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jeffro01
Active Member
It's a requirement for the decal so anyone who submits without one is going to get denied... The decal is tied to your plate so no plate, no decal.
Jeff
Jeff
Xminus6
Member
I've never applied without the plates on the 3 EVs I've owned but my Brother-in-law has a Ford Focus Electric and they gave him the decals when he bought the car. I suppose it was an inventory car so already had license plates.
NikeWings
Active Member
I got my HOV stickers and did not include a plate number. Just my check.
What was your application date vs your delivery date?
What was your application date vs your delivery date?
I'm shocked anyone would think of trying to apply for HOV stickers without having plates.
It's a common lament that one has to wait like 6 weeks to get their plates (when buying a new EV), only to have to wait another 6 weeks to get the stickers. And not be allowed in the HOV lanes for that whole time (a friend of mine put off trading in his leaf for ~12 weeks after getting his model X, so he could continue to commute in the HOV lane).
It sucks. But I'm shocked people try (and succeed!) to circumvent it.
It's a common lament that one has to wait like 6 weeks to get their plates (when buying a new EV), only to have to wait another 6 weeks to get the stickers. And not be allowed in the HOV lanes for that whole time (a friend of mine put off trading in his leaf for ~12 weeks after getting his model X, so he could continue to commute in the HOV lane).
It sucks. But I'm shocked people try (and succeed!) to circumvent it.
NikeWings
Active Member
Circumvent sounds way too devious. Its about timing and fully legit. While TSLA is not allowed to be a 'dealer' which therefore precludes them from immediately issuing plates on site like many luxury dealers, they do have an arrangement with CA DMV which expedites the process.
It appears that when TSLA applies for our 'temp' registrations, plates are assigned very quickly, perhaps electronically. So as long as our HOV applications arrive at the DMV after Tesla has processed our registrations, then we are already in the DMV system. We may not know our plate number, but its been assigned in the system. So the DMV gets our app, keys us in and boom our plate/registration pulls up. They issue the stickers because everything is in line with requirements, not because they allowed circumvention.
My stickers arrived almost simultaneously with my plates. And it was considerably shorter than 6 weeks.
Your plates will arrive addressed from Tesla, but in CA DMV packaging.
Xminus6
Member
To be perfectly honest I just started driving in the HOV lane without the stickers anyway. I was taking a risk that I would get a ticket but Teslas are so distinctive-looking that police usually just recognize them and skip even checking for the stickers. They are within their right to stop and ticket you of course but I never encountered anyone who cared. In fact, I did get stopped going through the HOV toll booth once but it was because the officer couldn't see my FasTrak., which I hadn't mounted yet but had held up next to the mirror to be read. He just thanked me and let me go.
NikeWings
Active Member
I'll come clean.......me too. I had already assigned the Tesla to my Fastrack so, I took the gamble. Now, I really should do something about those plates still in the yellow envelope. LOL!
I just took delivery yesterday. I'm trying to decide whether I should risk it by sending my application next week and possibly having it rejected, or waiting until the plates arrive before applying. If no one has had their application rejected for failing to provide a plate number then I will submit next week.
@Xminus6 - Wow, you got lucky on that stop!
@Xminus6 and @NikeWings -
Any chance you guys know the fine for driving in the HOV lanes w/o the sticker? Is it $435?
Also, have you guys risked driving in the Metro Express lanes as well? I take the metro express lanes to work everyday, but I'm not sure I want to do that yet until I get the stickers, unless..........well, I'll leave that unsaid.
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
If someone managed to get the CA HOV decals without a plate #, I'd be surprised (as in 'please post your HOV document that you need to carry in the glove box to show no plate information...'). I suspect people who said they got the decals without that info are mistaken.
Even though VIN stays the same, if you change license plates you need to reapply.
The application is really clear that plate information is required. It's the first information you're asked to supply. Since the HOV decals are numbered and assigned to specific vehicles, I have no idea how the DMV could possibly process your application without the info. But go ahead and give it a try if you're sure some people get it without plate info.s
Not a Tesla, but here is mine with no plate info. The process exists already for other dealers, so I think as long as the car has already been documented as sold to you in whatever state database is being used, you can apply for the stickers. I suppose technically I am supposed to apply for a correction with the license plate number, but I never did, and I figure the chances of an officer actually asking for the form (my stickers are applied per requirements) are slim to none.
From the DMV website:
6. Q: How can I avoid delays and keep from having my CAV decal application returned unprocessed?
A: To avoid delays, make sure (see Question 16 below for replacements):
6. Q: How can I avoid delays and keep from having my CAV decal application returned unprocessed?
A: To avoid delays, make sure (see Question 16 below for replacements):
- The vehicle is on the ARB eligible vehicle list by checking ARB website or by calling 1-800-242-4450.
- The $22 decal fee made payable to DMV is included with the original application.
- All appropriate sections (including checkboxes) are completed in full and signed on the REG 1000 (PDF) form. NOTE: If you are unsure of your vehicle's exhaust standard/motive power, check ARB's website at www.arb.ca.gov.
- Your current address is the same as the address on DMV records or a Change of Address (DMV 14) form is submitted with theREG 1000 (PDF) or you completed an online Change of Address before submitting your application. NOTE: This also applies if you are adding a new or separate mailing address not currently on DMV records.
