson County.
Florida
Florida has enough programs of its own that they are covered on a separate page. The NHPB guide to free cars in Florida lists the charities and programs operating in the state and how to contact them.
Georgia
Vehicle programs in Georgia are described on their own page rather than here. Start with the NHPB guide to free car programs in Georgia to see which organizations work in the state.
Illinois
Cars of Hope is a small charity run entirely by volunteers in the western suburbs of Chicago, based in the Naperville area. Donated vehicles are repaired and given to families in those suburbs who have fallen on hard times and need a car to get to work and get their children where they need to be.
Families do not apply directly. Cars of Hope gives cars to people sponsored by its partner social service agencies, so if a shelter, church, or family services organization is already helping you, ask them to complete an application for you. The phone number is 224-216-2277 or see https://carsofhope.org/.
The C.A.R.S. Ministry at Willow Creek Community Church serves the Chicagoland area from South Barrington. Its main day-to-day service is car inspections and repairs performed by volunteer mechanics for guests who qualify based on income, and guests pay only for parts. Donated cars are sometimes given to qualified individuals as well, though repairs are the ministry's primary work.
Requests start with a meeting with the church's Care Team, in person or by phone, to go over your situation. Help is available in English and Spanish, and the ministry does not take on transmissions, engines, head gaskets, or body work. The address is 67 Algonquin Rd., Entrance G, South Barrington, and the phone number is 224-512-2600. Website is https://www.willowcreek.org/compassion-justice/local-outreach-opportunities-old/cars-ministry.
Indiana
Cars for Keeps serves Tippecanoe County and the counties around it from its base near Lafayette. The program leases vehicles at no interest to working people, with the monthly payment sized to fit the person's income, and the person owns the car outright when the lease ends.
It is built for people working their way out of poverty rather than for households with no income. Applicants need steady employment with their current employer, a valid Indiana driver's license, at least a year living in the area, and completion of a basic budgeting class. A credit check is part of the process, but the program accepts credit histories that a regular lender would turn down, and household income limits apply.
Cars for Keeps can be reached at 765-588-3436 on weekdays or through https://carsforkeeps.org/. The mailing address is PO Box 327, Battleground, IN 47920.
Kentucky
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky runs a statewide program called Cars to Work. Donated vehicles are sold at auction, and the money supports a program that helps working Kentuckians who cannot get a regular auto loan buy an affordable car at prices and interest rates lower than a typical used car lot. Financial education and coaching are part of the program.
Some parts of it, such as help with a down payment, may be limited to people who are already Goodwill clients or employees. In general, applicants need to be adults with a valid Kentucky driver's license, a Social Security card, and steady verifiable income from a job or another approved source.
Call Goodwill Kentucky at 866-654-2277 to ask what Cars to Work currently offers and whether you qualify. The program is based in Louisville and works with people across the state. Website is https://goodwillky.org/.
Maryland
Vehicles for Change is a Baltimore-area nonprofit. It takes donated cars, has them repaired by certified master mechanics, and awards them to qualified low-income Maryland families for an affordable program fee. When financing is needed, the organization arranges it through partner banks, and the loan is guaranteed regardless of the person's credit history.
You cannot apply to Vehicles for Change on your own. Applications come only through sponsoring partner agencies, such as social service offices, workforce programs, and shelters, and the caseworker submits the paperwork. If an agency like that is helping you anywhere in Maryland, ask whether they partner with Vehicles for Change.
Qualifying involves a Maryland license with a clean recent driving record, current employment or a firm job offer, household income limits, no vehicle already in your name, and the ability to keep up with insurance and the ongoing costs of ownership. The program serves Maryland residents only. The organization also runs a low-cost used car lot in Halethorpe that is open to the public.
It is also worth asking your county department of social services about vehicle-related help. Some counties may have small funds or programs tied to work requirements, and the caseworkers at the county office are the people who know what exists where you live. See the NHPB Vehicles for Change guide to learn more about the program.
Massachusetts
Second Chance Cars awards affordable used vehicles to working people in Massachusetts, with a focus on veterans, people returning to the community after incarceration, and single parents. Donated cars are refurbished by students at partner vocational schools and then matched to applicants who have been screened.
- Candidates come through the social service agencies the organization works with, so the usual path in is a caseworker or program staff member who can put your name forward. The organization is based in Concord and does most of its work in eastern Massachusetts.
