[Classic]

As you all waiting to get your HOV sticker to go in car pool lane, I got mine today. It took exactly 24 days since I mail my application. Not bad for slow Sacramento DMV, so if you are waiting more than 24 days, then check your mail again you may have it already. Time to go to car pool lane now.
The number on the sticker is about 32,000 so it could show that they sent about 32000 sticker so far and 18,000 to go before they stop and check the condition of the car pool lane.

 

[agile pagile]

stickers

We just received our stickers in the mail. We got #31***. They cashed our check on Aug 23. Boy that seems like a long time between them getting their money and us getting our stickers! My wife saves about an hour commute time with them, so she's very happy. Agile

 

[prius4us]

Just got my stickers Oct. 21. Sent application Sept. 21. But I can't put them on yet since my bumper needs to be repaired because someone rear ended me.

 

[duststarziggy]

I thought the limit was 75,000, not 50,000. I'm waiting for an '06 and plan on buying immediately after Jan 1 but don't want to get squeezed out of getting the HOV sticker

 

[prius4us]

The body shop says after they repaint the rear bumper, the paint needs 30 days to cure before I can apply the HOV stickers. They said I should be able to temporary attach the stickers on the rear glass by taping it securely and if I get pulled over, I can show them the repair bill with the note that the stickers cannot be applied for 30 days. I waited 2 months to get my stickers from applying for the Fastrak and finally getting the stickers from DMV. Waiting another 30 days to be able to use them is almost unbearable.

 

[Classic]

Waiting another 30 days to be able to use them is almost unbearable.

I would not wait that long and I would explain to any unfreindly officer that pull me over. Enjoy your free car pool now.

 

[Classic]

I thought the limit was 75,000, not 50,000.

The limit is 75,000 but they will stop at 50,000 and will check the condition of the car pool lane. If people start complaining that the car pool are conjested, then they will stop at 50,000. My guess is that if they ask people, then every one without a highbrid will complain. I could not wait and take the risk so I bought my 2005 Prius 1 month ago and love it so far.

 

[prius4us]

I thought the limit was 75,000, not 50,000.

The limit is 75,000 but they will stop at 50,000 and will check the condition of the car pool lane. If people start complaining that the car pool are conjested, then they will stop at 50,000. My guess is that if they ask people, then every one without a highbrid will complain. I could not wait and take the risk so I bought my 2005 Prius 1 month ago and love it so far.

If they stop issuing the stickers at 50,000 I fear that we'll see more stealing of stickers off cars. My coworker's stickers were already stolen.

 

[83989]

10/26

I got a slightly different story from DMV today on what they will do at 50,000. They told me they had issued 40,000 so far. They did not plan to stop the process at 50,000 and take a period of time to evaluate. Instead, at 50,000 they would evaluate based on reports they had already received and decide if they would continue to the 75,000 limit. They said that they have received no information from CalTrans that would indicate any reason to stop at 50,000 and the chances were excellent they would continue.

10/27

Additional information: Called and got another office that is handling calls for the Special Processing Unit. They said they are closest to the situation and have best information. Unlike what I mentioned above, and consistent with the other poster, they said the plan was to stop at 50,000 and evaluate. But the good news is they said they have issued 31,000 - not 40,000.

I have been waiting for the 2006 model and the tax credit after Jan 1 so I will be watching the HOV sticker situation closely.

 

[Classic]

10/26


But the good news is they said they have issued 31,000 - not 40,000.

I agree since I got my sticker 3 days ago and it has a number around 32XXX, so yest about 18,000 to go but every one is appling for the sticker so based on the number of Prius sold in Calif including Honda, they will get to 50,000 not too long from now. My pridication is about 2 months.

 

[83989]

The sales manager at a large dealership in the LA area told me he expects the So Cal region (San Luis Obispo south) will get 3600 cars through the end of the year. He said for rough planning, assume the Northern Calif has about 2/3 the allocation of So Cal.

Assume an average of 1800 cars a month to So Cal and 1200 for North Cal for a total of 3000 cars a month. I don't know about the Honda Civic Hybrid but I heard it was in very limited supply through the end of the year, so assume 500 cars a month for all Calif - not including the tiny Honda.

So assume a total of 3500 new qualifying hybrids in Calif per month.

The people who submitted HOV applications towards the end of Sep are receiving stickers around the 31,000 mark. So assume that number of people applying between the end of September and the end of December is 3500 * 3 = 10,500 which would put them at the 41,500 mark. That means if you wait until the first of the year, you should still be able to get under the 50,000 number.

 

[Priusbabysitter]

My stickers came in 21 days including a side trip.

I picked up the car the morning of Oct 11th and drove straight to the FastTrak office in SF. I arrived before noon and there was no line. It took about 20 minutes. There were 3 or 4 people in line when I left.

I mailed the form to the DMV that afternoon. My check was cashed on the 26th. The stickers arrived today (Nov 1st) but FROM THE DEALER! The prius had 2K dealer miles and was sold used. Apparently the registration change hadn't made it to the DMV and they sent the stickers to the registered owner (still the dealer). The dealer obviously promptly forwarded them on to me.

The clean air sticker certificate has the dealer name. I hope that won't be a problem down the road.

My sticker number is 26,XXX?!?! I don't have an explanation for that.

 

[Cattmatt]

Stickers

Got mine yesterday, Halloween, #261XX. Wrote my check on 10/15. Sacre moo: it took barely a half a month!

Could aliens have taken over the DMV!?! Not that I'm complaining, mind you...

 

[JDavies]

Check mailed to CA DMV Sept 2. Got Stickers Sept 18. Check cashed Sept. 15. Sticker #163XX.
Re stealing stickers: Enclosed instructions say they will self destruct if removed.
~JD~

 

[prius4us]

I'm planning to put the two large stickers on a magnetic sheet and place them on either side of the car where there's metal (not the bumper). I've seen a website that advertises magnetic sheets that are 30 mil in thickness and another that advertises 12 mil in thickness. Which thickness would work better at staying on the car driving at highway speeds or does it matter?