California Plates and Registration

[cablue]

I also just got my plates in the mail yesterday, for my Model 3. Purchased & took delivery of my car on 3/31, and the DMV registration shows the registration paperwork was printed out on 4/20. Plates were received in the mail on 5/13.

Good thing too because SCE sent me a reminder email to hurry up and submit a copy of my official DMV registration in order to get my $1000 rebate, or they would cancel my application at the end of this month. Didn't need it through for the CVRP rebate.


I didn't apply for the HOV decals yet (will wait to 2021 since I'm not driving much these days, and will be working from home a lot this year), but in the past when I've always applied for them - 6 total sets over the past 5 years, usually once the DMV cashes your check then the process is fast and the stickers show up in the mail about a week later. It's usually the waiting, from the time you mail in your app until you see your check has been cashed, that is a long time.

I’m also waiting to order my HOV stickers until next year. I will not put on the CalTrans orange sticker. Hopefully next years will be more reasonable.

 

[frankvb]

As other posters, I'm also thinking to delay applying for HOV stickers until 1/1/2021. Still have a Leaf with current HOV stickers so can always use that when needed. I'm working from home (even before the pandemic) so not a problem.

 

[Pluggg]

I have the purple stickers I never put on my bmw i3. I'll wait until 2021 to apply as well.
that ugly orange sticker is terrible

 

[rsinger2]

They are valid for a defined time, but it goes by year so doing today or in the fall will still expire 1/1/24 (orange stickers). If you wait until 2021, then you will get a different color and will expire 1/1/25.

Is there a certain amount of time you must apply by or any restrictions around this?

 

[St☰v☰]

That's absolutely correct.It will take something like 3-4 weeks to get them (the entire process is done via regular mail),

I wonder if you time it right and apply middle of December you'll get them early January. Bit of a risk in case they suddenly process the request very fast...

I don't think you can use DMV and "fast" in the same thought or sentence

 

[TT97]

Is there a certain amount of time you must apply by or any restrictions around this?

No time limit to register as long as the car has not been registered before. You can even register a used EV if it never had a sticker before (for example, if you buy an EV from Arizona and bring it to CA).

Here is the link for the DMV Clean Air Vehicle Decals info:

Clean Air Vehicle Decals - High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Usage