Reviewed and updated October 12, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read from the California DMV's own pages that day, and the DMV page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
The California Clean Air Vehicle decal, which let a qualifying vehicle travel in a carpool lane with a single occupant and pay reduced tolls, ended on September 30, 2025. This page sets out what the DMV says about the end of the program, the carpool and toll rules since October 1, 2025, what happened to applications filed in 2025, and which agencies ran it. Plates and the other decals the DMV issues are on the license plates guide; the fees a zero emission vehicle still pays on the vehicle registration guide.
In this guide: What ended, and when, Carpool lanes and tolls since October 1, 2025, Applications filed in 2025, Who ran the program, Questions about the end of the clean air decal
What ended, and when
The DMV's clean air vehicle decals page opens with the fact: the Clean Air Vehicle Decal Program has ended. The federal government ended it at midnight on September 30, 2025, under Section 166 of Title 23 of the United States Code; the DMV explains that the federal government had given it the authority to create the program, and the state had to follow federal regulations that expired. California had changed its own law to extend the program to January 2027 in the hope that the federal authority would be extended, and it was not, so the program ended on the federal date.
Carpool lanes and tolls since October 1, 2025
Since October 1, 2025 a driver must meet the posted vehicle occupancy requirement to travel in a carpool (HOV) lane, or risk a citation and fine; a single occupant with a decal no longer qualifies. Reduced toll rates for decal holders ended the same day: the DMV says full toll rates applied from October 1, 2025, and that drivers were advised to contact their local toll authority for the amounts, with the list of toll roads and express lanes on the Caltrans site. The decal does not have to be removed from the vehicle, but it is not valid for lawful travel in the lane.
Applications filed in 2025
The DMV stopped accepting new and replacement decal applications on August 29, 2025 at 5:00 pm, a month before the end, so that customers would not receive decals that expired within days of arriving. A completed application with payment received and reviewed before that date was processed and the decals mailed, valid only until October 1, 2025; an application returned as incomplete before August 29 was processed only if the completed application and payment came back before that date, and otherwise the application and payment were returned. The DMV says no refund was issued to customers who paid the $27 decal fee and could not use the decal for a full four years.
Who ran the program
Five agencies shared it, per the DMV: the California Air Resources Board determined which vehicles qualified on emissions requirements, the DMV issued the decals, Caltrans authorized the use of the carpool lanes, the California Highway Patrol enforced the rules, and the toll authorities handled the reduced rates. The DMV's registration fee schedule still lists, separately from the decals, a zero emissions vehicle parking sticker at $17 under Vehicle Code section 22511, and a road improvement fee of $121 at renewal for zero emission vehicles of model year 2020 and later, which the California DMV fees page explains.
Questions about the end of the clean air decal
Can I still use the carpool lane alone with a clean air decal?
No. The DMV says that since October 1, 2025 drivers must obey the posted occupancy requirement to travel in a carpool lane or risk a citation and fine.
Do I have to peel the decal off?
No. The DMV says the decal need not be removed, but it is not valid for travel in the carpool lane.
Why did the program end when California extended it to 2027?
Because the authority came from federal law, Section 166 of Title 23 of the United States Code, which expired at midnight on September 30, 2025; the DMV says California changed its law hoping the federal government would extend the program, and it did not.
When did the DMV stop taking applications?
On August 29, 2025 at 5:00 pm, for new and replacement decals, a month before the end so that nobody would receive a decal that expired within days.
I paid $27 for a decal I could not use for four years. Is there a refund?
No, per the DMV.
Do I still get reduced tolls?
No. The DMV says full toll rates applied from October 1, 2025 and points drivers to their local toll authority; Caltrans lists the toll roads and express lanes on its site.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the California DMV's clean air vehicle decals page and registration fees page, read on October 12, 2026.