Starting Sept. 30, most hybrid vehicles will no longer be able to use HOV lanes without the required number of occupants, according to federal law.
The rule applies even if the vehicle displays a clean special fuel license plate.
Only hybrid plug-in electric vehicles will continue to be allowed access to HOV lanes without the requisite number of occupants.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) are sending letters to over 16,000 Virginians with registered hybrid vehicles to notify them of this change.
This fall, VDOT will be converting HOV lanes on Interstate 395 in northern Virginia to Express Lanes. The date of this conversion will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Once the I-395 HOV lanes are converted to Express Lanes, all vehicles (except motorcycles and buses) will be required to have a properly mounted E-ZPass or E-ZPass Flex.
Vehicles bearing clean special fuel license plates, like other vehicles, can access the Express Lanes with a standard E-ZPass.
If they meet the HOV-3+ requirement by having three or more occupants in the vehicle, they can travel toll-free with an EZPass Flex in the HOV mode.
E-ZPass and E-ZPass Flex transponders are available online and at many DMV customer service centers, including all 14 offices in northern Virginia.
In addition, E-ZPass On-the-Go may be obtained at DMV 2 Go mobile customer service centers.
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