[RichardInCA]

Anyone applied to the DMV for their clean air vehicle decals recently? I put mailed off an application and fee in late December and haven’t heard a peep - wondered if others had more luck?

[Scrapula]

We don’t have this in Washington, yet. But we tend to follow California so I am hoping for this. Does it also help with toll lanes? For example, the HOV lane on the 405 is carpool 3 passengers during peak hours, or pay to drive for $15. That’s handled with our ‘Good to Go’ passes the we stick on our windshield.

[RichardInCA]

Yes - it opens up HOV lanes for EV’s. It’d make a huge difference for me as I travel over the bay bridge on my commute.

[RichardInCA]

Here’s the link to the program: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicl...carpool-lanes/

It’s been around for years.

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by Scrapula

We don’t have this in Washington, yet. But we tend to follow California so I am hoping for this. Does it also help with toll lanes? For example, the HOV lane on the 405 is carpool 3 passengers during peak hours, or pay to drive for $15. That’s handled with our ‘Good to Go’ passes the we stick on our windshield.

Wow, here in southern California all the HOV lanes are 2 or more people in the car including the driver. As far as I know, there are no exceptions where you can pay for a pass.

I was thinking about applying too but I don't think I want to stick anything to the car.

[Sisyrx]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Wow, here in southern California all the HOV lanes are 2 or more people in the car including the driver. As far as I know, there are no exceptions where you can pay for a pass.

I was thinking about applying too but I don't think I want to stick anything to the car.

Unfortunately, they recently converted the carpool lanes on the 405 from roughly Santa Ana to Huntington to toll lanes and upped the toll-free carpool limit to 3 people.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Wow, here in southern California all the HOV lanes are 2 or more people in the car including the driver. As far as I know, there are no exceptions where you can pay for a pass.

I was thinking about applying too but I don't think I want to stick anything to the car.

I thought about that for a minute, then I thought about my commute across the bay bridge in the morning (if you don’t hit the toll plaza by 5:45am then the metering lights come on across the 18 toll lanes and everyone enjoys squeezing down to 5 lines on the bridge….) and I’m all in. The HOV lanes there make a massive difference to commute time.

[Scrapula]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

I thought about that for a minute, then I thought about my commute across the bay bridge in the morning (if you don’t hit the toll plaza by 5:45am then the metering lights come on across the 18 toll lanes and everyone enjoys squeezing down to 5 lines on the bridge….) and I’m all in. The HOV lanes there make a massive difference to commute time.

It took us over an hour to get through those toll booths. That would make a huge difference.

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by Sisyrx

Unfortunately, they recently converted the carpool lanes on the 405 from roughly Santa Ana to Huntington to toll lanes and upped the toll-free carpool limit to 3 people.

I'm not down that far very often, didn't know. Thanks for the warning!

[sgosha]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

Anyone applied to the DMV for their clean air vehicle decals recently? I put mailed off an application and fee in late December and haven’t heard a peep - wondered if others had more luck?

I've mailed the application in November (iirc) and also got nothing yet.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by sgosha

I've mailed the application in November (iirc) and also got nothing yet.

I ended up connecting with the DMV chat service and they said it’s currently up to 120days (!) - after seeing 30 days splashed on the website.

[OciWan]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

I ended up connecting with the DMV chat service and they said it’s currently up to 120days (!) - after seeing 30 days splashed on the website.

How did you get a hold of the DMV? I’ve called multiple times.
I applied November 21 and haven’t heard anything as well. My wife is getting super annoyed as it’s her car.
I was thinking of reapplying.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by OciWan

How did you get a hold of the DMV? I’ve called multiple times.
I applied November 21 and haven’t heard anything as well. My wife is getting super annoyed as it’s her car.
I was thinking of reapplying.

I used the online chat function and requested an agent (see below).

I cross posted in the i4 and iX forums and it seems as though this is heading to 3months or so from reading between the other replies.

[OciWan]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

I used the online chat function and requested an agent (see below).

I cross posted in the i4 and iX forums and it seems as though this is heading to 3months or so from reading between the other replies.

I just reapplied using this link. Got it by chatting with the DMV

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicl...carpool-lanes/

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by OciWan

I just reapplied using this link. Got it by chatting with the DMV

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicl...carpool-lanes/

Nice - did they tell you to reapply or are you just doubling down?

[OciWan]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

Nice - did they tell you to reapply or are you just doubling down?

She looked up my account and said it has not been processed. She gave me the link and said you can reapply here and it should be faster or just wait for the mail in to process.
She said the mail in was 3-4 months.

I’m hoping this will be much faster as it validates everything instantly and took my payment.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by OciWan

She looked up my account and said it has not been processed. She gave me the link and said you can reapply here and it should be faster or just wait for the mail in to process.
She said the mail in was 3-4 months.

I’m hoping this will be much faster as it validates everything instantly and took my payment.

That’s great to know - did they say they’d just ignore the mailed in application when they came to it? I might follow suit

[pfannenstiel]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Wow, here in southern California all the HOV lanes are 2 or more people in the car including the driver. As far as I know, there are no exceptions where you can pay for a pass.

I was thinking about applying too but I don't think I want to stick anything to the car.

You can buy PPF to stick on the car instead of the stickers going directly onto the paint.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q6L3QX5...hlbWF0aWM&th=1

[OciWan]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

That’s great to know - did they say they’d just ignore the mailed in application when they came to it? I might follow suit

Yes. Mail in would be ignored if the online gets processed

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by pfannenstiel

You can buy PPF to stick on the car instead of the stickers going directly onto the paint.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q6L3QX5...hlbWF0aWM&th=1

That's a great idea! Thanks for the link - I didn't even know you could buy something like that for just the small stickers. I wonder if anyone in the forums have used it before. That sounds like something I could definitely do.

[SkykingUSA]

By the way, I found the following in the FAQ on that CA tag website link:

Are paper applications for CAV decals or ID cards accepted?

No, paper applications are no longer accepted for CAV decals or ID cards.

I wonder if your paper mail-in applications were never really accepted, or just put aside for processing "when we have time". Either way, I would definitely apply online because that FAQ also says this:

I completed my CAV application. When will I receive the CAV decal?

If you submitted an electronic application and it is approved, the decal will be mailed to you within 21 days. If you submitted a paper application and it is approved, the decal will be mailed to you within three months.

[RichardInCA]

Great intel. I’ll probably go online and reapply. At the time I sent in the application the online application was not available.