Georgia Vehicle Driving Restrictions
Provision for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Exemption
The Georgia Department of Revenue and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are authorized to develop a list of HEV models that qualify for an HOV lane exemption regardless of the number of passengers, pending federal legislative or regulatory approval. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in May 2007. A final rule is expected in September 2008, which will include criteria for defining exempt HEVs. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) must determine whether allowing the qualifying HEVs to travel in HOV lanes would degrade the performance of the lanes. Refer to the GDOT Web site for more information. (Reference Georgia Code 32-9-4)