Contact: Office of Public Affairs
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 657–6437 | dmvpublicaffairs@dmv.ca.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2018
Sacramento – Investigators with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issued misdemeanor citations to 153 people caught fraudulently using disabled person parking placards during 20 enforcement operations in February 2018. Investigators verified 1,582 placards, which means they issued citations to about one out of every 10 people with whom they interacted.
Offenders must appear in court to face possible fines ranging from $250 to $1,000 and will receive a notation on their driver record about the violation.
The DMV carries out numerous enforcement operations throughout the state every month in an effort to reduce the impact disabled person parking placard fraud has on the mobility of those with disabilities.
Statewide statistics: From July 1 to February 28, 2018, DMV investigators have issued 1,664 citations to people fraudulently using disabled person placards during 170 enforcement operations. During fiscal year 2016/17, they handed out 1,625 citations.
Here are the results of the February 2018 enforcement operations:
| Date | City | Citations Issued | Drivers Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date2/6 | CitySonora | Citations Issued2 | Drivers Contacted50 |
| Date2/6 | CityKern County Health Department | Citations Issued15 | Drivers Contacted38 |
| Date2/6 | CityFoster City | Citations Issued13 | Drivers Contacted96 |
| Date2/6 | CityYuba City | Citations Issued6 | Drivers Contacted75 |
| Date2/6 | CitySan Jose | Citations Issued6 | Drivers Contacted80 |
| Date2/7 | CityLos Angeles (Chesterfield Plaza) | Citations Issued5 | Drivers Contacted43 |
| Date2/7 | CityOxnard | Citations Issued15 | Drivers Contacted64 |
| Date2/8 | CityEl Cajon | Citations Issued10 | Drivers Contacted145 |
| Date2/12 | CityClovis | Citations Issued2 | Drivers Contacted33 |
| Date2/13 | CityChula Vista | Citations Issued7 | Drivers Contacted126 |
| Date2/13 | CityPasadena / Arcadia | Citations Issued3 | Drivers Contacted16 |
| Date2/13 | CityDuarte / Monrovia | Citations Issued9 | Drivers Contacted56 |
| Date2/14 | CityJackson | Citations Issued4 | Drivers Contacted100 |
| Date2/15 | CitySan Jose (SAP Center and surrounding) | Citations Issued6 | Drivers Contacted31 |
| Date2/15 | CitySan Jacinto | Citations Issued9 | Drivers Contacted204 |
| Date2/15 | CityParamount | Citations Issued8 | Drivers Contacted80 |
| Date2/21 | CityChico | Citations Issued3 | Drivers Contacted65 |
| Date2/21 | CitySan Marcos | Citations Issued3 | Drivers Contacted88 |
| Date2/21 | CityIrvine | Citations Issued4 | Drivers Contacted27 |
| Date2/28 | CityNorthridge (California State University) | Citations Issued23 | Drivers Contacted165 |
| DateTotals: | City20 operations | Citations Issued153 | Drivers Contacted1,582 |
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.
Raising Public Awareness: In addition to its enforcement efforts, the DMV offers the public downloadable educational materials, such as public service announcements, posters and brochures. They can be found here.
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