California DMV - Plates & HOV Stickers

[OCJeff]

Mine was mailed on 11/22 and dmv sent stickers on 12/01. How is that even possible when they are still processing September applications??

Now I have to try and get this mess sorted out. The DMV can’t do anything right.

 

[jeremymc7]

Mine was mailed on 11/22 and dmv sent stickers on 12/01. How is that even possible when they are still processing September applications??

Now I have to try and get this mess sorted out. The DMV can’t do anything right.

I just got mine sorted out from Jan. YES JAN. They showed they had received the application but the check was never cashed and they never mailed the stickers.

The person I spoke to at their special unit in Sacramento emailed CARB or something to get approval. Which I thought was odd since CARB said I needed to talk to the DMV. And of course the DMV said I needed to talk to special unit in Sacramento.

Anyway she gave an email address to sent her my story and PDF of any of the paper. Got approval. Called me back in a couple day.

Said they were going to email me stickers. Offered apologies for the issues. Said not to worry about the fee, they weren’t going to charge me. I asked if she could express the stickers. She put me on hold to asked her manager and they next day AM the stickers to me.

Who says the DMV or state govment sucks.

 

[jgd108]

Same! I read that there was a 4 months backlog, applied Nov 24th, they cashed and sent the stickers on Dec 10th and have the blue ones in hand.. missing out on 9months ..

 

[OCJeff]

Same! I read that there was a 4 months backlog, applied Nov 24th, they cashed and sent the stickers on Dec 10th and have the blue ones in hand.. missing out on 9months ..

I’m going to contest it. I have all of the Twitter posts by DMV stating their backlog in processing. One person complained and they said reach out to the SPU or DMV directly.

So starting Monday I’ll be calling them non-stop to get this fixed. Ridiculous. My stickers were issued 12/01/21 after being mailed in on 11/22/21. This is not "all applications are processed in the order received" which has been their mantra.

 

[jeremymc7]

I don’t know about now. But it wasn’t that long ago I talked to several staffers from from special unit in Sacramento and they were all working from home with stacks of paperwork. I can easily see this getting screwed up and paperwork lost etc.

The last person I spoke to. so nice. Said she couldn’t understand how they posted reaching my paperwork, but could find no record of it in the system, nor why they had no recording or receding or posting my. Heck.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I’m going to contest it. I have all of the Twitter posts by DMV stating their backlog in processing. One person complained and they said reach out to the SPU or DMV directly.

So starting Monday I’ll be calling them non-stop to get this fixed. Ridiculous. My stickers were issued 12/01/21 after being mailed in on 11/22/21. This is not "all applications are processed in the order received" which has been their mantra.

My theory way early in either this or the other thread when someone posted about getting their stickers in under a month was they mixed up the stack somehow, getting a stack of applications that came last and processing them or processing in LIFO order.

However, from the talk about them still working from home, it could be possible they split up the stack in a way that might make the order different. For example they have 4 people working from home, split out in 1/4. The one who gets the last 1/4 stack would be processing applications that were much more recent. To make processing more even, they would have to make 4 stacks, separating them application by application, but I doubt they do that. Also matters how long it takes before they send a "batch". Of course, this also depends on the employees working at home making an effort to preserve order.

 

[jeremymc7]

I know they were working from home given that given a period of time I talked to several people and I constantly heard kids, dogs, and / or TV’s in the background.

Same with LA Country Offices. They said similar to working from home and obvious they were.

 

[OCJeff]

My theory way early in either this or the other thread when someone posted about getting their stickers in under a month was they mixed up the stack somehow, getting a stack of applications that came last and processing them or processing in LIFO order.

However, from the talk about them still working from home, it could be possible they split up the stack in a way that might make the order different. For example they have 4 people working from home, split out in 1/4. The one who gets the last 1/4 stack would be processing applications that were much more recent. To make processing more even, they would have to make 4 stacks, separating them application by application, but I doubt they do that. Also matters how long it takes before they send a "batch". Of course, this also depends on the employees working at home making an effort to preserve order.

I hear you. But regardless, I received the stickers on 12/18. Why in the world would they issue them when they are only good for less than two weeks of 2021? Makes no sense. Which is why they are now saying all applications are being held until 2022. No reason they should have sent me decals based on the limited time left and the existing backlog of applications. And the fact that "all applications are processed in the order received". Just a joke.

 

[jgd108]

I hear you. But regardless, I received the stickers on 12/18. Why in the world would they issue them when they are only good for less than two weeks of 2021? Makes no sense. Which is why they are now saying all applications are being held until 2022. No reason they should have sent me decals based on the limited time left and the existing backlog of applications. And the fact that "all applications are processed in the order received". Just a joke.

Good points OCJeff
Luckily I didn't install them yet, waiting for PPF tomorrow first.
Let me know if you have any luck!!