The office is at 1211 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Concord, MA 01742, and the phone number is 978-254-7545 or website https://secondchancecars.org/.
Good News Garage also awards cars in Massachusetts through agency referrals. That program is covered earlier on this page with the other organizations that work in more than one state.
Michigan
Charity Motors in Detroit sells donated vehicles at half of their price to buyers who qualify based on income, with proof through benefits such as WIC, Medicaid, or SSDI, or through income records. It is a purchase program rather than a giveaway. Once approved, a buyer receives a low-income buyer number good for one year and uses it to buy a car at the organization's lot or auctions.
The car lot is at 10431 Grand River in Detroit, and the phone numbers are 313-933-4000 and 888-908-2277. Website is https://www.charitymotors.org/. Call first to confirm what is currently available and how to get approved.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services can in some cases help with vehicle costs through Direct Support Services, which are tied to getting or keeping a job. What is covered changes with funding from year to year, so the way to find out is to ask your MDHHS caseworker what is available right now.
Workers on Wheels is run by Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan out of Kalamazoo. Donated cars are inspected and offered at affordable prices to people in the region who need a vehicle to find work or keep a job, and cars that are not suitable are sold to fund Goodwill's education and job programs. Call 269-382-0490 to ask what is currently offered or see https://goodwillswmi.org/.
Families in Detroit and the rest of Wayne County also have a page of their own. The NHPB guide to free car programs in Wayne County covers programs that focus on that area.
Minnesota
The Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties runs a Car Ownership Program from St. Paul. The program makes small, low-interest car loans and guides people through the car-buying process. It exists for residents of the two counties who cannot get a loan at a reasonable rate anywhere else because of thin credit, limited income, or a short work history.
Getting a loan involves meeting with a program coordinator, completing a financial education class, and an interview that includes a credit and budget review. Applicants need steady recent work, a valid Minnesota license, and proof of insurance before the loan closes. The office is at 450 Syndicate St. N, Suite 370, St. Paul, and the program line is 651-603-5880.
Newgate School in Minneapolis runs Wheels for Women. The school trains adults in auto mechanics at no tuition, its students refurbish donated cars, and those cars are given at no cost to working single mothers in the Twin Cities metro area. Qualifying involves being a single mother with children at home, steady work, a valid Minnesota license, at least a year living in the metro area, no vehicle already available to the household, and household income limits.
Applications are taken online only, through https://www.newgateschool.org/, and a selection committee matches qualified applicants with the vehicles that come available. The school is at 2900 E. Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis, and the phone number is 612-378-0177.
Auto Technical, Inc. in St. Paul gives reconditioned donated cars to people referred by a short, fixed list of partner organizations, including a domestic violence shelter network, workforce training programs, and a center serving torture survivors. Because the number of cars is limited, the organization does not take requests from the general public. If you are a client of one of its partners, your caseworker can make the referral.
Wheel Get There is run by the Minnesota Valley Action Council in Mankato, the community action agency for south-central Minnesota. The program takes donated cars and sells them at low cost to low-income adults in its service area, and referrals from the agency's own staff come first. Most of the cars need some work, so they suit people who can make repairs themselves or know someone who can.
Available cars are posted as they come in, and buyers pay in full at the time of purchase with proof of insurance and a state ID. The office is at 706 N. Victory Dr. in Mankato, and the Wheel Get There line is 507-345-0446 or see https://www.mnvac.org/.
Minnesota also has a statewide matched savings program called FAIM, short for Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota, and buying a personal vehicle is one of the goals a person can save toward. Participants with earned income and a low household income put money aside regularly, the program adds matching money, and the combined amount is paid directly to the seller when the goal is reached. Financial classes and coaching are part of the program.
FAIM runs through local partner agencies, mostly community action agencies, and enrollment opens and closes with grant funding. Contact your local community action agency and ask whether FAIM enrollment is open and whether the vehicle track is offered where you live.
Mississippi
In southern Mississippi, Catholic Charities is one of the main organizations families turn to for emergency help. The NHPB guide to Catholic Charities in southern Mississippi describes the assistance they may offer and how to reach them.
Missouri
Cars 4 Heroes gives away donated vehicles, and it grew out of a long-running Kansas City program called Cars 4 Christmas. Most of the cars go to veterans, active-duty military members, first responders, and their families who cannot get transportation on their own, and around the holidays the giveaways widen to other families going through hard times.
