Contact: Office of Public Affairs
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 657–6437 | dmvpublicaffairs@dmv.ca.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2018
Four enforcement operations held at Pomona Fairplex
Pomona – A series of enforcement operations held at the Los Angeles County Fair has resulted in 345 citations being issued to abusers of disabled person parking placards. During four operations held at this year’s fair, DMV investigators verified that 1,955 visitors using disabled person parking placards were doing so legally. The statistics reveal that one of every six people were fraudulently using a placard.
Offenders had their placards confiscated and given a citation that carries a fine between $250 and $1,000.
“We want the public to know that a person who is assigned a disabled parking placard is the only one who can legally use it,” said DMV Investigations Chief Tom Wilson. “Our goal is to achieve compliance through education and enforcement, and we ask those without a disability to save the space.”
This is the second year that the DMV has conducted enforcement operations at the L.A. County Fair. Of the 2,754 placards verified during five enforcement operations last year, investigators caught 477 people misusing them.
L.A. County Fair Placard Enforcement
| Date | Citations | Placards Verified |
|---|---|---|
| 9/6 | 58 | 320 |
| 9/13 | 90 | 526 |
| 9/15 | 95 | 526 |
| 9/20 | 102 | 583 |
| Total: | 345 | 1,955 |
“We want all of our guests at the LA County Fair to have an enjoyable experience. This begins when you arrive,” said Miguel A. Santana, Fairplex President and CEO. “If there is someone illegally taking a parking spot from a guest with a disabled parking placard, we want to know about it. Those spots are designed for those who need them. So, we are happy to assist the DMV in making sure everyone is following the law.”
It is important to note that not every disability is visible and allegations of misuse of a disabled parking placard may be unfounded. The level of reported or observed misuse of disabled parking placards varies from area to area. Most violations involve people using disabled parking placards issued to family or friends to avoid paying parking fees, as well as obtaining convenient and/or unrestricted parking.
California Vehicle Code Section 4461(b) (c) prohibits anyone from lending their placard, knowingly permitting the use of their placard or allowing anyone else to use it while they are not present. In addition, individuals cannot display a disabled parking placard that is not issued to them or that has been canceled or revoked.
Anyone who suspects a person may be misusing a disabled person placard is urged to report it using an online complaint form or by contacting their local DMV Investigations office.
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