 

[Russell]

I hear you. But regardless, I received the stickers on 12/18. Why in the world would they issue them when they are only good for less than two weeks of 2021? Makes no sense. Which is why they are now saying all applications are being held until 2022. No reason they should have sent me decals based on the limited time left and the existing backlog of applications. And the fact that "all applications are processed in the order received". Just a joke.

What color stickers did you receive?

 

[OCJeff]

Good points OCJeff
Luckily I didn't install them yet, waiting for PPF tomorrow first.
Let me know if you have any luck!!

My plan is to complain like hell for the next two weeks. I’m only commuting in to work right now one day per week, and only next week for this year.

I have the Blue’s () and have no intention of installing them unless the DMV outright tells me to pound sand a minimum of 5 times.

I too have the PPF for HOV on order. Where did you order from?

 

[OCJeff]

What color stickers did you receive?

Blue. Since 2022 doesn’t start until next year. They will be yellow. Look out for those 2006 Prius’ in the HOV lanes.

 

[OCJeff]

My plan is to complain like hell for the next two weeks. I’m only commuting in to work right now one day per week, and only next week for this year.

I have the Blue’s () and have no intention of installing them unless the DMV outright tells me to pound sand a minimum of 5 times.

I too have the PPF for HOV on order. Where did you order from?

First attempt via DMV "Agent Chat" was unsuccessful. After 30 minutes burned via chat:

If your application was processed early, you will need to contact our special support unit at 916-657-8035. They will need to renew the application. We can not make those changes through chat. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Edit: Just got my call back from the SPU. They said that I need to fill out a DMV form "Statement of facts" (DMV Reg. Form 256 I believe), and state that with the expected delay I sent in my application on 11/18 and expected to receive decals after the same 3-4 month delay, but unexpected received the Blue decals for 2021 on 12/18/2021. They confirmed that they cannot guarantee any success in my request but that I will receive correspondence back. They confirmed I will need to mail in my Blue Decals with the Statement of facts.

 

[FlatSix911]

First attempt via DMV "Agent Chat" was unsuccessful. After 30 minutes burned via chat:



Edit: Just got my call back from the SPU. They said that I need to fill out a DMV form "Statement of facts" (DMV Reg. Form 256 I believe), and state that with the expected delay I sent in my application on 11/18 and expected to receive decals after the same 3-4 month delay, but unexpected received the Blue decals for 2021 on 12/18/2021. They confirmed that they cannot guarantee any success in my request but that I will receive correspondence back. They confirmed I will need to mail in my Blue Decals with the Statement of facts.

Glad to hear that you can exchange your blue decals for the 2022 set.

Keep in mind that the HOV program is set to expire on September 30, 2025, and is unlikely to be renewed.

Most HOV lanes are now being converted into toll lanes in the Bay Area and LA to extract more state revenue.

 

[jeremymc7]

That's exactly what I was looking for previously. Getting no sticker's doesn't provide an additionally year; but I suppose 9 months is more than enough for the extra hassle.

After spending nearly a year to get my Jan 2021 submission filled finally in Nov 2021, I'm not going to bother going after the 2022 stickers at this point. The 9 months isn't worth the hassle again.

 

[OCJeff]

Glad to hear that you can exchange your blue decals for the 2022 set.

Nothing is guaranteed, and they may not even do it. But I'm following the instructions from the DMV. It may just waste 6 months of 2022 going back and forth with the DMV, and then I really lose out.

I hope not, but we'll see.

 

[jgd108]

Nothing is guaranteed, and they may not even do it. But I'm following the instructions from the DMV. It may just waste 6 months of 2022 going back and forth with the DMV, and then I really lose out.

I hope not, but we'll see.

Right, my bad really for not sending on Jan 1st. Hopefully in 2025 I'm married again and have my spouse for HOV lanes ;P
Also, let's be honest, usually a bad idea to take the HOV lanes, always a slow car if traffic is somewhat fluid in the regular lanes.

 

[jgd108]

I gave in, and installed the two large ones in the back. If the exhange didn't work or took months, then it's a wash..

Unsure about where to put the front ones or if I'll put them (I don't have a front license plate either).

Used XPEL PPF bought on Amazon 1-day shipping, cut it to size.

 

[SPACE_EX]

My car is in the shop getting ppf... If I get the stickers, am I putting them on ppf and then sticking them to my cars ppf? Or are we saying put the sticker directly on the car's ppf?

 

[stopcrazypp]

My car is in the shop getting ppf... If I get the stickers, am I putting them on ppf and then sticking them to my cars ppf? Or are we saying put the sticker directly on the car's ppf?

I stuck mine on PPF before sticking on the car's PPF. Ask your shop if they can give you some scraps (I did DIY so I had plenty of scraps). I was initially skeptical it would stay, but I searched and found this was commonly done, and so far after two months (through both hot, cold, rainy weather) there is no sign it is going anywhere. I stuck it the locations noted up thread:
California DMV - Plates & HOV Stickers

If you put them directly on the car's PPF, good luck removing them without ruining your PPF (also it will make it so if your PPF was damaged, you would need replacement stickers even if you are able to remove them).