CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

[Green GX]

Last month, after I received the plates for my new GX, I called the California Department Of Motor Vehicles with a question about the process for getting a Clean Air sticker for the car. (Clean Air stickers on the car allow just the driver to use car pool lanes.)

I was told by a local (L.A.) office something like, don't waste your time, we sold out of the stickers in February, they're all gone, period! I knew and asked if that was just for hybrids, or CNG vehicles too? Same story. Forget it!

I called back later and asked another DMV employee the same questions. He started off with the same song and dance. When I asked about CNG vehicles, he paused and said, "I'm not sure." He gave me a number to call in Sacramento.

When I called Sacramento, it went a little bit easier. I was still told initially, they're all gone. After I convinced the employee I didn't have a hybrid and that the stickers ARE still available for CNG and electric vehicles, she checked. Lo and behold it's true! She said it would take about 60 days to get them. Evidently, with the mad rush over to get 86,000 hybrid stickers out the door, they have some free time. It took one month for me to receive my stickers.

Also, I got a kick out of the instructions for placing the stickers on the car. It states to be sure to put the stickers on with the state seal "up." If you do all the stickers will be up-side down.

Bill

[c2sox]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

I just got my stickers yesterday, 13 weeks after getting my GX. But I did get my plates a month ago, is this the standard waiting period?

I'm just glad I have them now

[Curtis]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

Snce you can't get your sticker without a plate #. So 13 weeks - 4 weeks = 9 weeks to get the sticker. That's about right.

[shlyn]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

Just bought 2007 gx and am getting same runaround about stickers. According to DMV website, my car is not eligible, it is a hybrid. It states it needs to be zero emission, not partial. I have the form to fill out for stickers, but am wondering what box to check. Should I check zero emissions?

[Curtis]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

Just bought 2007 gx and am getting same runaround about stickers. According to DMV website, my car is not eligible, it is a hybrid. It states it needs to be zero emission, not partial. I have the form to fill out for stickers, but am wondering what box to check. Should I check zero emissions?

Forget the website, forget what anyone at DMV tells you. They know less than the general public about what's going on with these stickers. I just posted the Reg 1000 document in "Curt's Corner", print it out, make sure it's complete (must have lic plate # on it or they'll send it back) check the box for "Original", "AT-PZEV", and "Compressed natural Gas". Send it in with your check and (this is important) on a clean, blank sheet of paper, in large letters (preferrably felt-pen) write "THIS IS NOT A HYBRID-THIS IS A NATURAL GAS CAR". This tends to get the attention of those employee's that are not awake yet, or sleep deprived. You should get your sticker back in a couple of weeks.

If they send it back with no sticker and a note that says the Hybrid stickers are all gone, repeat the process until you get it in the hands of a DMV employee that speaks English.

There are no limits to the number of Clean Air Stickers being issued to AFV's! Don't let anyone tell you different. Remember, the reason you came here for advice is that we are the experts... Whareas no one at DMV knows the difference between a Hybrid and a CNG car.

Just follow this simple process and keep us posted on your progress. Enjoy your ride on the CNG hiway. Ideally, in the HOV lane.

[shlyn]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

Thanks so much for the info. My company is moving and I am going to have to commute 150 miles a day and desperately need to be in the car pool lane! My coworker bought a used GX and has given lots of conflicting info. It is a "tax credit", not a rebate? So I dont have to apply for anything? Do I just tell my tax lady? Also looks like a lot of people dont qualify, bummer! As for the $3000 new credit, is it for 2008 only, or earlier years as well? Again, thanks so much for your help! Youre better than a shot of tequila!

[Curtis]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

Thanks so much for the info. My company is moving and I am going to have to commute 150 miles a day and desperately need to be in the car pool lane! My coworker bought a used GX and has given lots of conflicting info. It is a "tax credit", not a rebate? So I dont have to apply for anything? Do I just tell my tax lady? Also looks like a lot of people dont qualify, bummer! As for the $3000 new credit, is it for 2008 only, or earlier years as well? Again, thanks so much for your help! Youre better than a shot of tequila!

150 miles per day, that's a bummer. The Tax Credit is a credit, not a deduction. You or your tax person can go to www.irs.gov and do a form search for irs form 8910. If you have a Phill, the Property Refueling tax Credit is filed for on irs form 8911. If you normally get money back, or get hit with the Alternative Minimum Tax, you probably won't see any benefit. However, if you owe anything up to $4000, or $5000 with a Phill, it will wipe that out.

