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California only: AB544 bill - expiration date for stickers issued after jan 2019?

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By now I think many of us are aware of the new bill that passed recently regarding CA carpool stickers:
Bill Text - AB-544 Vehicles: high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

Based on my reading of this bill and research on other forums the following seems clear to me:
1) if your car was issued a sticker before jan 1, 2017, the sticker will expire on jan 1, 2019, period. no more sticker for you.
2) if your car was issued a sticker between jan 1, 2017 and jan 1, 2019, it will expire on jan 1, 2019, BUT, you will be allowed to apply for a new sticker that expires jan 1, 2022.

However, what is not clear to me is, what is the expiration for stickers issued on/after jan 1, 2019?
The official wording is:
(6) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (5), a decal, label, or other identifier issued pursuant to paragraph (1) or (3) on or after January 1, 2019, is valid until January 1 of the fourth year after the year of issuance.

The use of the wording "fourth year after the year of issuance" is where I get confused.
Does it mean if you get your sticker in sometime in 2019, it will expire 2019+4 = jan 1, 2023? meaning you got to use it 4 years?
Or would I interpret it as 2019 being the first year of issuance, 2020 is second year, 2021 is third, 2022 is fourth, meaning it expires on jan 1, 2022, meaning you get 3 years usage?

Maybe someone here who is good with legal wording can share their opinion?
 
My reading: A sticker issued at any time during the 2019 calendar year will expire 1/1/2023. 2020 is the first year after 2019, so 2023 is "the fourth year after the year of issuance". So, you will get to use it for more than 3 years but less than 4 years.

If you buy an eligible vehicle in the last half or especially the last quarter of 2018, you would be well advised to wait until after Jan 1, 2019 to apply for stickers.
 
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From a more consumer oriented CA site for the green and white decals:
www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/vr/decal

It's a little more clear...maybe:
"Note: Beginning January 1, 2019, Assembly Bill 544 creates a new decal program to allow certain low emission vehicles to access high-occupancy vehicle lanes, regardless of vehicle occupancy level, for a four-year term. Access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes for vehicles with green and white decals will expire January 1, 2019. Vehicles issued a green or white decal in 2017 or 2018 will be eligible to reapply for a decal in 2019 granting them access to high–occupancy toll lanes until January 1, 2022."

The way I read this is that:
1. If your decal was issued before 1-1-17, you're SOL for renewals/extensions/new ones on 1-1-19. (I wouldn't be surprised if they changed this).
2. ALL current decals expire on 1-1-19.
3. The new decal program, starting 1-1-19, will get you between three and four years with an expiration date of Jan 1.
4. Regardless of when during (or after?) 2019 you reapply for a decal, your free access to high-occupancy TOLL lanes will end on 1-1-22 (no four year term on this one?).

AND, in Section 3 of the application, if you're a high roller and take the CA consumer rebate, you may also be SOL for a decal.
www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/a2d67782-6ef5-48e5-aa04-12f472ef97b4/reg1000.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
 
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From a more consumer oriented CA site for the green and white decals:
www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/vr/decal

I

The way I read this is that:
1. If your decal was issued before 1-1-17, you're SOL for renewals/extensions/new ones on 1-1-19. (I wouldn't be surprised if they changed this).

I Sure hope your correct about this point. I purchased and stickered late 2016 giving me just over 2 yrs of carpool lane benefit. I'm sure there are thousands of others like me in this situation. I wrote Bloom a letter, but never got a response back.
 
Why would they change it? It would make no sense whatsoever. The whole point of the program is to encourage people to buy new EVs, and the entire point of the new bill is to have a limited lifetime on sticker validity (3-4 years), Why would they limit new cars to 3-4 years but extend the validity of old stickers beyond what was promised when people bought the cars?
 
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I doubt they will change it. The new 3-4 year approach makes me re-think whether I "buy" my next one. The way the program is now designed, it might be better to lease. Turn it back in in 2022, then lease another until the program expires in 2025. I actually believe the automakers would rather us lease than buy anyhow... Gets older EV's off the road sooner and keeps their economies flowing...
 
It’s still a strange cutoff schedule. If the intent is to encourage the EV purchase or lease, they shouldn’t have the stickers expiring before leases are up.

My example: 36 month lease started 5/2016. I won’t get 1/2019-5/2019 or usage. I get 2 years 7 months of sticker validity. Not the end of the world but certainly very annoying.

Someone who leased on 12/2016 would get hosed even worse. 2 years of usage while a 1/2017 lease would gain a full 3 years. Not only unfair but badly written.

Simple solution if they’re expiring 1/2019 the cutoff for qualifying sould have been 1/2016 not 1/2017 to cover the most common case - a 3 year lease.
 
Jerry Brown has stated he wants 5,000,000 zero emissions cars on the road in CA by 2030. They will continue to issue these stickers (probably up to the model limits) for some time.

1) He should have put EVs in the hands of schools for Driver's Education, and teach real driver's education. These are the people buying most the 2025 EVs. Once you drive EV, it sells itself. If people know how to drive, you don't need 1,200lb of armor and electronic warfare hardware to avoid hitting stuff. The more mandatory equipment you put on cars, the longer it will be before the middle class can buy one.

