SACRAMENTO – In their continued effort to combat the misuse of Disabled Person Parking Placards in California, Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) investigators cited 171 people during 27 enforcement operations throughout the state during the month of November.

“We have worked throughout the year to conduct these operations in an effort to educate the public and to crackdown on those who are blatantly using a placard that is simply not issued to them,” said Kenny Ehrman, president of the Association of Motor Vehicle Investigators of California (AMVIC)  “When people truly in need of close and convenient parking are being aced out of parking spaces by able-bodied individuals, there’s something wrong.  There are people who need to conduct business or shopping at offices or stores but may have difficulty walking an extended distance.  It’s heartbreaking to see those with mobility problems, or even cancer patients in obvious pain, struggling to get inside a place where they’ve had to park far away from the entrance.”

In the past five months, DMV investigators have issued 1,176 citations to people fraudulently using disabled person placards.

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.