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Penalties for Using a Handicap Placard That Is Expired
Like any other document given to you because of an illness, parking permits expire. Some states remind you when your permit is about to expire, while some don’t. It’s very common to find a person’s permit has expired when they aren’t aware of it. Forgetting to renew a license is usually more common for people who hold permanent permits. What then happens when your license expires, and you still use it?
This depends on your state. While it’s an offence in all states to use an expired permit, some states may understand you and give you a grace period. Some states, however, may charge you hefty fines or sentence you to a jail term. How do you go about it to avoid all this? Let’s find out below.
Should a disabled parking permit be renewed?
Regardless of your state, all handicap parking permits should be renewed. The time for renewal depends on your state and your type of permit.
Types of Disabled Parking Permits
Every state has its own set of guidelines that govern the issuing of handicap parking permits. This is controlled by the states’ department of motor vehicles. This means that the types of permits vary from one state to another. There are some which are common like:
- Permanent disabled parking placards- These are issued to people who have a disability that has no chance of improving. This could be blindness or inability to walk without the assistance of example, a wheelchair, walker or crutch.
- Long-term disabled parking placard- To qualify for this, one must have a disability that will take a long time to improve. They are valid for up to five years.
- Short-term/ temporary parking placard- You can be issued with a temporary placard if you have a condition that inhibits your movement. You’ll need a medical officer to certify your disability and to tell how long the disability may last. The placards are valid for up to one year, depending on your state and the condition.
- Institutional handicap parking placard- These are an issue for the vehicles of institutions that transport people with disability. Their validity is up to five years.
- Permanent disabled parking plate- These are for a person with a disability that can barely improve. Their validity depends on your state. It can be up to two years or can be renewed when your vehicle registration plates need to be renewed.
- Disabled veteran handicap parking license plate- these are given to people who got disabled when in service in the military. They are issued for free and need to be renewed according to the state laws, either after a certain period or when the vehicle registration license needs to be renewed.
Expiration Time of Disabled Parking Permits
The validity period of a handicap parking permit depends on a few factors, including your state and your type of permit. In most countries, permanent permits have a validity period of up to five years, while temporary permits have a validity period of up to one year (12 months).
Some placards have the expiration dates written on them, while some don’t. If yours doesn’t have, it’s good to note the dates somewhere. In some states, you’ll need to remember the date your permit expires and apply for renewal before then, if applicable. In other states, a reminder of the expiration date of your permit will be sent to you either by the email or by mail. Depending on the state again, renewal processes may differ.
Penalties for Using an Expired Disability Placard
It’s recommended that you check with your states’ DMV office about the penalties. Don’t panic. If you apply for a replacement and the older permit was only past expiry with a short time, they can let you go without a fine. For displaying an invalid placard, in some states, it can be considered an infringement of the law, and you can be fined up to $1000. Some can consider it a misdemeanor which means you can face a jail term of up to six months.
Displaying an expired placard will rarely attract a jail term. In most cases, you’ll only be charged with a fine of up to $1000. If your placard has expired for a long time or if you are a recurring offender, you could be forced to begin the application process afresh.
Is There A Grace Period for Expired Handicap Parking Permits?
Most people wonder if they can use their handicapped parking permits shortly after they have expired. The answer is yes but only in some states. Some states will allow you to use your expired handicap parking permit for a grace period of a short time before it’s replaced.
If Your Permit Is Expired, Can You Use Somebody Else’s?
The answer for this is no. the person can only use the placard it was issued to. It’s an offence to even use it if the disabled person isn’t in the vehicle. You would rather use your own expired handicap parking permit than to bring someone else’s. If the traveling is a must, you can explain to the enforcement officers if you need to.
Disabled Parking Permit Renewal Process
Temporary parking permits, in most cases, don’t need to be renewed because they are given when one is recovering from a certain condition. By the time they expire, usually one has already recovered. If you need to renew one, you’ll need to be assessed again by a licensed medical practitioner to confirm if you still need one.
All the other permits can be renewed. You should apply for renewal before it expires or as soon you realize it’s expired. You’ll require getting a form from your local DMV, fill it and submit it. All the details you provided in your original application will be required again apart from the doctor’s report for permanent handicap permits. Depending on your state, there may be some fees for renewal.
It’s advisable to indicate if the permit is already expired so that you can be given a grace period. The renewal process usually takes seven to fourteen working days before you can receive the new placard.
