Sorry, EV drivers, you’re about to lose one of your most prized benefits.
One of California’s longest-standing incentives to persuade people to buy electric cars — a program that grants access to carpool lanes regardless of the number of occupants in the vehicle — is ending. The Clean Air Vehicle decal program terminates on Sept. 30.
After that, the colorful decals that have allowed drivers of Teslas, Priuses, Leafs, Rivians, and other electric cars to use the carpool lane during commute hours on crowded roads like Highway 101 in Silicon Valley, 880 in the East Bay or the 405 freeway in Los Angeles for nearly 25 years will be discontinued and the special privileges will stop. The details:
When will my EV carpool sticker expire?
Midnight on Sept. 30, statewide.
What happens if I am driving in a carpool lane during restricted hours with no passengers after that?
The CHP can stop you and issue a citation. Violating California’s carpool lanes, also called diamond lanes, or high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, carries fines of $490.
“Starting October 1, 2025, you must obey the posted vehicle occupancy requirement to travel in the carpool (HOV) lane or risk receiving a citation and fine,” the California Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement.
Why is this happening?
For more than 20 years, federal law has permitted states to choose whether to allow carpool-lane access for electric vehicles. The initial goal was to incentivize sales of vehicles that lower air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
But under the latest version of federal law, signed by President Obama in 2015 and known as the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act,” those allowances expire on Sept. 30. Republicans who control the House and Senate have not renewed the program, and President Trump has already taken actions this year to eliminate federal tax credits for electric vehicles and to block a California law mandating that all new vehicles sold in the state beginning in 2035 be electric.
Can California do anything about it?
No. Last year, a Southern California Republican, Assemblyman Greg Wallis of Rancho Mirage, authored a bill, AB 2678, to prolong California’s EV carpool decal program until Jan. 1, 2027. It cleared the legislature with broad bipartisan majorities in Sacramento. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law last September. But it will not take effect unless Congress reauthorizes the program.
There are still three weeks left. Is there any chance Congress will save the program?
Not likely. There is a remote possibility that House leaders could tuck language in at the last minute into a large continuing resolution as part of a deal to keep funding the federal government after Sept. 30, but analysts tracking the issue don’t expect that to happen.
“I would put the chances of reauthorization as very slim,” said Bill Magavern, policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air, an environmental group.
Will my EV sticker still get me discounted or free tolls for bridges and in high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes?
No. Starting Oct. 1, the FasTrak CAV toll tag will automatically convert to a standard FasTrak Flex tag, and the driver will be charged full tolls for bridges and express lanes unless the vehicle satisfies carpool occupancy requirements.
How many people does this affect?
As of last month, there are 511,877 active EV carpool stickers in California, according to DMV spokesman Jonathan Groveman. Since the program began in 2000 there have been 1,211,530 million issued.
How many people usually have to be in a vehicle to qualify for the carpool lane?
It varies by location, but usually two or more, and on some freeways three or more.
What’s the main argument in favor of letting the EV carpool program expire now?
When the program first started, after former Gov. Gray Davis signed AB 71, a law written by former Republican Assemblyman Jim Cunneen of San Jose in 1999, fewer than 2% of the cars on the road were electric. Last year in California, 25.3% of new vehicle sales were electric, according to the California Energy Commission.
In some counties, the share is even greater. In Santa Clara County, a striking 43.8% of new passenger vehicles bought last year were “zero emission” — essentially electric or plug-in hybrid. In Marin County, it was 40.1%; Alameda County 37.7%; Contra Costa County 32.7%; San Mateo County 25.3% and San Francisco 35.6%. It was 31% in Orange County, and 26.5% in Los Angeles County.
“We think it’s time to return carpool lanes to the carpools. It’s fine for the program to expire,” said Magavern, whose group opposes extending the program.
Who supports continuing the carpool perk?
Some environmental organizations do, along with the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an automaker industry group, and the California Air Resources Board.
The air board contends that despite major improvements over recent decades, California still endures some of the nation’s most polluted air (primarily in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley), and for the state to meet its clean air and greenhouse gas objectives, more electric vehicles must keep coming onto the roads.
What are the ramifications of this change? How will it affect traffic?
No one knows for sure. It could push more vehicles into the general lanes, worsening congestion. It could prompt more commuters to carpool so they can continue using the HOV lanes. It might further slow EV sales. They have dipped this year, led by Tesla, the top-selling EV nationwide and in California, partly because many prospective buyers in largely Democratic states where the most EVs are purchased are unhappy with Tesla CEO Elon Musk providing $250 million to President Trump’s campaign and helping him fire federal workers through his DOGE program.
Tesla has been losing its EV dominance as competitors gain ground, which may also be a factor in the sales dip.
Is this happening in any other states?
Yes. California is one of 13 states that offer this sort of perk to drivers of electric vehicles in carpool lanes. The others are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. Because Congress has not reauthorized the program, all must shut down on Sept. 30.
Do I have to remove the decal from my vehicle on Oct. 1?
No. If you like, you can take it off. Or you can leave it as a memento of a bygone era.
Auto and lifestyle writer who loves simplifying complex topics into easy-to-understand insights.
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