The state rebate is $3000 and retroactive for 2007 and 2008 model vehicles placed into service after May 24th, 2007. There is a phone # and web site in the incentives forum that you can go to and place your name on a list. I wouldn't dawdle. I suspect that this refund will go rather quickly. I't only 1.8 million, which would cover 600 GX's. But cars like the neighborhood electric cars, that the gov't and a lot of cities are buying, will eat that up at $5000 each. And since it's retroactive to 5/24/07, some of the money is already gone, assuming those entities apply for it.

A shot of Tequila, hummmmmm....

[jason_irvine]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

The dmv in sacramento are idiots. I was initially denied a sticker, because of the hybrid sticker had been all mailed out. I contacted ARB. I faxed in my denial letter. They were equally confused. They informed me to resubmit my application with a copy of my registration. The ARB department sent an email to DMV about my registration. I eventually recieved my sticker this week, two month after buying my car.

[Curtis]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

The dmv in sacramento are idiots. I was initially denied a sticker, because of the hybrid sticker had been all mailed out. I contacted ARB. I faxed in my denial letter. They were equally confused. They informed me to resubmit my application with a copy of my registration. The ARB department sent an email to DMV about my registration. I eventually recieved my sticker this week, two month after buying my car.

Can you hear that??????





It's the sound of nobody here arguing with you.

[shlyn]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

I was told that you can drive for free in the 91 express lane with a cng vehicle. I just came from their office and was told that all zero emission cars have to have a license plate that starts with "Z". My license plate doesnt so they told me I dont qualify. Does anybody currently have access to the toll lane or am I out of luck?

[Stobor]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

Hmm. Perhaps you can order a personalized plate starting with 'Z'. (Zeno, Zorro, Zoom, Zulu..)


Note that CNG cars are not Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV). ie electric cars. The GX is a darn low emission vehicle.

Actually: Advanced Technology Partial-Zero-Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV)

The California DMV code section 22511(g) states:

g) For purposes of this section, "zero-emission vehicle" means any car, truck, or any other vehicle that produces no tailpipe or evaporative emissions.

[ves123]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

I never found the form in Curtis' forum, but I think the forms have changed for this year.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memos/vin2001/01vin9_attach.pdf

The choices are now: (2008 GX is SULEV)
ZEV, ULEV, SULEV

And you select your motive power: (GX is Compressed Natural Gas)
Electric
Liquid Petroleum Gas
Compressed Natural Gas

There is also this sentence on the form:

"Hybrids and/or vehicles that run on a fuel other than clean natural gas (CNG) or
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) do not qualify."

Hopefully people will have less trouble getting these stickers now.

[CaptJeff]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

Just bought 2007 gx and am getting same runaround about stickers. According to DMV website, my car is not eligible, it is a hybrid. It states it needs to be zero emission, not partial. I have the form to fill out for stickers, but am wondering what box to check. Should I check zero emissions?

See this page:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm

SULEV, CNG.
(and some info to answer others questions)
You first need a license plate number for your car. Sometimes this can be expedited, and some dealers have the computer equipment to issue permanent DMV registrations promptly.
Depending on your method of payment, you can get your plates in as few as 3 days. The dealer has up to I believe 20 days to get the paperwork in, (if they aren't one with the direct DMV connection) so it can take a lot longer.

Once they do this, you can send in your Reg1000, which will get you your Clean Fuel Vehicle decals.
The EXACT mailing address is on that form.

CAUTION:
When you initially sign the paperwork the motive power MUST say "N" for natural gas, not "Q" for hybrid, or "G" for gas. If you overlook this on the initial paperwork, you're going to be looking at several months to get it sorted out. This is a form that is titled "report of sale of motor vehicle" or something close (for new cars in CA). This is where the data comes from that ends up on the title.
If you have your title look at the box I believe is titled motive force. For a GX it needs to show "N".

Most likely if you get rejected because they say your car is a hybrid, it's because it wasn't titled correctly. Probably got titled as a "Q" or hybrid. The DMV doesn't necessarily know the VIN sequence of a GX. They CAN cross check it though.

Folks like Curtis make sure these errors don't happen.

Hope this helps,
Jeff

[shlyn]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

After 11 LONG weeks and plenty of frustration, I have finally received my stickers. Today was the first day in the car pool lane and it was AWESOME!!! There is a God!!

[Curtis]

Re: CA DMV & Clean Air Stickers For Civic GX

You're right, there is... and coincidentally... He drives a cng car.