I received the following email about HOV lanes in Arizona:
The fine for driving only in the HOV lane is $ 619 with the court surcharge. It is eligible for fun (defensive driving), but it will still cost a penny. The actual fine is $ 354, but the court surcharge is mandatory and not waived… the fine is $ 619 in total. I started looking into it after a girl I used to work with stopped (and rightly so). He thought that just because he bought a hybrid, it meant he could drive in that lane. They didn’t bother to register it with the state or try to get the special tag or plate, even though it had been denied because they had already reached the limit. It serves you well!
First of all, it’s true that just because you own a hybrid vehicle, that doesn’t mean you can legally use the HOV lane. There was a time when the MVD issued special license plates for hybrid vehicle owners that allowed access to HOV lanes. Those 10,000 hybrid plates are long gone, there is no waiting list, and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has no intention of adding more.
Now, on the subject of the fine for the ticket. I cannot verify that the total cost of a ticket for driving in the HOV lane without a driver and at least one passenger during the stipulated time periods is $ 619. According to ADOT, the fine starts at $ 400 (2016). The Phoenix Municipal Court advises that if a person is eligible to take the defensive driving class to avoid fines and license points, then all that is required is the cost charged by the defensive driving school, typically about $ 180. at $ 200 right now.
If defensive driving class is not an option for whatever reason, there are additional fees that would bring the total fine to significantly more than $ 350. That amount can vary depending on the court handling the item.
According to ADOT, there are more than 190 miles of HOV lanes along Phoenix area freeways.
