No. Hybrid cars cannot drive in the carpool lane in California with a solo driver. The Clean Air Vehicle decal program that once let qualifying plug-in hybrids, electric cars, and other low-emission vehicles use HOV lanes without meeting the passenger minimum ended at midnight on September 30, 2025.1California DMV. Clean Air Vehicle Decals Since October 1, 2025, your hybrid needs the same number of people on board as any other vehicle to use an HOV lane.
What You Need in the Car Now
Most California HOV lanes require two or more occupants. Some corridors require three or more, including stretches of I-80 and I-880 in the San Francisco Bay Area, the I-10 El Monte Busway during peak hours in Los Angeles, and I-5 in San Ysidro near San Diego.2Caltrans. High-Occupancy Vehicle Systems Posted signs along each highway state the minimum, so check before merging.
A short list of vehicles can still use HOV lanes regardless of passenger count: motorcycles, designated mass transit vehicles, clearly marked blood transport vehicles, and marked paratransit vehicles. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles are not on that list anymore.
The Fine for Driving Solo
An HOV violation is one of California’s more expensive traffic tickets. The minimum fine is $490 for a first offense, and repeat violations or county surcharges can push the total higher.2Caltrans. High-Occupancy Vehicle Systems A hybrid gets no break. If you are pulled over alone in a carpool lane, the citation is the same one anyone else would get.
Do Old Decals Still Do Anything
No. If your car still has a white or purple Clean Air Vehicle sticker on it, that sticker provides no legal defense if you are stopped in an HOV lane without enough passengers. The DMV also confirmed that no refunds were issued to drivers whose decals ended early.1California DMV. Clean Air Vehicle Decals
You do not have to peel the decal off. The DMV says there is no requirement to remove it.1California DMV. Clean Air Vehicle Decals Some drivers take theirs off anyway so passengers don’t assume the car still has special lane privileges.
Why the Program Ended
The exemption came from federal law. Section 166 of Title 23 of the United States Code authorized states to let low-emission vehicles into HOV lanes with fewer passengers, but only through September 30, 2025.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 23 USC 166 – HOV Facilities When Congress did not extend the authority, California lost the legal basis to keep the program running. The state legislature had passed Assembly Bill 2678 in 2024 to extend access through January 1, 2027, but that extension depended on federal authorization that never came.1California DMV. Clean Air Vehicle Decals
Could It Come Back
As of 2026, the federal statute has not been renewed, and California’s own extension law cannot take effect without that federal authorization.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 23 USC 166 – HOV Facilities A revival would require Congress to pass new legislation and California to reactivate its program. If you bought a plug-in hybrid partly for HOV lane access, plan around not having that benefit for the foreseeable future. The practical workaround is the one that always worked: bring a passenger.