Investigators with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) caught 381 individuals, including 11 people in Valencia, fraudulently using disabled person parking placards during 22 enforcement operations in April.
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Investigators confiscated the placards and issued each offender a misdemeanor citation that carries a $250 to $1,000 fine. The violation will also appear on their driving record, according to the DMV.
“(The Vehicle Code) prohibits anyone from lending their placard or knowingly allowing the use of their placard by anyone,” said Jaime Garza, spokesperson for the California DMV. “In addition, a person shall not display a disabled person placard that was not issued to him or her or that has been canceled or revoked.”
Since July 1, 2017, DMV investigators have issued 2,212 citations during 213 crackdown efforts, which is significantly more than the 1,625 citations they handed out during the 2016/17 fiscal year.
“During these efforts, DMV investigators, who are sworn peace officers, approach drivers and ask to see their disabled parking placard and the registration card that comes with the placard,” said Garza. “The assignment number on the placard must match the one on the registration. In addition, investigators ask for identification to make sure the person to whom the placard is assigned is in or near the vehicle.”
The DMV carries out as many as 24 enforcement operations each month in an effort to reduce the impact disabled person parking placard fraud has on the mobility of those with disabilities.
Anyone who suspects a person might be misusing a disabled person placard is urged to report it using an online complaint form or by contacting their local DMV investigations office.
Submissions are confidential. It is important to note that some qualifying disabilities are not visually apparent and allegations of misuse might be unfounded.
Public awareness materials from the DMV can be downloaded here.
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