SACRAMENTO – Disabled parking spaces are reserved for those with handicapped license plates or disabled parking placards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).  Placards are issued to a specific individual and cannot be used by another unless the individual the placard is issued to is present.  Helping to spread the word are California DMV investigators who conduct enforcement operations throughout the state each month.

In May, DMV investigators conducted 21 such enforcement operations and cited 133 people for using a placard that wasn’t theirs.

“These spaces are at a premium and are reserved for those who have mobility issues or some health issue that requires they take as few steps as possible to places they must walk to,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “While some people think they can use a relative’s placard to access convenient and/or free parking, they can’t.  Not only is it very inconsiderate, it’s against the law.”

Investigators issue citations that carry fines of up to $1,000 to offenders.  Some of the places that DMV investigators conducted their May operations include Bakersfield, Grass Valley, San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland, South San Francisco, Folsom, Salinas, Fresno and Roseville.

Since July 1, 2017, DMV investigators have issued 2,345 citations during 234 crackdown operations.