I purchased my 2005 HCH in mid-August and received my stickers about a month later. I have yet to receive my plates. Your qualifying vehicle does have to get input into the DMV's system though.

I sent my HOV application in the day after I purchased my Civic. There were some processing delays so my car wasn't input into the DMV's system for three weeks. My check was cashed two days after the system entry date and I received the stickers a week later. Since my application was sent to Sacramento for "special" processing, the DMV told me to expect my plates no earlier than 3 months after the system entry date.

Also, I read the HOV statute and after a specified number of stickers are issued, I believe the DMV is supposed to inform the DOT. I think there should be some notification on the DOT or DMV website when this milestone is reached.

 

Do you live in a county that requires Fastrak?

My application for HOV stickers got refused with sending in a copy of my registration and of my old Fastrak account bill. This was due to the fact my Fastrak account did not list my hybrid transponder and HCH plate number. I had sent my transponder in with a copy registration for a new hybrid transponder at the same time I sent the HOV sticker application in. It took almost a month for me to get my new transponder and the proper paper copy of my account to send to the DMV. The DMV took 1 week to send out my stickers out after receiving my new Fastrak account information in a envelope supplied by the DMV with my plate number on it.

 

I don't live in a county that requires Fastrak. I'm sure the Fastrak requirement adds another maze of bureaucracy to navigate.

 

During my morning commute today, a solo driver in a Honda Accord Hybrid jumped into the carpool lane in front of me. To my surprise, the HAH had an HOV sticker attached to the bumper. I can think of a numer of scenarios of how this could have happened, but I hope this individual requested the stickers for a qualifying vehicle and instead used them on his HAH. In this scenario, at least he didn't use up one of the 75,000 stickers allocated to qualifying vehicles. Anyway, I recorded the license plate number of this vehicle in case I ever have time to investigate.

 

Ladera HCH,
How did you send in your HOV lane sticker application to DMV without having your license plates yet? The application has a spot for the vehicle license plate on the very top...(did you leave it blank, etc)?

 

I left the license plat spot blank. I also included a copy of the DMV transfer of ownership document that included the VIN and my name, address, etc. I don't think it was needed, but I included it just to be safe.

 

This article appeared in the SF Chronicle today -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DGFTFG41P1.DTL

What a whiner!

 

I submitted my paper on 10/6 and got the stickers last week. I did not have my license plate at that time - the Fastrak office assured me that it would be ok.

I finally put them this morning and enjoyed the carpool lane!!!, some old ladies behind me got so pissed they thought I was violating the rules.

 

aha - what is your sticker number approximately to guage where we are? Thanks.

 

It's 33618 - it was released on 10/21 so I think it took about 3 weeks for me.