Mowcowbell
Well-Known Member
You'd think they would just issue drivers different color license tags instead of those huge, ugly stickers?
How long does it take to get the CA HOV sticker
- Thread starter Teamchang
- Start date
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I think they don't want the HOV credentials to be moved from car-to-car easily by thieves or unscrupulous car owners.
I saw a pair of kids quickly get away from the rear of my car when I hit the button to unlock my Clarity at a Fryes over the weekend.
I think that they were trying to steal either my plate, registration sticker, and/or HOV stickers.
I was parked in the far corner away from other cars in order to avoid scratches. As soon as I hit the button, they quickly jumped on their bikes and sped away.
I can't think of any other reason that they were paying so much attention to the rear of my car.
Just an FYI.
I think that they were trying to steal either my plate, registration sticker, and/or HOV stickers.
I was parked in the far corner away from other cars in order to avoid scratches. As soon as I hit the button, they quickly jumped on their bikes and sped away.
I can't think of any other reason that they were paying so much attention to the rear of my car.
Just an FYI.
4sallypat
Active Member
Yes, they probably wanted the annual registration tags or your HOV stickers to resell as I see them for sale on Craigslist and local swapmeets....
maguzma
New Member
I sent application first week of FEB and finally got the check cleared Friday before then five days later I received stickers in the mail. When I contacted DMV to get status the help desk reported it takes 60 days to review application/approval then seven for stickers to arrive (on average).
On my old Honda Accord, someone once swiped my registration sticker. I was taught to slice an "x" in it with a razor blade to make it fall apart if someone tries to remove it.
I'm definitely not going to do this with the HOV stickers though
It's amusing to this non-Californian that something so ugly can be so valuable. It's so coveted that perhaps Californians actually perceive it to be good looking. For how many Claritys has that sticker been the key factor in the purchase decision?
I assume that's when the purple stickers will have expired and their drivers will be relegated to the non-HOV lanes with the rest of the single-occupant cars.Well, last year's purple certainly blended in better, but the orange color will look really nice in 2023 when it's a blur whizzing past the purple-stickered cars
4sallypat
Active Member
One main reason I got the Clarity was the coveted purple HOV stickers.
To shave time off your drive on the congested city traffic - it's worth every penny ($22) for these stickers.
I'm sure every southern California driver would drop $22 in a second to get the sticker if their car qualified them to get one. Would you have gotten a Clarity if it didn't qualify for one of those stickers?
Toolworker
Well-Known Member
An agent in the DMV Special Processing Unit - where they actually process the HOV decals - just told me:
So I will wait until my VIN is actually in their system before applying. I call the main DMV number (800) 777-0133 every week or so to check. Tell the robovoice "Agent" and then sign up for them to call you back when it's your turn - that works well.
I suspect they tell you to wait for your permanent registration because that's the easiest way to make sure your VIN is in the system, and they sure don't want to tell you to call them up every few days.
There are some reasons the dealer might not do that. If the car is sold before the decal arrives, the dealer has to get the decals to the buyer. Some don't want the hassle. Many will require the buyer to pick up the decals in person, rather than take a chance on having them go astray. If the buyer turns out not to want the decal, then having it may lower the car's eventual value when resold, since the next owner could otherwise apply for a decal.
And the buyer may prefer to wait until the end of the year and get four full years of HOV.
The best customer service would be what your dealer did - wait until someone buys the car and apply then. But they should have asked you first.
- You can apply using the temporary plate number. What they key off of is the VIN*.
- Today, January 24, they are processing HOV decal applications received on January 9. (He was surprised too.)
So I will wait until my VIN is actually in their system before applying. I call the main DMV number (800) 777-0133 every week or so to check. Tell the robovoice "Agent" and then sign up for them to call you back when it's your turn - that works well.
I suspect they tell you to wait for your permanent registration because that's the easiest way to make sure your VIN is in the system, and they sure don't want to tell you to call them up every few days.
You can send in a form to correct the name and address on the decal to agree with your registration. Probably no one will ever check, but no reason not to do it.
Last time I went through this, 4 years ago, there was a system where a dealer could apply for a decal with just the VIN, even before the vehicle arrives, using a different form than ours, and with faster turnaround. I believe that system is still in place.
There are some reasons the dealer might not do that. If the car is sold before the decal arrives, the dealer has to get the decals to the buyer. Some don't want the hassle. Many will require the buyer to pick up the decals in person, rather than take a chance on having them go astray. If the buyer turns out not to want the decal, then having it may lower the car's eventual value when resold, since the next owner could otherwise apply for a decal.
And the buyer may prefer to wait until the end of the year and get four full years of HOV.
The best customer service would be what your dealer did - wait until someone buys the car and apply then. But they should have asked you first.
4sallypat
Active Member
This is exactly what my dealer does - they pre-order the HOV stickers ahead of delivery for all their Claritys (PHEV, BEV, FCV) before they arrive on their lot. The dealership then charges you $22 for the sticker at F&I.
So now they have cars that have the HOV stickers on them as customers browse, making it an "eye catching" car and helps to close sales.
On my Clarity, I had to ask the DMV processor at the dealership NOT to order the then red HOV stickers. Instead, I wanted the purple ones being sent in 2019 for a full 4 years. The dealership was a breeze to deal with and they had an incoming Clarity without a pre-ordered sticker and that's the one I got.
Toolworker
Well-Known Member
Decals for my Kona EV finally arrived.
1/8/20 Bought the car.
1/30/20 Called DMV (not for the first time) and found out my VIN and plate were in the system.
Mailed the application to DMV with my personalized plate number.
(DMV says the plate doesn't matter; they go by the VIN.)
2/5/20 Plates arrived in the mail; reregistered with my personalized plate at the AAA.
2/11/20 Decals issued, according to the DMV certificate.
2/21/20 Check cleared.
2/28/20 Decals arrived in the mail.
1/30/20 Called DMV (not for the first time) and found out my VIN and plate were in the system.
Mailed the application to DMV with my personalized plate number.
(DMV says the plate doesn't matter; they go by the VIN.)
2/5/20 Plates arrived in the mail; reregistered with my personalized plate at the AAA.
2/11/20 Decals issued, according to the DMV certificate.
2/21/20 Check cleared.
2/28/20 Decals arrived in the mail.