California’s electrifying ambition to zero-emission vehicles has always been brightened with the reward of solo access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes for electric and plug-in hybrid motorists. While doing away with the conventional white Clean Air Vehicle decals that enabled this privilege, the drivers of the specific vehicles continue to charge through the jams without needing a passenger temporarily.
The end of the white decal, and the rise of the green one
For the last ten years, California handed out white Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) decals for qualifying battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, extending solo use of HOV lanes. The new “truncated” CAV sticker program limited inconspicuous white stickers to 2.5 million vehicles. In addition, new decals ceased to be issued after 2022, and soon afterwards, the DMV amounted a new green CAV decal program with a maximum of 15,000 stickers to be issued annually. But drivers were faced with backlogs in processing applications, which got them worried about continued solo access.
Why a grace period was necessary
With the white-decal program slated to end on September 30, 2025, all existing white decals would theoretically expire the next day, meaning that more than 10,000 EV drivers would lose their HOV privileges overnight, leaving most of them without any replacement decal on either processing or pending approval. While the demand for green decals was expected to be so low, staffing shortages and growing processing delays bumped it into consideration for this bill.
That’s why state regulators announced a two-month grace period until November 30, 2025, for vehicles with expired white decals or pending applications for green decals to continue to use the HOV lane in a solo context. During this grace period, there will be no citation against any motorist solely based on expiry of the decal while the DMV processes their pending requests.
How enforcement will work during grace period
CHP and local law enforcement will check the VIN of a vehicle against DMV records to ensure active or pending decal registration under grace conditions. The DMV already streamlined its online application portal and hired more personnel in some field offices, and thus turnaround for green decals is expected to be less than 30 days by early October, which means most applicants get their new stickers long before the grace period ends.
It’s worth noting that police will continue to have enforcement discretion against vehicles that do not appear on DMV’s pending-application database. The motorists are advised to carry a hard or electronic copy of their application confirmation to ensure a smooth passing through a traffic stop.
What that will mean for permitting backlogs and traffic
Transportation analysts estimate that over 40,000 California drivers obtained green decals within the first week, stretching the DMV’s scant resources. In the absence of a grace period, thousands of EV owners would have faced a fine of $490 each time they used the HOV lanes, these fines could compound quickly within the California catch basin of famous rush hours.
In other words, solo access for EVs continues to be a significant incentive for adopting zero-emission vehicles. A study commissioned in 2024 by the California Air Resources Board shows that drivers expect their travel time to HOV corridors to shorten an average of eight minutes because of their driving alone, a time and fuel savings worth about $7 per trip. But planners warn that unconstrained solo access may worsen HOV-lane congestion and detract from carpooling and mass-transit objectives at a higher level.
What comes after November 30
DMV aims to clear out as much green-decal backlogging as possible by the end of the grace period. Starting December 1, only vehicles carrying the valid green CAV decal will be allowed to use HOV lanes in a solo manner. Any expired or missing decal could lead to a citation being issued. From that point onwards, CHP officers will revert to traditional enforcement by visually inspecting windshield decals and cross-reference during stops.
Drivers missing the cutoff will still have access to decals but will now fall under the 15,000-sticker annual cap and possible waitlist constraints. Holders of unsuccessful applications may have to join a waitlist or apply again next year.
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