CHP To Start Issuing Tickets For Major Traffic Law Change

The grace period for electric vehicle drivers to use carpool lanes without passengers ended Monday, months after a new law was enacted to end the 25-year program.

Going forward, any vehicle in the carpool lane without a passenger — yellow decal or not — will risk being pulled over and hit with a $490 fine for riding solo in a diamond lane.

The state’s Clean Air Vehicle decal program, which has allowed clean-air vehicle drivers to go solo through HOV lanes since 2000, ended Sept. 30 after Republicans in Congress voted not to renew it. Discounts for bridges and express lanes currently offered to electric vehicles also ended on Sept. 30.

Technically, since Oct. 1, drivers who had the "clean air vehicle" decal on their front or back bumpers, had to obey the rules of carpool lanes. Up until Monday, drivers were merely given warnings, according to multiple reports.

In 1999, the federal government first allowed states to decide whether clean-air cars could pass through HOV lanes without passengers. California was the first state to enact what would become a very popular program.

In 2015, President Barack Obama extended the program through Sept. 30, 2025. While large bipartisan majorities passed a bill to extend the decal program until 2027 — with Gov. Gavin Newsom signing it into law — California couldn't continue the program without congressional approval.

The end of the decal program is one of several steps taken in Washington to roll back environmental regulations, particularly in California.

In June, President Trump signed a resolution blocking California’s ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. The One Big Beautiful Bill also ended the $7,500 tax credit for eligible zero-emissions vehicles after Sept. 30.

The state has fought back with lawsuits and an executive order from Gov. Newsom directing state agencies to recommend ways to expand the use of zero-emission vehicles in the state.

What It Means For California Drivers

To date in 2025, 325,768 zero-emission vehicles have sold in California, making up nearly 25 percent of all cars sold in the state, according to the California Energy Commission.

Owners of these vehicles will not be required to remove their yellow decals after Monday, or order different FasTrak tags.

This move is expected to snarl traffic by forcing noticeably more cars in the regular lanes. Drivers who want to continue to use HOV lanes should begin arranging for carpools, or take part in programs like the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s 511 program, which allow multiple ways to car or vanpool.

Patch editor Michael Wittner contributed to this report.

RELATED:

• Trump Signs Measure Blocking California's Ban On New Sales Of Gas-Powered Cars
• CA's Electric Vehicle Sales Have Stalled As A Landmark Mandate Looms
• EVs Leasing For Under $100 Per Month At Some Dealerships: Report