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California DMV - Plates & HOV Stickers
- Thread starter MikeK
- Start date
It technically would be. I've never heard of anyone getting pulled over for this, though, and I know many people who have HOV stickers but choose not to put them on.
It would depend on a lot of things, not the least of which the mood of the ticketing officer. Little story: I have a friend who was driving on 680 on a Sunday, no traffic on the road. The left lane is technically a HOV lane with double-white lane markers. He was going around 85mph in a 65 zone, and spotted a cop. He immediately slowed down and started moving out of the left lane as a kneejerk reaction and got down to 65 before his radar detector went off, so he knew the cop did not have his speed. Halfway through exiting the HOV lane he realized that he wasn't supposed to do that, and got back into the lane. The cop pulled him over, wrote him up for 21658 (improper exit/entry of HOV lane). He took it to court, lost, and ended up paying a $900 ticket and court fees. And the HOV lane wasn't even active at the time (doesn't matter for entry/exit rules), and there was no traffic on the road. And just like not displaying the stickers…. literally every commute I see 5+ cars doing this at 10AM after the carpool lane goes inactive. Most cops simply don't care.
It's hard to tell what you might do to get a cop upset with you enough to ticket you on a technicality. It's technically illegal to not have the sticker displayed per the language in the vehicle code. It's up to CHP's discretion whether or not they want to write you up for that.
Thanks chillaban!!
I see you mentioned "displayed per the language", here is the actual C.V.C code:
21655.5.
(b) The Department of Transportation and local authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, shall place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, signs and other official traffic control devices to designate the exclusive or preferential lanes, to advise motorists of the applicable vehicle occupancy levels, and, except where ramp metering and bypass lanes are regulated with the activation of traffic signals, to advise motorists of the hours of high-occupancy vehicle usage. No person shall drive a vehicle upon those lanes except in conformity with the instructions imparted by the official traffic control devices. A motorcycle, a mass transit vehicle, or a paratransit vehicle that is clearly and identifiably marked on all sides of the vehicle with the name of the paratransit provider may be operated upon those exclusive or preferential use lanes unless specifically prohibited by a traffic control device.
I' am in no way trying to start an argument, but where in that language does it state "must display sticker XYZ" except for a paratransit vehicle? I completely agree with you on it's really up to the officer and his mood.
I see you mentioned "displayed per the language", here is the actual C.V.C code:
21655.5.
(b) The Department of Transportation and local authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, shall place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, signs and other official traffic control devices to designate the exclusive or preferential lanes, to advise motorists of the applicable vehicle occupancy levels, and, except where ramp metering and bypass lanes are regulated with the activation of traffic signals, to advise motorists of the hours of high-occupancy vehicle usage. No person shall drive a vehicle upon those lanes except in conformity with the instructions imparted by the official traffic control devices. A motorcycle, a mass transit vehicle, or a paratransit vehicle that is clearly and identifiably marked on all sides of the vehicle with the name of the paratransit provider may be operated upon those exclusive or preferential use lanes unless specifically prohibited by a traffic control device.
I' am in no way trying to start an argument, but where in that language does it state "must display sticker XYZ" except for a paratransit vehicle? I completely agree with you on it's really up to the officer and his mood.
No worries! It's a bit confusing, the actual wording for the exemption is in 21655.9, but you wouldn't get written up for it, it's just the exemption wouldn't apply:
California Vehicle Code - VEH § 21655.9 | FindLaw
Ahhh, that's what I was looking for, thanks for the info!
This is interesting, did you read (d):
VC 21655.9 Preferential Use of Highway Lanes for High-Occupancy Vehicles
21655.9. (a) Whenever the Department of Transportation authorizes or permits exclusive or preferential use of highway lanes or highway access ramps for high-occupancy vehicles pursuant to Section 21655.5, the use of those lanes or ramps shall also be extended to vehicles that are issued distinctive decals, labels, or other identifiers pursuant to Section 5205.5 regardless of vehicle occupancy or ownership.
(b) No person shall drive a vehicle described in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 5205.5 with a single occupant upon a high-occupancy vehicle lane pursuant to this section unless the decal, label, or other identifier issued pursuant to Section 5205.5 are properly displayed on the vehicle, and the vehicle registration described in Section 5205.5 is with the vehicle.
