Electric cars pay the same tolls as every other vehicle on California’s bridges, express lanes, and toll roads. The Clean Air Vehicle decal program that once gave EV drivers toll discounts and solo access to carpool lanes ended on October 1, 2025, and no vehicle now qualifies for either benefit based on its fuel type alone.
What Changed on October 1, 2025
From 2019 through September 2025, California’s Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) decal program let qualifying battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and certain plug-in hybrid vehicles use HOV lanes with a single occupant. Vehicles with a valid decal and a FasTrak CAV toll tag also received discounted tolls on Bay Area express lanes, typically paying half-price.1Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Get in the Fast Lane with FasTrak and FasTrak Flex
The DMV stopped accepting new CAV decal applications on August 29, 2025, and all existing decals became invalid on October 1, 2025. Drivers who paid the $27 decal fee shortly before the shutoff did not receive refunds, even if they only got weeks of use out of their decals.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. Clean Air Vehicle Decals
Why the Discounts Ended
The CAV program existed because federal law specifically authorized states to exempt clean fuel vehicles from HOV occupancy requirements. That federal authority, codified under 23 U.S.C. 166, expired on September 30, 2025.3Federal Highway Administration. Action – Expiration of Exemption for Some Low Emission Vehicles Without that authorization, California cannot legally allow single-occupant EVs in HOV lanes regardless of what the state would prefer. The change applies nationwide, and no state can issue new CAV decals going forward.4California Department of Motor Vehicles. Federal Government Ends Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) Decal Program
What EV Drivers Pay Now
The practical impact is simple. EV drivers pay posted tolls and follow posted lane rules like everyone else.
- Express lanes no longer discount clean air vehicles. A FasTrak CAV toll tag no longer triggers a reduced rate.5FasTrak. Clean Air Vehicle Discounts Being Discontinued
- HOV lanes require the posted occupancy, whether the vehicle runs on electricity or gasoline. Driving solo in a carpool lane with an EV is treated the same as any other solo violation.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. Clean Air Vehicle Decals
- Clean air vehicles that do not meet carpool occupancy requirements no longer get HOV lane access on the seven state-owned Bay Area toll bridges.5FasTrak. Clean Air Vehicle Discounts Being Discontinued
Tolls themselves are collected the same way they always have been. FasTrak, the state’s electronic transponder system, deducts the toll from a prepaid account each time you cross a tolled facility and generally offers lower rates than license-plate billing.6FasTrak. FasTrak Without a transponder, cameras photograph your plate and an invoice is mailed to the registered owner.7FasTrak. Pay an Invoice or Violation Notice
Can EV Drivers Still Get a Discount by Carpooling?
Yes. Carpooling is now the only route to toll discounts and HOV lane access for an EV. Bay Area toll agencies have told EV drivers directly that if they want to continue receiving discounts and carpool lane access, they need to carpool.5FasTrak. Clean Air Vehicle Discounts Being Discontinued
To claim the carpool rate on an express lane, you need a FasTrak Flex transponder with the switch set to match the number of occupants in your vehicle (typically 2+ or 3+, depending on the lane).1Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Get in the Fast Lane with FasTrak and FasTrak Flex Setting the switch incorrectly risks both a CHP citation and the wrong toll being charged. A solo driver who flips the switch to 2+ or 3+ can be pulled over for an occupancy violation.
Penalties for Driving Solo or Skipping Tolls
EV drivers who stayed in the carpool lane out of habit after October 1, 2025 face the same enforcement as any other solo driver. A solo driver caught in an HOV lane faces a minimum fine of $490, with higher amounts possible for repeat offenders or in counties that add administrative surcharges. The California Highway Patrol concentrates enforcement on corridors where violation rates exceed 10%.8Caltrans. High-Occupancy Vehicle Systems
Unpaid toll penalties vary by facility. On Bay Area state-owned bridges, the first violation notice adds a $5 penalty per crossing on top of the unpaid toll, rising to $15 on the second notice (reduced back to $5 if paid within 15 days of the second notice). The Golden Gate Bridge charges $25 on the first notice and $50 on the second. Bay Area express lane violations start at a $10 penalty if paid within 21 days and jump to $30 on the second notice.9FasTrak. FAQ – Invoices and Penalties
Will EV Toll Benefits Come Back?
As of 2026, no federal legislation has renewed the authority that let states exempt clean fuel vehicles from HOV occupancy rules. The expiration under 23 U.S.C. 166 was definitive, and Congress would need to pass new legislation to restore it.3Federal Highway Administration. Action – Expiration of Exemption for Some Low Emission Vehicles California cannot act alone, because HOV regulations on federally funded highways must comply with federal standards.
EVs remain eligible for other California incentives such as the Clean Vehicle Rebate and reduced registration fees, but none of those affect what you pay at a toll plaza or on an express lane. If you bought an EV partly for the commute savings from toll and HOV benefits, those savings are no longer available unless you have passengers in the car.