I just found this thread at TM forums where the owner made copies onto vinyl and Is using the vinyl. I might do this. My solution to using the fugly HOV stickers on my MS | Forums | Tesla Motors
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California DMV - Plates & HOV Stickers
- Thread starter MikeK
- Start date
Our Model S and Roadster are driving around SoCal with one sticker stuck to the lowest part of the bumper (using the small one) and I drive the HOV when I can...
Had CHP, buzz by me, slow down, then passed me a week ago (on the 605)
That is my placement, and I just keep the other two in the glove box. No problems so far, but I only use the lanes every couple of months.
I just put the small one right next to the license plate on removable, reposition-able sticker vinyl. I figure if the license plate location is good enough for cops to see the most important identification on the vehicle its good enough for the sticker. If they are going to write a ticket they are going to have to stare straight at the sticker next to my license plate. The bumper seems less visible and not lighted at night. Furthermore if you have to get your bumper refinished because someone marks your bumper you parking, you are going to have to worry about the sticker.
Owner
Active Member
Bradleybang
Member
I have been driving roadster for almost 5 years with just one sticker on back window. I'm in lane usually 3 to 4 times per month. I have been in carpool lane with CHP on my tail and not pulled over.
My theory I posted years ago is...
If I ever got pulled over I plan to politely tell officer. The law is that a sticker would be applied to the vehicle. However, the DMV came up with the rules of multiple stickers. I have paid the fee for this electric vehicle and have sticker as law states. I have also registered the car with fastrak. The car is properly registered and with current insurance. It just seems wrong to plaster such a pretty car to satisfy the DMV. I hope at that point the officer would find it ok to let me go.
My theory I posted years ago is...
If I ever got pulled over I plan to politely tell officer. The law is that a sticker would be applied to the vehicle. However, the DMV came up with the rules of multiple stickers. I have paid the fee for this electric vehicle and have sticker as law states. I have also registered the car with fastrak. The car is properly registered and with current insurance. It just seems wrong to plaster such a pretty car to satisfy the DMV. I hope at that point the officer would find it ok to let me go.
Well for the California folks, the timeline should speed up for the DMV to issue the White stickers. As of Friday 5/9/14 all (40k) Green HOV are issued. I remember when all of the yellow hov stickers were issued, a lot of very upset new car owners.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
Just keep in mind that the stickers are not only for the cops to see. In the Los Angeles area there are some toll roads that you drive on for free if you have the stickers. They take a photo and most probably use image recognition to check the stickers. If it's placed too low it might not recognize it and you pay the toll. I placed all three stickers as the instructions say. It's a car, get over it 
Just keep in mind that the stickers are not only for the cops to see. In the Los Angeles area there are some toll roads that you drive on for free if you have the stickers. They take a photo and most probably use image recognition to check the stickers. If it's placed too low it might not recognize it and you pay the toll. I placed all three stickers as the instructions say. It's a car, get over it
I drive the 110-10 and 91 with the transponders for each county (free for switchable in LA, and at least a 50% discount if not free on the 91) and my lone single sticker in the low spot and have yet to pay for the toll road.
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
I've seen one MS at my son's school recently where all three stickers were placed low on the plastic diffuser/skirt. And, they were all crumbling/breaking apart and coming off the plastic. Looked rather ugly; the owner would need new stickers soon.
I have all three placed in the recommended spots atop PPF strips and I've gotten used to the look.
I have all three placed in the recommended spots atop PPF strips and I've gotten used to the look.
The way to do this right is to apply Xpel or 3M on the bottom of the sticker as it is stuck onto the bumper AND a piece on top of the sticker as well... Easy on and protects it from breaking apart.
bareyb
Active Member
How easy is it to remove XPEL or the Printed Vinyl Decals? Does it just peel off or are we talking "Goo Gone" or some other type of chemicals to get them off?
I have not removed the stickers as I like where they're placed, but doing it in this manner makes the HOV stickers one piece and it should peel off in pretty much one piece (vs. breaking apart, which is what it's designed to do).
GoBlue88
Member
Got my plates in just 18 days from delivery which was much quicker than I anticipated. HOV sticker application mailed in today. Hope they also significantly beat the "4-6 weeks" estimate.
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I assume any of those would work?
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Where did you get the film? A quick Amazon search showed a bunch of 3M options: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...,203&rh=n:15684181,k:3m+paint+protection+film
I assume any of those would work?
I got mine through MoeMistry. The same guy at Glistening Perfection who wrapped my entire car.
So, we used the same material that we wrapped the whole car.
I read through the law. Not only does it specify a single decal, it does it consistently. It mentions decals in plural only where it unambiguously refers to multiple vehicles, such as stating that 40,000 decals of a certain type will be issued.
It also seems to prohibit more than one decal with the same number. "Each decal, label, or other identifier issued for a vehicle shall display a unique number, which number shall be printed on, or affixed to, the vehicle registration." So if your registration has a single decal number and you have multiple decals with that same number, you can't legally apply all of them because each one must have a unique number. If they want you to have multiple decals, they would have to specify multiple numbers on the registration.
Additionally the law says that the "Department of the California Highway Patrol and the department, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, shall design and specify the placement of the decal, label, or other identifier on the vehicle." It doesn't authorize them to require multiple placements, and prohibits the state from issuing multiple stickers with the same numbers, and I expect that the CHP and the courts have better things to do with their time than haul people to court for driving in the carpool lane in a vehicle that's authorized to drive in that lane simply because of how stickers are applied. Chances are that if they see a Tesla, they won't even look for a sticker. But more importantly, even if a court interprets that they are authorized to issue multiple stickers, they'd be hard pressed to say that the law requires you to display multiple stickers.
I remember once when a CHP officer gave a woman a ticket for wearing glasses where the temple piece was thicker than the law allowed. There was no question that she was breaking the law, but the judge threw it out because there was no intent to keep her off the road with standard eyeglasses any more than there's an attempt to keep Teslas off the road when decals have been properly issued. Judges don't like it when overzealous cops attempt to follow laws to the letter when there's no public interest in their doing so, and in this case, considering that nobody would be able to point out where any law required you to do anything you didn't, it would be a total waste of their time.
GoBlue88
Member
Got my stickers last week. Yesterday I placed the smaller sticker exactly where it is shown in the above picture, including the XPEL to protect it. The other 2 larger stickers which have no chance in hell of ever getting stuck to my car are now in the glove compartment.
Still kills me to put even this smaller sticker on the car, but putting it on that area of plastic below the bumper light lessened the pain slightly. At least it isn't on the aluminum body.
As long as it's not the I-405 HOV in rush hour, you should be going a little faster than other cars now...
That should ease a little bit of the pain.
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