CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL LAWYERS

Los Angeles Disability Placard Misuse

Lawful and Unlawful Use of Disability Parking Placards

Individuals with disabilities face numerous challenges in their daily lives. To ease their mobility and reduce the effects of these limitations, the state issues disability parking placards to disabled drivers. The placards are a symbol of permission to use handicap parking spaces in public areas. It’s essential that recipients of these placards follow the laws and use the parking privileges legitimately. Here’s everything you need to know about authorized and unauthorized use of disability parking placards.

The Permitted Use of a Disability Placard
The solicited use of a disabled placard is to make it easy for those with mobility impairments or physical disabilities to find parking spaces, hospitals, and other relevant services. A temporary or permanent placard may be granted after providing the required documentation. It’s legal to drive the vehicle with the placard on display, but note that it’s exclusively for the disabled person’s conveyance. If the vehicle’s driver is not handicap or has parked the car in an unreserved spot, it’s illegal to use a disability placard to get privileged parking. It’s a criminal act to display or be in possession of an expired, counterfeit or someone else’s placard.

Disabled placards have numerous parking benefits, including:

1. Free parking

If you have a valid disabled placard, you won’t pay any parking meter fees on on-street metered parking spaces.

2. Special parking spaces

The disability placard allows you to park in any spot designated for disabled individuals that features the wheelchair symbol (International Symbol of Access).

3. Blue Curb

The placard permits you to park in spaces next to blue curbs, which are essential loading and unloading areas, including hospitals and emergency rooms

4. Unlimited time

You won’t have any time limits on green-curbed parking spots that show limited-time parking restrictions.

Disability Placard Misuse
The placard is the legal property of the disabled individual and is non-transferrable. Any form of placard abuse is illegal, and the culprit will face legal action. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the crimes associated with placard misuse. Placard misuse involves possession or the use of unauthorized placards or using them illegally.

Misuse of a disability placard includes the following illicit activities;

a) Use of expired placards

It’s illegal to use placards that have expired. You are expected to renew your placard before the expiration date.

b) Use of someone else’s placard

If you use another person’s placard, you’re engaging in illegal activity. You must be the legal owner or the authorized user of the placard.

c) Counterfeited Placards

Creating and producing counterfeit placards attracts legal action. It’s illegal to display or be in possession of a fake or unauthorized disability parking placard.

d) Using Incorrect Information to Obtain a Placard

If you submit false information to gain a placard, you have committed a crime. It’s illegal to pass false information to any law enforcement that authorizes the use of a disability placard.

e) Lending a Disability Placard to Another Person

Lending or allowing another individual to use your placard unlawfully is a severe violation of the law. Any driver detected misusing the placard will face legal action.

Possible Consequences for Disability Placard Misuse
Identifying the criminal charges after an investigation depends on a detailed inquiry into the case’s circumstances. It might result in a simple violation or misdemeanor charges. If charged with a misdemeanor, the offender could face a fine ranging from $250 to $1,000, including six months in county jail.

The court may impose civil penalties of up to $1,500 in some situations. Repeat offenders will pay a higher fee of up to $3,500 or face additional legal action for more severe offenses, such as shamming or the producing fake placards.

Related Offenses
Offenders may receive additional charges for other related crimes besides placard misuse. If a person is caught misusing the placard, providing false information to the police is a misdemeanor offense. Claiming to be a trainer or fraudulently using a service dog is also considered a criminal offense that attracts a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail term.

Legal Representation in Criminal cases
If you face charges of disability placard abuse, you may not realize that it’s a severe offense. Hence, it’s advisable to consult experienced defense attorneys who handle such cases. They will discuss your case privately and impartially. It would be if you had an experienced representative to advise you through the charge process and analyze the details for evidence that may establish reasonable doubt in court.