- The vehicle is in your name and you are the applicant.
- The vehicle ownership transaction from a recently acquired vehicle (e.g., from a dealership) has been processed and you are in possession of a DMV issued registration card in your name.
- Page two of the REG 1000 is included, is signed with an original signature, and contains at the top of both pages (page one AND page two) the same vehicle identifying information (i.e., license plate, VIN, year, make, and model) even if you are NOT applying for replacement decals. NOTE: The signature for a company or business must include the printed name of the company/business and an authorized representative's countersignature on the signature line (e.g., ABC CO. by JOHN SMITH or JOHN SMITH for ABC CO.).
TaoJones
Beyond Driven
The HOV fine varies. High $300s to low $400s is what's posted along one stretch in SoCal. However, whether that included the barely-constitutional administrative fees and surcharges is another question.
Shifting gears into distracted driving: Recall the cell phone ticket that started as $20. Well, by the time you have the privilege of supporting local government by paying that ticket, it magically becomes $121. And of course there's no political will to reduce those fees once in place.
I used to work with a guy that got 3 cell phone tickets before he found religion and bought a $5 set of earbuds. Meanwhile, smokers and eaters continue unabated.
One actually effective mechanism has been the advent of the Textalyzer. Woe be unto the driver who texts before an accident.
So, the point of that was to posit this: Presumably if you are in an HOV lane without the bogus stickers displayed thricely as the statute stipulates, and if you are in an accident, one could argue that you shouldn't have been in the lane in the first place. The counter argument is that of course you should as a Tesla isn't likely to grow a tailpipe any time soon.
And the point of *that* is to illuminate why it is so important to stop bad laws in the first place, and to work hard to fix them (as it takes 10x the effort after the fact) once in place. Get rid of the stickers and use plates. California offers a dozen different custom plates already. This does not have to be hard.
And finally, if you choose personalized plates, you can set up your Fastrak account with that prior to receiving the notice that your plates are ready. However, they will caution you to not use the toll roads until you get your plates. Told me an amusing story of how they caught a guy who decided to not put his plates on. Huge fines due to multiple violations.
Shifting gears into distracted driving: Recall the cell phone ticket that started as $20. Well, by the time you have the privilege of supporting local government by paying that ticket, it magically becomes $121. And of course there's no political will to reduce those fees once in place.
I used to work with a guy that got 3 cell phone tickets before he found religion and bought a $5 set of earbuds. Meanwhile, smokers and eaters continue unabated.
One actually effective mechanism has been the advent of the Textalyzer. Woe be unto the driver who texts before an accident.
So, the point of that was to posit this: Presumably if you are in an HOV lane without the bogus stickers displayed thricely as the statute stipulates, and if you are in an accident, one could argue that you shouldn't have been in the lane in the first place. The counter argument is that of course you should as a Tesla isn't likely to grow a tailpipe any time soon.
And the point of *that* is to illuminate why it is so important to stop bad laws in the first place, and to work hard to fix them (as it takes 10x the effort after the fact) once in place. Get rid of the stickers and use plates. California offers a dozen different custom plates already. This does not have to be hard.
And finally, if you choose personalized plates, you can set up your Fastrak account with that prior to receiving the notice that your plates are ready. However, they will caution you to not use the toll roads until you get your plates. Told me an amusing story of how they caught a guy who decided to not put his plates on. Huge fines due to multiple violations.
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NikeWings
Active Member
Hi CP, I am another one that is not mistaken.
I submitted the application, leaving the plate number blank (yes the very first item on the form). My stickers arrived with the Decal Certificate listing my soon to arrive plate number. As I said in my earlier post, the decals and plates arrived just a day or two apart in the mail, and I just noticed in looking at the two docs now they were issued on the exact same date. No mistaken that either.
I believe the critical path is that TESLA has submitted to DMV your registration application which puts the VIN is on file. The registration application triggers the plate issuance, while the VIN determines decal qualification (i.e. white for us or green like @Az_Rael ) .
If you are at all uncomfortable, then of course wait it out. Its probably just a few weeks difference anyway. While I am aware of several other CA forum members that were not mistaken when they too applied for stickers prior to plates/registration in hand, I've not seen any rejection comments.
Thanks NikeWings. I also recall seeing quite a few that applied and got stickers w/o the plate number, but I never saw any comments from anyone saying they got rejected, so I wanted to double check. Who knows, I could always be the unlucky one.
How soon after you got your car did you submit your application? I'm thinking of mailing it out on Monday, 9/12; I got the car Saturday, 9/3.
NikeWings
Active Member
NikeWings
Active Member
I hope not CP!!! But my thinking.......is always like a downside case analysis. lol The best marker I can provide for timing would be the application signature date & save date on my laptop, which was 12 days after I took delivery. The cashed check hit my account 9 days later and that's when I felt legitimate enough to hop in the HOV lanes.
Didn't mean to make it sound devious. My comment was more like, holy cow, I can't believe someone would think to submit an incomplete form. I guess I'm a blind instruction follower...
Everything is awesome...[to Lego movie music]
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