2) He should have trashed the EV Rebate Bureaucracy, and just eliminated EV sales tax. That would allow lower prices, and wider adoption since you don't have to finance your state rebate. Especially since the Fed has put a state tax cap in place.

3) He should have fired whoever was in charge of EV infrastructure expansion. Lousy, slow, and ridiculously ineffective so far. Deadlines aren't to be ignored by folk who want to keep their 6 figure jobs.

4) He should have put EV owners as have the CPUC board when it comes to electric rates.

5) He should be allowing EVs to use the Toll Roads for free. Our HOV lanes are being converted to toll roads.

What has he done? Well, we get mass funding for H2 rebates and fueling station, EVSEs for places where no EV owners are, no EV sales assist at 'point-of-sale', and we get Sacramento established as the Paris Accord City of the World.

I've been to Paris and Sacramento. They have their work cut out for them that's for sure. Perhaps level the place and start from scratch.

If he WANTS more EVs, he's incompetent. If he SAYS he wants more EVs, he's doing a perfect job.
 
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It’s still a strange cutoff schedule. If the intent is to encourage the EV purchase or lease, they shouldn’t have the stickers expiring before leases are up.

My example: 36 month lease started 5/2016. I won’t get 1/2019-5/2019 or usage. I get 2 years 7 months of sticker validity. Not the end of the world but certainly very annoying.

Someone who leased on 12/2016 would get hosed even worse. 2 years of usage while a 1/2017 lease would gain a full 3 years. Not only unfair but badly written.

Simple solution if they’re expiring 1/2019 the cutoff for qualifying sould have been 1/2016 not 1/2017 to cover the most common case - a 3 year lease.

But you already got the car. Whatever they did with the cutoff would have zero effect on how many people purchased/leased EVs in the past. The bill was passed in 2017, so to make sure that sales didn't plummet in 2017 and 2018 they put the extension into the bill for those years. 2016 was already in the books, no point.
 
Why make it so difficult, increase the price of gas to $6 a gallon, eliminate sales tax on ev cars or at least lower it. Offer evse as a promotion and you are good to go.


1) He should have put EVs in the hands of schools for Driver's Education, and teach real driver's education. These are the people buying most the 2025 EVs. Once you drive EV, it sells itself. If people know how to drive, you don't need 1,200lb of armor and electronic warfare hardware to avoid hitting stuff. The more mandatory equipment you put on cars, the longer it will be before the middle class can buy one.

2) He should have trashed the EV Rebate Bureaucracy, and just eliminated EV sales tax. That would allow lower prices, and wider adoption since you don't have to finance your state rebate. Especially since the Fed has put a state tax cap in place.

3) He should have fired whoever was in charge of EV infrastructure expansion. Lousy, slow, and ridiculously ineffective so far. Deadlines aren't to be ignored by folk who want to keep their 6 figure jobs.

4) He should have put EV owners as have the CPUC board when it comes to electric rates.

5) He should be allowing EVs to use the Toll Roads for free. Our HOV lanes are being converted to toll roads.

What has he done? Well, we get mass funding for H2 rebates and fueling station, EVSEs for places where no EV owners are, no EV sales assist at 'point-of-sale', and we get Sacramento established as the Paris Accord City of the World.

I've been to Paris and Sacramento. They have their work cut out for them that's for sure. Perhaps level the place and start from scratch.

If he WANTS more EVs, he's incompetent. If he SAYS he wants more EVs, he's doing a perfect job.
 
I am not seeing a mass migration of Mexicans or Canadians flowing across border to buy gas? You going to drive to Reno weekly to buy your 200 gallons of gas?

I drive electric. Gas is $6 a gallon in Europe. They aren't swimming in EVs are they?

Do you think I could move 2000 gallons of gasoline with a pickup? Yup. That's $6000 in savings, if you don't just sell it. Make a good living working 2 days a week.

You can either train your dog by using a cattle prod and a shock collar, or you can use bits of jerky. I understand most folk like prods when 'teaching others a lesson', but I'm more of a treat and praise kind of person.
 
Norway isn't doing well? 1/3 of their cars are EVs, Netherlands are getting there. Paris is heading that way too.

You want to install a large gasoline tank in your house to save $3000 a year? Oh wait, it's probably less than $3000 once you factor in a giant tank in ground, storing it and transporting it. I guess you will at least have enough gas in case the zombies come along
 
I found this website that explains it in layman terms:
Here's how California's carpool (HOV-lane) stickers work now: updated

Owners of qualified vehicles purchased before January 1, 2017 will have their stickers expire on January 1, 2019. For cars purchased in 2017 or 2018, owners can apply for new red HOV-lane-access stickers that will be valid until January 1, 2022.

For owners who purchase qualifying new cars after January 1, 2019, the red stickers will be valid for three full years and until January 1 of the fourth year. For example, a new car purchased on February 1, 2019 could have a valid HOV sticker until January 1, 2023.

Looks like it has nothing to do with when you apply for the sticker, but with when you purchased the vehicle.
I just got delivery of my car and I'll be sending in my application for clean vehicle decal as soon as I receive my license plate.