Where to Donate Car Seats: Who Takes Them and Who Doesn’t

Most people searching for where to donate car seats find that the answer is narrower than expected. Target runs a trade-in event that recycles any old car seat, Goodwill says its donation rules vary by location, and the safety agencies say a seat that was in a moderate or severe crash, is too old or has been recalled should not be passed on at all. This guide sorts out which seats can still be handed to someone, which are better recycled, and what to do with the rest, using NHTSA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Safe Kids Worldwide and Target’s own pages, all read on October 25, 2026.

Where Car Seat Donations Are Actually Accepted

Start with a plain fact: the official pages read for this guide do not name any charity that says it takes used car seats. What they do describe is two routes. Safe Kids Worldwide says that when your child outgrows a seat you can give it to someone you know, as long as it has all its original parts, labels and instructions. Target’s trade-in event takes old seats for recycling. Everything else, including thrift stores, shelters and local groups, depends on that organization’s own current policy, so ask it directly before loading the car.

The American Academy of Pediatrics adds a caution that applies to any handoff: avoid used car seats if you do not know the seat’s history.

Why Not Every Car Seat Can Be Donated

Safety rules decide what can leave your house, and they apply to anyone who might receive the seat. NHTSA’s used car seat checklist says a second-hand seat may be okay to use only if it has never been in a moderate to severe crash, has labels with the date of manufacture and model number, has no recalls, has all its parts and has its instruction book. The table below puts the sources side by side.

Seat condition	What the source says	Source
Moderate or severe crash	Never use a seat that has been in one; NHTSA recommends replacing it	NHTSA’s car-seat-use-after-a-crash page
Minor crash	Not automatically replaced if all five NHTSA minor-crash conditions are true; AAP notes some makers recommend replacement after any crash	NHTSA, AAP HealthyChildren
Too old or past its expiry	Never use a seat that is too old; check the manufacture-date label and ask the maker how long it recommends using the seat	AAP HealthyChildren
Missing date or model label	Without them the recall status cannot be checked; AAP says a missing label can also signal a counterfeit seat	AAP HealthyChildren, NHTSA
Recalled	Contact the manufacturer, since some problems can be fixed; do not use a recalled seat	NHTSA, AAP HealthyChildren
Visible cracks	Never use a seat with visible cracks	AAP HealthyChildren
Missing parts or manual	Contact the manufacturer; parts and manuals can be ordered	NHTSA, AAP HealthyChildren

NHTSA defines a minor crash as one where the vehicle could be driven away, the door nearest the seat was not damaged, no one was injured, any airbags did not deploy and there is no visible damage to the seat. NHTSA says to replace a seat after a moderate or severe crash and says a seat does not automatically need replacing after a minor one.

How to Check Whether Your Seat Is Still Usable

Run through the list in order:

• Find the label with the date of manufacture and model number. AAP says that without it you cannot check whether the seat has been recalled.
• Ask the manufacturer how long it recommends using the seat, then compare that with the manufacture date. Safe Kids says the expiration date can be on the label or imprinted on the plastic.
• Check for recalls. AAP says to call the manufacturer or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, or visit the NHTSA website.
• Think back on the seat’s history. A moderate or severe crash rules it out.
• Confirm it has every part and its instruction book.

For the expiration step, this site has a guide to car seat expiration dates and a note on where to find the date on the seat. Crash questions are covered in car seat replacement after an accident.

Retail Trade-In and Recycling Programs

Target is the program people ask about most. Its Target fact sheet updated September 9, 2026 says the Car Seat Trade-In event returned for its 10th year, running September 20 through October 3, 2026, and that guests can bring any old car seat to a participating Target store and receive a 20% Target Circle bonus to use on new baby gear. As of October 25, 2026 that event has ended, and the page read does not give dates for the next one. Target describes the event as a way to recycle an old car seat, not to donate it, and says the recovered materials are turned into other products.

Target’s fact sheet says the program has recycled more than 3.8 million car seats to date and kept more than 63.7 million pounds of materials out of landfills. The practical point is that a trade-in does not pass your seat to another family. It is the route for the seats the table above rules out. For timing, see when the next Target car seat trade-in is expected and how often Target runs it, and whether Target takes expired seats.

