So I was talking to a Prius owner yesterday, and I realized he was driving a brand new 2008 Prius. I hope there are some Highway Patrol officers or police on this board to really answer this question. Basically, the gentlemen said that he know's it's illegal but was willing to take the risk of having HOV stickers on his 2008 Prius. 1. Is this really illegal? 2. Is there any way a cop or highway patrol officer can find out and pull you over? I live in California so not sure if that helps. Also keep in mind the 2008 Prius looks like the 2005 so not sure what will give it away. Thanks!
Yes it's illegal. The labels are all serialized and the transponders are coded a bit differently than on "normal" Prii. The chances of being caught would be pretty slim IMO, but if you do get caught I'd bet that it's a criminal offense. I guess this guy feels that some laws don't apply to him. That's why we have a criminal justice system.
Clean Air Stickers - High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Usage gotta love Google Potential Impact of Exempt Vehicles on HOV Lanes: Appendix C
A 2008 is easily spotted due to its Plate number ... mine starts 6CU.... , this sequence would appear on a 2008, if I parade around with a bogus sticker I am ripe picking for 1 point and a $371.00 fine!! Its SIMPLE, CHPS aint dummies!! KK6PD
Well, if he had a personalized plate, it would make it harder to tell. Of course, if he's pulled over for some other reason and they ask to check the paperwork on his stickers, he's toast.
So all 2008 Prius's license plate start with 6CU? Yeah the only way someone I think will be caught is if the cop pulls him/her over and check registration. Then you're toast just like Godiva said.
Um, hate to disappoint, but we just got our new plates in the mail for our 2008 Prius, and they do not begin with "6CU".
In California the regular license plates are issued more-or-less sequentially. A new 2008 Prius will receive a plate starting with 6. The letters and numbers following depend upon where the DMV issuing office is in releasing new plates. It would be dangerous to jump to the conclusion that a Prius equipped with both 6xxxxxx license plates and carpool stickers is in violation of the law. Consider the scenario where a Prius is in an accident that damaged one or both license plates. The owner may pay $8 to the DMV and receive new license plates, which would start with a 6.
dumbest thing is the 2008's are just as good as the older models, why arent we allowed to have the HOV stickers??? i heard that some CHPs dont even pull u over w/out HOV stickers on your car LOL some just dont care if you are in a prius anyway
It's not because it is a 2008 model. It is because, in California, 85,000 stickers well allocated by law, and they ran out in January 2007. Many, many 2007 Prius and 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid owners did not get stickers. But I do see quite a few new-looking hybrids with 6xxxxxx plates and stickers -- more than can be explained by anything other than illegal use of the stickers.
Here in FL all you have to do is pay $5.00 and you get an HOV sticker for each Prius. Each year you must renew the sticker & pay another $5.00 as the State changes the color every year.
Hey, thanks Walker. I got my 2008 in April and a few weeks later this sticker shows up in the mail. I guess the dealer just sent in the paperwork with the registration change. I didn't even know about HOV stickers for hybrids here in Florida. I stuck it on the car but it really is ugly. Bright blue on my red car. I have thought about taking it off. I really have no use for it. I avoid I-95 at all costs. Maybe drive it once a month at most. And then for only a couple of miles at a time. I certainly won't renew it. There is no way I am going to drive 60-65 out there when everybody else is doing 75-85. Bob
what if you have "vanity" plates, then how would you spot a fake HOV sticker, unless you pulled them over and asked for their registration...then again theres no probable cause to do that unless the person was driving erratic or speeding LOL, who does that in their prius LOL just wondering
Huh...I got the impression that the large "background" sticker was just that and the color had no signifcance. I know three people who have gotten these this year when they purchased their new hybrid and only are the same color. From what I understood, the only important about the FL stickers is the small sticker that looks very similar to a license plate tag. The California stickers are a little different. The sticker itself is different and there's like five that are supposed to be on the car (basically one on each corner and then on the back.) Each sticker is serialized, but like ours, you have to right up on top of them to see the number.
You may be right. After looking at mine, the small yellow sticker (stuck on top of the blue background sticker) in the middle is just like the one on the license plateand expires at the same time. The background sticker is 2 1/2 high by 3 1/2 inches wide. It came with a registration card just like the license plate registration. FWIW Department: The same system is used for the Handicapped permit that hangs from the mirror when parking. It is matched to the person's driver license.
