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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/6 | Sonora | 2 | 50 |
| 2/6 | Kern County Health Department | 15 | 38 |
| 2/6 | Foster City | 13 | 96 |
| 2/6 | Yuba City | 6 | 75 |
| 2/6 | San Jose | 6 | 80 |
| 2/7 | Los Angeles (Chesterfield Plaza) | 5 | 43 |
| 2/7 | Oxnard | 15 | 64 |
| 2/8 | El Cajon | 10 | 145 |
| 2/12 | Clovis | 2 | 33 |
| 2/13 | Chula Vista | 7 | 126 |
| 2/13 | Pasadena / Arcadia | 3 | 16 |
| 2/13 | Duarte / Monrovia | 9 | 56 |
| 2/14 | Jackson | 4 | 100 |
| 2/15 | San Jose (SAP Center and surrounding) | 6 | 31 |
| 2/15 | San Jacinto | 9 | 204 |
| 2/15 | Paramount | 8 | 80 |
| 2/21 | Chico | 3 | 65 |
| 2/21 | San Marcos | 3 | 88 |
| 2/21 | Irvine | 4 | 27 |
| 2/28 | Northridge (California State University) | 23 | 165 |
| Totals: | 20 operations | 153 | 1,582 |
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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