This guide does not cover Walmart or other retailers, because a current official program page was not available to read. Check the retailer’s own site for dates and rules.

Do Goodwill and Salvation Army Take Car Seats?

Both are common first guesses, and both leave the decision to the local location. Goodwill’s donate-goods page says what you can bring depends on the Goodwill organization you donate to, and it gives mattresses as one example of an item many locations do not accept. It does not mention car seats. The Salvation Army acceptable-items page read, a local Joplin, Missouri corps page, lists clothing, household items and furniture and does not list car seats. Call or check the local donation center’s page before you go.

Which Organizations Accept Car Seats? Quick Reference

Route	What its own page says	Date read
Target Car Seat Trade-In	Any old car seat, 20% Target Circle bonus, Sept 20 to Oct 3, 2026; described as recycling	Oct 25, 2026
Someone you know	Safe Kids: give the seat only with all original parts, labels and instructions; not if it was in a crash or is missing parts	Oct 25, 2026
Goodwill	Rules vary by location; car seats not mentioned	Oct 25, 2026
Salvation Army	Local list read does not include car seats	Oct 25, 2026
Expired or unsafe seat	Safe Kids: take it apart and put the pieces in separate dark trash bags	Oct 25, 2026

How to Prepare Your Car Seat for Donation

Preparation is mostly gathering what the safety pages say a receiver needs. Keep the original parts together, the manufacture-date and model label legible, and the instruction book with the seat. NHTSA says a missing instruction book can be ordered from the manufacturer, and AAP says to follow the manufacturer’s directions when cleaning a seat, adding that cleaning without disinfecting is usually best because disinfectant products may reduce the protection of the seat and harness.

If you are carrying the seat to a drop-off or a trade-in, the travel bag in the box above is one option; the product listing is the only source for its details.

What to Do With a Seat That Cannot Be Donated

Per Safe Kids, if a car seat has expired or is unsafe, take it apart and put the pieces in separate dark trash bags to prevent someone else from using it. If a Target trade-in event is running, the fact sheet says guests can bring any old car seat. For more disposal options, see what to do with expired car seats and what to do with old car seats. If a seat was in a moderate or severe crash, Safe Kids Worldwide’s car seat tip says to throw it away and NHTSA says never to use it.

Selling is another way a seat changes hands, and the same checklist applies; see whether you can sell a used car seat. When you are shopping for the replacement, our child car seat picks is a starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Anyone Take Old Car Seats?

Target’s fall 2026 trade-in event invited guests to bring any old car seat to a participating store from September 20 through October 3, 2026, and Target describes the event as recycling. The pages used for this guide name no charity that states it takes used seats, so ask any organization whether it takes them before you go.

Can Car Seats Be Donated To Goodwill?

Goodwill’s donate-goods page says donation rules vary by location and tells you to contact your local Goodwill about its policies. That page does not list car seats either way, so the answer for your seat is a call or visit to your local Goodwill.

Does The Salvation Army Accept Car Seats?

The Salvation Army acceptable-items page read for this guide (a Joplin, Missouri corps page) lists clothing, domestics, household items, furniture, working appliances and some media, and does not list car seats. Local locations set their own lists, so confirm with yours.

Does Target Give Money For Old Car Seats?

Target’s fact sheet describes the reward as a 20% Target Circle bonus to use on new baby gear and does not mention cash. The fall 2026 event ran September 20 through October 3, 2026.

What Can I Do With All My Car Seats?

Sort them using the checklist in this guide. Safe Kids says a seat with all its original parts, labels and instructions can be given to someone you know, and a seat that has expired or is unsafe should be taken apart and bagged so no one else can use it. A seat that was in a moderate or severe crash should not be reused, per NHTSA.

Conclusion

Where to donate car seats comes down to the seat, not the charity. A seat with every part, a readable label, no recalls, no crash history and time left before its expiry can go to someone you know, per Safe Kids. Anything else belongs in recycling or, if no program is running, should be taken apart and bagged. Target’s fall 2026 trade-in has ended, so check its site for the next dates. This guide does not cover Walmart or other retail programs, local charities, or any rules in your state.