High-occupancy vehicles can help reduce the number of vehicles on the road, and they can help you get through traffic faster with HOV lanes.
During HOV-restricted periods, HOV-2 lanes require a minimum of two people per passenger vehicle and HOV-3 lanes have a minimum of three. Some vehicles have exemptions. During all other times, HOV lanes are open to all passenger vehicles, except when the reversible lanes are closed. Many vehicles already have enough passengers, making the HOV lanes an easy way to speed up the trip. If you are looking for other people to join your commute, visit our Park and Ride page.
HOV lanes are always marked with the HOV symbol. Many lanes also have large electronic message signs which display the required occupancy for using the lanes, the hours that HOV restrictions are in effect, and where to enter and exit.
Some HOV lanes are barrier-separated, while others are simply in the left lane. Message signs will advise if the lanes are open or closed.
The Virginia Department of Transportation closes all entrances to barrier-separated HOV lanes for a short time while the directions are being switched to ensure all vehicles have completed their trip out of the lanes before opening them to traffic in the opposite direction. Then, VDOT drives the lanes to make sure no cars are left behind. HOV lanes also have emergency shoulders, which are monitored by Virginia State Police and VDOT's incident response team.
I-495 Express Lanes:
HOV-3 traffic can use the high-occupancy toll (express) lanes on Interstate 495 for free with an E-ZPass Flex set to HOV mode. Visit www.ExpressLanes.com for details.
I-95 / I-395 Express Lanes:
HOV-3 traffic can use the high-occupancy toll (express) lanes on Interstate 95 and Interstate 395 free with an E-ZPass Flex set to HOV mode. Details: www.ExpressLanes.com/395.
I-66 Inside the Beltway:
The HOV-3 hours are 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. going east and 3 to 7 p.m. going west, Monday through Friday.
Solo drivers have the option of paying a toll to use the lanes in the peak direction during rush hours.
The lanes remain free for HOV-3+ vehicles (with E-ZPass Flex), buses, motorcycles and emergency response vehicles.
The lanes are free to all during off-peak periods, including weekends.
Details: http://www.transform66.org.
I-66 Outside the Beltway:
66 Express Lanes (Outside the Beltway) are HOV-3+. There are certain vehicle classes, however, that are not eligible for HOV declaration. For more information, visit www.ride66express.com/vehicle-classification/.
Dulles Toll Road HOV-2:
The far left lane is reserved for HOV-2 going east in the morning and west in the afternoon. Details: https://www.dullestollroad.com.
From: Route 28 To: The main toll plaza:
Interstate 264 – Virginia Beach / Norfolk:
HOV-2+ enforcement will be in effect:
Interstate 64 – Chesapeake / Hampton / Newport News:
HOV-2+ enforcement will be in effect:
Interstate 564 – Norfolk:
HOV-2+ enforcement will be in effect:
64 Express Lanes – Norfolk:
HOV-2+ enforcement will be in effect:
For more about the 64 Express Lanes, visit www.64ExpressLanes.org.
There are times when these lanes are closed due to maintenance. Closures are noted on the Hampton Roads weekly lane closure report.
HOV restrictions are lifted in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia on the following federal holidays (or the observed day if they fall on a weekend):
During HOV hours, any vehicle that has the designated number of people (HOV-2 or 3) can use the HOV lanes. During all other times, they are open to all vehicles, except when the I-95/395 and I-64/264 reversible lanes are closed.
Note that the I-66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway require all HOV-2+ vehicles to have an E-ZPass Flex switched to HOV mode to travel free during peak hours.
The I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes require all HOV-3+ vehicles to have an E-ZPass Flex switched to HOV mode to travel free at all times.
Hybrid Rules on Interstates 95 / 395:
Hybrids on the I-95 and I-395 high occupancy toll (express) lanes between Route 610 in Stafford County and the 14th Street Bridge must have three people in the car (HOV-3+) and have an E-Z Pass Flex set to HOV ON at all times to use the lanes free.
