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CA carpool sticker -- Best to order in November for 2021?
- Thread starter noshadow
- Start date
alexcue
Member
Thanks for the update, so just under 3 months for you to get it. Guess I won't worry too much for another month.
The stickers should have come with instructions. It has changed in the past so I would make sure that you have the latest one when e.g. searching online.
Laguna M3
Member
I'm very tempted to not put them on at all. If I get pulled over, I could just show them to the officer and hope to just get a fix it ticket.
Yes, the instructions (DMV website) that came with it seems to indicate placing stickers on the front bumper, but I have never seen any cars with the stickers on the front bumper.
I was thinking about doing the same thing. The only downside is that to get the bridge toll discounts, the Fastrak website says that the decals needs to be in place. I already have the Fastrak CAV toll tag. Has anyone been able to get the bridge toll discounts by going through the carpool lanes with the Fastrak CAV toll tag, but without the CAV stickers on the bumpers?
I think the location was changed a few years back from front/side to there.
The website drawing for the small sticker placement is wrong, the text is correct (I'd assume):
Small decals: Place decals on the right side of both front and rear bumpers (or bumper area) with the state seal pointed up.
That's what I've done, one small decal on the right side both on front and rear bumper.
Indeed confusing instructions... Logically it makes no sense to have both small decals on the front bumper, one front and one rear allows seeing the decals from any angle looking at the vehicle. If both are on the front, you cannot see the decals from behind the vehicle.
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bpon89
Member
Anybody who applied in January get their stickers yet? They didn't cash my check yet and I sent mine out by regular USPS on Jan 2nd. I saw 1 car in the HOV lane with a blue sticker but never saw anymore.
kishkaru
Member
I also applied mid-Jan and no news yet. The last I hear is that the DMV is 3.5 months behind. They're working on Nov applicants now.
So if you applied in Jan, you'll receive it sometime in May?
So if you applied in Jan, you'll receive it sometime in May?
alexcue
Member
My Check was just cashed on the 10th I mailed it like last week of December. (12/29)
bpon89
Member
Thank you for sharing! From Nov to end of December applicants. Jan should be soon.
SDM44
.
It'll really depend on the CHP officer's mood who decides to pull you over for a HOV violation. But the consensus it that you need to have the HOV decals on your car if you want to drive in the carpool lanes solo.
I've been pulled over twice by CHP officer didn't see my HOV decal, and 2 other times when he didn't see my rear passengers on the Fastrak lane when you needed to have 3+ people in the car (that's LA for you). I only have 1 smaller HOV decal on my car, always on the lower passenger side rear bumper, and once the CHP officers saw it and saw my paperwork (the certificate that comes with the stickers), they let me go and never said anything about having all 4 stickers on. But they did say if I didn't have the sticker on, I would get a ticket, even if I had the stickers in my glovebox. They have to be on the car in order to drive solo in CA.
As for the times I got pulled over since the CHP didn't see my rear passengers in the Fastrak lanes (they're pulling everyone over these days for that on the 10 freeway), both didn't really care about me having or not having the sticker since the occupancy number depends on the time of day (and what the billboard says) when entering & driving on the Fastrak lanes. Both officers that time said they don't look for the sticker in the Fastrak lanes but only for the number of people inside the car. But they did confirm that on any other carpool lane in CA (non-Fastrak) that you needed the stickers display on the car and they cannot be in the glovebox of you'll still get a ticket.
OCJeff
Active Member
Has anyone tried or considered post dating the check to the DMV? If you submit the form in November with a check dated 1/1/202x would they reject it or wait until the date before they process the application?
I’m timing my 2021 purchase for 2022 stickers. Likely place the order late Aug or September to time delivery by October for HOV submission in November.
i just don’t want to get stuck with the blue stickers issued in December of 2021.
I’m timing my 2021 purchase for 2022 stickers. Likely place the order late Aug or September to time delivery by October for HOV submission in November.
i just don’t want to get stuck with the blue stickers issued in December of 2021.
I thought this was the last year of the program. Any stickers issued in 2021 and beyond will expire in 2025. Did that change?
Stickers issued in 2021 will expire January 1, 2025, stickers issued 2022 and later will expire September 30, 2025.
Current Clean Air Vehicle Decal | California Air Resources Board
Apply for a Decal Eligible Vehicle List The California DMV began the new Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) decal program on January 1, 2019 for qualifying vehicles that have never received a CAV decal.
ww2.arb.ca.gov
I just got my app kicked back today because they apparently didn't like my check dated 12/16/2020, while my application was postmarked 1/3/2021 and they probably didn't open it until last week.