(c) No person shall operate or own a vehicle displaying a decal, label, or other identifier, as described in Section 5205.5, if that decal, label, or identifier was not issued for that vehicle pursuant to Section 5205.5. A violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2008, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2008, deletes or extends that date.
(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 330, Sec. 3, repealed January 1, 2008 by its own provisions.)
This is interesting, did you read (d):
VC 21655.9 Preferential Use of Highway Lanes for High-Occupancy Vehicles
21655.9. (a) Whenever the Department of Transportation authorizes or permits exclusive or preferential use of highway lanes or highway access ramps for high-occupancy vehicles pursuant to Section 21655.5, the use of those lanes or ramps shall also be extended to vehicles that are issued distinctive decals, labels, or other identifiers pursuant to Section 5205.5 regardless of vehicle occupancy or ownership.
(b) No person shall drive a vehicle described in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 5205.5 with a single occupant upon a high-occupancy vehicle lane pursuant to this section unless the decal, label, or other identifier issued pursuant to Section 5205.5 are properly displayed on the vehicle, and the vehicle registration described in Section 5205.5 is with the vehicle.
(c) No person shall operate or own a vehicle displaying a decal, label, or other identifier, as described in Section 5205.5, if that decal, label, or identifier was not issued for that vehicle pursuant to Section 5205.5. A violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2008, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2008, deletes or extends that date.
(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 330, Sec. 3, repealed January 1, 2008 by its own provisions.)
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Yeah, not every site does a good job of updating the wording per the various assembly bills that amend the date and the sticker limit and so on. I think the expiration is still something like 2019.
One new amendment that went in this year makes it a crime (misdemeanor) to use "counterfeit" decals. It's unclear both in intention and in case law whether or not that also counts those removable vinyl replicas that seem fairly popular.
I guess all in all it depends on your risk tolerance. Some people like playing by all the rules, others are fine with being fast and loose with a small risk of getting caught for it.
The Air Resources Board Carpool Sticker page always shows the current expiration of each decal series along with the eligible vehicles.
The current White and Green stickers have been extended to January 1, 2019. So, only 19 months to go... Unless they're extended again...
The current White and Green stickers have been extended to January 1, 2019. So, only 19 months to go... Unless they're extended again...
schwedisch
Member
Car picked up on 4/26/2017, plates received on 5/11/2017, HOV sticker application mailed on 5/12/2017, check cashed on 5/20/2017 and HOV stickers received on 05/26/2017. So it took exactly one month from delivery to get stickers and plates sorted.
Took me about 3 weeks from date of mailing application and check, to getting my stickers. Does anyone know if the law states that I "have to" display more than 1 sticker? So far, I've only placed the little sticker on the bottom right corner of the rear bumper, I have not placed the bigger stickers on either rear quarter panel. Does anyone think I will get harassed? I know the "instructions" say to place all 3 stickers, but what does the law say regarding displaying all stickers received.
T.I.A.
T.I.A.
The law states you must have the stickers "properly displayed" and the stickers come in an envelope with instructions on them involving all 3.
In my opinion a cop has to be a complete prick to ticket you on that technicality but if he does, you will lose in court. There's not a lot of flexibility in how "properly displayed" can be interpreted with regards to missing stickers.
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
thecloud
As rhythm raced inside, the ship came alive
You also need to be carrying the supplemental registration document that goes with the stickers.
I did the same. Haven't been pulled over yet. However, it's only on rare occasion that I take advantage of single occupancy rush hour HOV, so I don't have that much exposure. Yet I see folks in ICE vehicles violating HOV rules when I pay attention and rarely do I see them get pulled over either.
thecloud
As rhythm raced inside, the ship came alive
According to an article in the Mercury News last week, Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) is sponsoring AB 544 to extend the clean-air sticker program to 2025. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is trying to have the bill amended to include more CHP enforcement of the HOV lanes.
If you have Xpel on your car at least you'll be able to remove the stickers without damage to your paint when the program changes and the stickers aren't relevant any longer or you move away from the area or sell your car.
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