Kansas City is where the organization is strongest, and cars are awarded there throughout the year. Requests are made through the application on https://cars4heroes.org/, and recipients are chosen from the applications received, so applying does not guarantee a car.
New Jersey
Cars for Success is a program of Strengthen Our Sisters, a shelter organization in Passaic County that has served homeless women and survivors of domestic violence for decades. Donated cars are passed along to women the organization is helping, so a mother leaving a shelter or the welfare system has a way to get to a job.
Referrals come through the shelter itself and through other organizations a woman may already be working with, such as domestic violence programs, job training programs, and county welfare offices. The number of cars depends entirely on what has been donated, so there can be a wait. The phone number is 973-831-0898.
NORWESCAP, the community action agency for northwestern New Jersey, runs a Family Loan Program that includes small loans for buying a car and for car repairs or insurance. The loans are made through partner banks and credit unions for working residents of the agency's five-county service area who cannot get approved elsewhere because of thin or damaged credit.
Applicants are expected to have steady work, fall within household income limits, and complete financial counseling workshops along the way. Call the agency in Phillipsburg at 908-454-7000 and ask about the Family Loan Program. The NHPB guide to NORWESCAP assistance programs covers the agency's other help with bills, food, and housing.
New York
New York does not have one statewide program that gives out cars. What the state does have is dedicated funding that some county departments of social services use to help people on public assistance solve the transportation problems keeping them from a job. Depending on the county and the year, that help has covered car repairs, license and registration fees, insurance costs, driver education, and in some places loan programs for buying a vehicle.
Not every county takes part, and what is offered changes as funding changes. If you receive Temporary Assistance (website: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/temporary-assistance/) or are applying for it, tell the caseworker at your county department of social services that transportation is the thing keeping you from working, and ask what the county can do. In New York City, ask the worker handling your cash assistance case the same question.
North Carolina
Families in North Carolina should go straight to the NHPB guide to free car programs in North Carolina, which covers the organizations serving that state.
Ohio
ChangingGears is a Cincinnati nonprofit that helps working people get a car, keep a car running, and in some cases train for a job fixing cars. Donated vehicles are restored in its shop and sold at an affordable price to people whose income fits the program's limits, so this is a low-cost purchase rather than a giveaway.
The same shop offers repairs at a lower cost than a typical garage for people who already own a vehicle, and a free training program prepares students for automotive technician jobs in about a month. To become a client for any of these programs, start at https://changing-gears.org/ or call 513-357-2004. The shop is at 2015 Central Avenue in Cincinnati.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is covered separately. The NHPB guide to free cars in Oklahoma walks through the programs available in that state.
Oregon
In Portland, Metropolitan Family Service runs a car loan program that grew out of the old Ways to Work network. The program now centers on electric cars, plug-in hybrids, regular hybrids, and electric bikes. Working Portland residents who fall within income limits can get a loan at a lower interest rate than they could find on their own, along with help claiming the rebates and incentives that bring the price down, financial coaching, and help picking out a dependable vehicle.
The loans the program once made for regular gas-powered cars are on hold, and the organization says it does not have a timeline for bringing them back. Qualifying involves steady work, an Oregon driver's license, household income limits, and enough room in the budget for the payment and full insurance coverage. Contact Metropolitan Family Service at 503-232-0007, or see https://www.mfspdx.org/, and ask about Portland Electric Ways to Work.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a page of its own. The NHPB guide to free car programs in Pennsylvania is the place to look for help in that state.
South Carolina
For South Carolina, the details live on the NHPB guide to getting a free car in South Carolina, which describes the ministries and charities working there.
South Dakota
Sioux Empire Wheels to Work has matched donated cars with single-parent families in the Sioux Falls area for around two decades. The families who qualify are single parents who work or attend school full time, meet income guidelines, and have no dependable vehicle of their own. Cars are given at no charge as donations come in, which means one is not always available.
The organization also keeps a small repair fund that can pay for a one-time minor repair when a qualifying family's own vehicle breaks down. Applications are taken over the phone at 605-941-4318. The office is at 5400 W. 57th St. in Sioux Falls, and the program serves Minnehaha and Lincoln counties.
Tennessee
Tennessee readers can find the programs serving their state in the NHPB guide to free vehicle programs in Tennessee.
Texas
Houston and Harris County have a page of their own, and families there should start with the NHPB guide to free car programs in Houston, which focuses on the charities working in that part of the state.
