Wait time for California DMV carpool stickers?

[okdl]

My Leaf comes with a white sticker installed when I got it from the dealership, anyone know if I can start using HOV lane right away, or do I still have to wait for my license plate comes in, register the sticker before I can drive on the HOV lane?

[mwalsh]

My Leaf comes with a white sticker installed when I got it from the dealership, anyone know if I can start using HOV lane right away, or do I still have to wait for my license plate comes in, register the sticker before I can drive on the HOV lane?

So long as the decals are on your car AND you have the DMV document that ties them to your VIN number, you're fine with using the HOV lane. No need for plates.

[okdl]

My Leaf comes with a white sticker installed when I got it from the dealership, anyone know if I can start using HOV lane right away, or do I still have to wait for my license plate comes in, register the sticker before I can drive on the HOV lane?

So long as the decals are on your car AND you have the DMV document that ties them to your VIN number, you're fine with using the HOV lane. No need for plates.

Thanks for your response, mwalsh. Will the temporary DMV registration from the dealership (the one that dealer put on your windshield with a clear sticker) qualify as such DMV document?

[mwalsh]

Thanks for your response, mwalsh. Will the temporary DMV registration from the dealership (the one that dealer put on your windshield with a clear sticker) qualify as such DMV document?

No. The decals traditionally have come with their own paperwork. See the (redacted) copy of mine below.

Now, for both my cars I had to get the decals myself. This dealer application process has only been in effect since August of last year, so things may be a bit different with it. But I think I would ask your dealer if he/she knows if there is supposed to be this documentation and if they should give it to you or if you're supposed to get it by mail.

If you need to wait on it being mailed, it's up to you whether you want to risk the HOV lane and the possibility a cop who maybe doesn't feel like being nice (it's a big fine for that particular ticket).

[okdl]

Thanks for your response, mwalsh. Will the temporary DMV registration from the dealership (the one that dealer put on your windshield with a clear sticker) qualify as such DMV document?

No. The decals traditionally have come with their own paperwork. See the (redacted) copy of mine below.

Thanks mwalsh, you are a life saver - called dealer and was able to ask them to locate this document (which they were supposed to hand to me when I got the car).

[srl99]

My Leaf comes with a white sticker installed when I got it from the dealership, anyone know if I can start using HOV lane right away, or do I still have to wait for my license plate comes in, register the sticker before I can drive on the HOV lane?

So long as the decals are on your car AND you have the DMV document that ties them to your VIN number, you're fine with using the HOV lane. No need for plates.

Check this! I saw CHP pull over a LEAF with HOV stickers but no plates yesterday. There didn't seem to be any other reason to pull over the LEAF which was in the carpool lane of an on-ramp, while the CHP was in a non-carpool lane of the same ramp.

[mwalsh]

Check this! I saw CHP pull over a LEAF with HOV stickers but no plates yesterday. There didn't seem to be any other reason to pull over the LEAF which was in the carpool lane of an on-ramp, while the CHP was in a non-carpool lane of the same ramp.

I've had this sort of happen before. The white decals only call for placement on the rear of the car, where the green ones come with a front sticker. It makes it harder for CHP officers to identify cars they don't recognize to be compliant from the front.

In my case, it was a motorcycle officer who was perched at the top of the ramp. He saw me coming, started to mount up, and then changed his mind once he saw the rear of my car. In the instance you note, I'm guessing the CHP officer decided that once he had committed to pulling this guy over, he was going to do it no matter what. Which is why it's so important to carry the decal certificate in the car with you.

[srl99]

From the CA DMV HOV page https://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm :

26. Q: If I am stopped by law enforcement, what documentation do I need to show the officer for my CAV decals?

A: You must present your current registration card and your CAV decal ID card.

If I were driving w/o plates, I would keep a copy of this for the officer. Then again, HOV lane is about saving time, and getting stopped negates that, so I would press the dealer to expedite the plates. It's possible to get them in a few days if the dealer has excellent DMV service.

[RonDawg]

This is more for potential PHEV buyers/lessees than anybody else, and my apologies if it was posted elsewhere, but as many early Leaf adopters are moving on to PHEVs I figure this is important info to get out:

Any Californian looking to buy or lease a plug-in hybrid and is expecting solo HOV lane access better hurry. Less than 4,000 of the allotted 40,000 green stickers remain:

http://insideevs.com/3000-green-high-oc ... alifornia/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Of course this restriction does not apply to white-stickered cars like the Leaf. For now those numbers remain uncapped, and both white and green stickered cars will be allowed solo HOV privileges until 1/1/2019, thanks to a recent change in the law.

I do wonder how this will affect sales of say the Plug-in Prius, whose paltry EV-only range is offset by its ability to get an HOV sticker, or of the upcoming BMW i3, because the REx option will make it a green-sticker car and the remaining sticker allotment is expected to run out before that car is released in the US.

I suspect also that once all 40,000 stickers have been spoken for, it might drive up prices for low-mileage used PHEVs and new ones that are still on dealer lots that the dealer was able to successfully get stickers for.

[mwalsh]

^ I do wonder how many of the 36,000+ currently issued are actually with new vehicles that aren't sold yet, but dealers have registered them via the recent process allowing for such.