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August 11, 2006

Dave Druker
Elizabeth Kaufman

Jesse White's Secretary of State Police To Be Conducting Disability Parking Enforcement at State Fair

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that the Secretary of State police will be conducting compliance checkpoints during the Illinois State Fair in an effort to crackdown on the misuse and abuse of disability placards and license plates. The checkpoints will be located throughout the fairgrounds.

Recent enforcement details conducted by the Secretary of State police department and other police agencies indicate that many people still consider it worth the risk to abuse the laws reserving parking spaces for persons with disabilities or use a placard or disability plate without the authorized holder present.

Secretary White has initiated reforms to the Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities including creating placards featuring information that allows law enforcement to easily identify the cardholder.

In addition, Illinois became the first state to begin using hologram imaging on placards in an effort to reduce abuse.

Under the current law, initiated by White, which became effective January 1, 2006:

• Vehicles not displaying either a disability license plate or disabled veteran plate, or a placard parked in spaces reserved for persons with disabilities, receive a minimum fine of $250. The maximum fine is $350.
• Vehicles displaying a disability license plate, disabled veteran plate or placard that park in a disability parking space without the authorized holder present will face a $500 fine. In addition, the Secretary of State can suspend or revoke the driver's license of the driver and the license plates or placard.

It is against the law to use a placard or disability license plates without the authorized holder present, or to alter or create a fraudulent placard. For more information about the Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities, visit www.CyberDriveIllinois.com.