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4w ago

EV and Hybrid Drivers Lose Solo HOV Access as Federal Authorization Expires

California will give decal holders a 60-day education period before HOV citations resume.

LARKSPUR, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 30: A Tesla car with California Clean Air Vehicle decals drives in the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on Highway 101 on September 30, 2025 in Larkspur, California. California’s Clean Air Vehicle decal program, which allows solo electric vehicle drivers to use carpool lanes, will expire on October 1 after Congress declined to pass legislation to authorize an extension to keep the program going. Nearly half a million electric vehicle drivers will now be required to meet occupancy requirements in HOV lanes or face a ticket that could be as high as $490. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The Clean Air Vehicle Decal Program, that allows cars that qualify as zero-emissions vehicles to drive in HOV lanes even if there is just one person in the car, is scheduled to end soon. (Rob Nikolewski/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Overview

  • Federal authority for the Clean Air Vehicle/HOV exemption lapsed at midnight Sept. 30 after Congress did not renew it, ending solo lane access for qualifying low‑emission vehicles starting Oct. 1.
  • As confirmed by the California Highway Patrol, a transition window runs Oct. 1–Nov. 30 during which drivers with valid decals will not be cited for solo HOV use, with typical fines reported around $400–$490 after that.
  • Roughly 465,000 to 500,000 active California decals are affected, and similar clean‑vehicle HOV programs in about a dozen other states are also ending without federal authorization.
  • Associated perks are ending, including half‑price bridge and express‑lane tolls in the Bay Area and free parking at Santa Monica meters, with drivers now required to meet carpool rules or pay full tolls.
  • Bipartisan bills to extend or reauthorize the exemption have been introduced in Congress, but no renewal was secured before the deadline, and state DMVs halted new decal applications in late August.