Elsewhere in Texas, On the Road Lending is a Dallas-based nonprofit that finances cars for people banks turn away. Instead of judging an application mostly on a credit score, the organization looks at the person's situation, helps them choose a dependable used car, and makes an affordable loan that is paid back over time. Financial education and one-on-one support come with the loan through the organization's nonprofit arm.
This is a loan that must be repaid, not a giveaway, and it suits someone with steady income whose main obstacle is a poor or thin credit history. On the Road Lending works in Texas and a few other states. Start at https://ontheroadlending.org/..
Vermont
Vermont families are served mainly through Good News Garage, whose car awards in the state run on referrals from the Reach Up program, so the starting point is the caseworker handling your Reach Up case. Details on that program, including the Burlington office contact, are in the multi-state section at the start of this page.
Capstone Community Action, the community action agency based in Barre, has also run vehicle purchase incentive programs and other transportation help for Vermonters with lower incomes. Those programs change as state funding changes, so the practical step is to contact Capstone through https://capstonevt.org/ and ask what transportation help is open right now.
Virginia
Virginia is handled on a page of its own. The NHPB guide to free cars in Virginia explains what is available to families in that state.
West Virginia
Good News Mountaineer Garage takes donated vehicles that can be repaired, fixes them, and gives them to low-income West Virginia families who need transportation to hold a job. It is an independent West Virginia nonprofit, and despite the similar name it is not connected to the Good News Garage described earlier on this page.
There are two main paths into the program. Families in WV Works, which is the state's cash assistance program for families with children, can be referred for a vehicle, and West Virginians taking part in the Jobs & Hope recovery program have a pathway of their own. The organization also helps people work toward buying a car themselves, with support on loan applications and credit education.
The administrative office is at 1637 4th Avenue in Charleston, and the phone number is 304-344-8445. A regional office at 10365 Veterans Memorial Highway in Masontown can be reached at 304-980-2084 or see https://www.goodnewsmountaineergarage.org/. The garage serves West Virginia residents.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin programs are gathered on the NHPB guide to a free car in Wisconsin for low-income families rather than listed here.
If your state is not listed here
In some states, we could not confirm a single local program that is still giving out or financing cars, and in others the only options are small and fill up quickly. That does not mean nothing exists where you live. It often means the groups doing this work are too small or too new to show up in directories.
One place to start is 211, the free information line that most communities have. The people who answer keep track of local charities, and they can tell you whether any group in your county works with vehicles.
If you receive government benefits, including cash assistance, SNAP, or help from a workforce program, tell the person handling your case that a lack of transportation is standing between you and steady work. Many states allow their employment funds to be spent on car repairs, license and registration costs, insurance, or in some places the vehicle itself, and your caseworker will know whether yours is one of them.
Churches and local ministries are worth asking as well, since some congregations receive donated cars and pass them along to families they know. Trade schools that teach auto repair are another place to check, because a few of them fix up donated vehicles as part of the training and place the finished cars with local families.
Ask users of the NHPB moderated forum. If you want other suggestions, to ask a question or to try to help someone else locate a vehicle, try the forum thread on possible free car programs. All content is moderated and it may be another way to find the car you need.
And if the real need is a ride to work, help with gas, or a bus pass rather than a car of your own, the NHPB guide to transportation assistance programs walks through those options.
Watch out for free car scams
Scammers go after people who are searching for a free car, partly because the real programs are so scarce. A legitimate charity, dealership, or government office will never ask you to pay a fee, a deposit, or a shipping charge to apply for a car or to claim one. If anyone asks for money up front, especially by gift card or wire transfer, walk away.
Be suspicious of any message on social media saying you won a vehicle or were chosen to receive one. Almost every legitimate program on this page selects people through caseworker referrals or a formal application, and a prize notice from a group you never applied to is a scam.
Old listings for vehicle charities also go stale. Small organizations close, and when one closes, its web address can be bought by someone unrelated, so a link that led to a real charity a few years ago may now lead to a gambling site or a page of ads. Before you type personal information into any website, call the organization's phone number and make sure you have reached the actual program.
When you are not sure about a group, ask a librarian, a school counselor, or a caseworker at a charity you already trust, because the people who do this work locally tend to know which programs are real. The guide on how to avoid scams around financial help describes the common tricks in more detail.
Phone numbers, requirements, and funding for these programs change often. Everything here was checked recently, but call an organization and confirm its current rules before you count on the help or share personal information.
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