High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Exemption
Drivers may operate Inherently Low Emission Vehicles (ILEV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) in HOV lanes at any time, regardless of the number of passengers, provided that the vehicles are certified and labeled in accordance with federal regulations. All eligible ILEVs and HEVs must comply with the minimum fuel economy standards set forth in Title 23 of the U.S. Code, section 166(f)(3)(B). The vehicle must display, and renew annually, a Florida Division of Motor Vehicles issued decal. Special fees may apply.
Vehicles with decals may also use any HOV lane designated as a HOV toll lane without paying the toll. An HEV is defined as a motor vehicle that draws propulsion energy from onboard sources of stored energy comprised of both an internal combustion engine using combustible fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system, and meets or exceeds the qualifying California standards for a Low Emission Vehicle. In addition, three-wheeled vehicles are considered ILEVs for the purposes of HOV lane exemption. (Reference House Bill 971, 2010, and Florida Statutes 316.0741)
Point of Contact
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Phone: (850) 617-2000
http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/titlinf.html
The decal application can be found at:
http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/forms/BTR/83027.pdf
HOV decal transactions are processed by county Tax Collector Offices statewide.
