California DMV Ready to Distribute Stickers Allowing Hybrid Vehicle Owners to Drive in HOV Lanes.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- With the signing of the federal transportation bill (H.R. 3) this morning by Pres. George Bush, legislation allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue special stickers to owners of hybrid vehicles that will allow them to drive without penalty in High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes with only one person inside has become a reality.

HOV lanes have traditionally been reserved for vehicles carrying at least two people. The law is something that Californians have been waiting for since January 1, 2005. That's when a new state law took effect that allows hybrid vehicles getting at least 45 miles per gallon to use HOV lanes with only the driver on board. But because the federal government sets rules for federal interstate roadways and until the federal government gave California the authorization to proceed with its new law, it couldn't go into effect without putting much-needed highway money at risk. All that changed this morning.

"The HOV waiver and sticker program is another example of California's leadership role in the areas of clean air, alternate fuel systems, environmentally-friendlier vehicles and transportation funding," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said. "I am very pleased the President has signed the legislation and that we can move forward with this important program. It's a common sense policy that represents yet another step toward cleaning up our environment and reducing air pollution. The more we can encourage Californians to buy and drive cleaner-air hybrid cars and trucks, and give them some incentive to do so, the better off we will all be."

DMV has been prepared to move forward with the special sticker distribution program for several months, said DMV Director Joan Borucki. "The yellow stickers will come in a packet of four and will differentiate hybrids from other clean air vehicles. A single sticker must be placed on the front bumper, the back bumper and on the rear quarter panels on both sides of each qualifying vehicle. We are absolutely ready and anxious to get the stickers out to customers as soon as possible," she said.

According to July data, a total of 57,164 hybrid vehicles are registered in California -- up from almost 34,000 last year. However, not all will qualify for HOV-lane access. That's because both the state and federal legislation contain technical criteria regarding emissions and fuel efficiency.

To help Californians determine if their vehicle is eligible for the stickers, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has identified the specific makes and models that do qualify and has posted that information on its website at:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/proposedhybrid.htm.

Vehicle owners who qualify for the stickers must fill out an updated Reg 1000 form available on the DMV website (www.dmv.ca.gov) or at a nearby office. The form must then be mailed to DMV headquarters in Sacramento at: Department of Motor Vehicles, Special Processing Unit MS D238, P.O. Box 923245, Sacramento, CA. 94232-3450. The stickers will cost $8 for all four. Customers will get their stickers mailed to them within two weeks. Because of a limited supply of the stickers at this point, Gov. Schwarzenegger has agreed that citizen-owned vehicles will get the stickers first, with state-owned vehicles getting them as they become available.

The process is a bit different for the nine-county Oakland/San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area, where owners of qualifying hybrids will also have to prove that they own a "FasTrak" pass and transponder for their vehicle, which allows them to drive by toll booths without having to stop and pay -- a process that adds to air emissions and pollution. These drivers must submit a copy of their FasTrak toll account receipt with their Reg 1000 form. The $8 cost for the four stickers remains the same.