Otherwise, hybrids must have an E-ZPass Flex set to normal mode or a standard E-ZPass and pay a toll. Section 33.2-501 of Virginia law defines who may and may not use high occupancy toll lanes without paying a toll. Visit https://www.expresslanes.com/ for details.
Hybrid Rules on Interstate 66:
The Hybrid Exemption has been retired. Retiring the Clean Special Fuel vehicle exemption is a part of an overall strategy to treat all I-66 users more equally and to move more people with greater efficiency by encouraging greater HOV and transit usage.
Inside the Beltway, all lanes are HOV-3 from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. eastbound, 3 to 7 p.m. westbound, Monday through Friday. Outside the Beltway, the left lane is HOV-3 from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. eastbound, 3 to7 p.m. westbound, Monday through Friday.
Hybrid Rules on the Dulles Toll Road:
More information: dullestollroad.com.
Hybrid Rules on Interstate 64 and Interstate 264 in Hampton Roads:
To learn more about the 64 Express Lanes, visit www.64ExpressLanes.org.
Hampton Roads:
Northern Virginia:
High Occupancy Tolling (HOT) facilities focus on providing reliable travel times and, at the same time, incentivizing HOV travel choices. Dynamic tolling, varying toll prices based on actual congestion levels, results in more consistent vehicle speeds in the designated lanes ensuring more reliable trip times. If a vehicle meeting the posted HOV requirement is equipped with a Flex transponder, the vehicle can travel in these lanes, with the same travel-time benefit, toll free. Non-HOV vehicles can choose to enter the HOT lanes and pay the posted toll rate based on how they individually value that particular trip. The goal is to maximize the corridor’s capacity by moving more people more efficiently.
The 495/95/395 Express Lanes and 66 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia and 64 Express Lanes in Hampton Roads are examples of HOT facilities.
HOT lanes are a form of congestion pricing.
Congestion pricing is a type of tolling created to manage traffic congestion. For almost 50 years, economists have been advocating Congestion Pricing (where toll prices rise and fall based on the number of cars on the road) as the most effective way to balance supply and demand on highways.
They argue the economic and social costs of congestion are far greater than costs associated with tolling. Typical driver behavior (where many drivers enter highways at the same time, a.k.a “rush hour”) assumes all drivers have equal values of time.
However, this has been widely disproved. People are different, and they have different needs when it comes to driving. Congestion Pricing works to accommodate these needs with varying toll prices. It’s currently used on select highly congested highways in some states, including California, Florida, Minnesota, New York and Texas.
It’s important to note congestion pricing is not about collecting money. It's more about getting commuters to shift the time they make discretionary (work-related) trips, so severe traffic congestion can be reduced or eliminated.
Your vehicle must be exclusively powered by clean special fuel in order to be eligible for a clean special fuel plate.
The clean special fuel plates cost $25 annually in addition to the regular vehicle registration fee and you must apply for them through DMV.
A clean special fuel plate can be transferred to a new hybrid as long as the vehicle it is being transferred to qualifies for the clean special fuel plate.
No. For a hybrid vehicle to use Virginia's HOV lanes, you must have Virginia clean special fuel license plates. This is the only way we have to monitor the use of these lanes when there is only one individual in a car. For Virginia to honor Maryland plates, there must be a reciprocal agreement between the states. No such agreement exists.
In the HOV world, you're one person. Babies of any age, however, count as a person.
No. To use the HOV-3 lanes, you must have three people in your vehicle.
If you do not have the minimum number of people in your vehicle when the restriction begins, you are a violator even if you entered the lanes before the restriction began. The bottom line: You must have the required number of people in your vehicle anywhere in the lanes during HOV hours.
VDOT strives to encourage carpooling to reduce congestion and pollution on our highways, so we seldom lift HOV restrictions.
Decisions to lift HOV restrictions are made in conjunction with, or at the request of, Virginia State Police. Police only make such a request if an accident is deemed to be a major incident that will take an extended period of time to clear.
It is frustrating to see solo drivers enjoying the HOV lanes when you are "playing by the rules," but you will notice that even during snow conditions, HOV lane restrictions are not lifted unless the main lanes are blocked.
Last updated: August 30, 2023