Friday, March 1, 2013

Illinois Disabled Parking Program - Important Change Update for 2013

The Illinois Secretary of State's Office is collaborating with organizations representing people in the disabled community, including the Illinois Department on Aging and the local Area Agencies on Aging advocates to assist with questions and concerns about the new program.

* Changes regarding parking at meters
* A new Unit is being established
* And Secretary of State letters to be mailed in April.

Here are the changes:

1. New Unit - Secretary of State Disabilities License Plate/Placard Unit - Formation of a new Disabilities License Plate/Placard Unit, which will handle and process all permanent placard and plate requests. The unit will be in Springfield and will be up and running by April 1, 2001.

2. Changes to Disabled Parking Program and the Need for the Aging Network to help clarify changes to our [this was blank in the original email.]

HB 5624 creates a new two-tiered parking program for persons with disabilities allowing for only persons with certain types of disabilities to qualify for meter-exempt parking in cities and municipalities.

* In addition to the current blue (permanent) and red (temporary) disabled parking placards currently used in Illinois, a third placard, distinctive from the blue and red placards, will be introduced for those persons qualifying for meter-exempt parking.

* Beginning in April 2013, the Secretary of State will start the recertification process for all current applicants by mailing information to them along with a new certification form.

* The recertification form will have a new section for the physician to execute indicating whether the applicant has a disability that would qualify them for meter exempt parking.

* Applicants will need to visit their family physician and have the recertification form executed.

* Upon receipt of the executed form, the Secretary of State's Office will issue a new disabled parking placard to the applicant. If the person has a permanent disability that qualifies for meter-exempt parking, they will be issued the new color placard. If the person has a permanent disability that does not qualify for meter-exempt parking, they will be issued a new blue disabled parking placard.

* The placards will be valid through 2018, and expire on the applicant's birthday.

* Qualification for the red (temporary disability) placard and the green (organizational) placards will remain the same; however, they will not qualify for "meter-exempt parking.

* Persons with any type of disabled parking placard will still be allowed to park in designated disabled parking spaces at malls as well as grocery and retail stores were no parking meters are present.

* The Secretary of State's Office want to work with the organizations representing people in the disabled community, including the Illinois Department on Aging and the local Area Agencies on Aging to assist with questions and concerns about the new program so they can better answer inquiries from their clients.

* For questions or more information, please contact Mary Riseling 217-524-1166 or Cynthia Grant at 217-785-3094.

* Disabled applicants may contact the Secretary of State's Disabled Placard/Plate Division at 217-782-2434, 217-782-2887, 217-782-2709 .

Types of Disabilities That Will Qualify an Applicant For Meter Exempt Parking

* Patient cannot manage, manipulate or insert coins, or obtain tickets or tokens in parking meters or ticket machines in parking lots due to the lack of fine motor control of BOTH hands.

* Patient cannot reach above his/her head to a height of 42 inches from the ground due to a lack of finger, hand or upper-extremity strength or mobility.

* Patient cannot approach a parking meter due to his/her use of a wheelchair or other device for mobility.

* Patient cannot walk more than 20 feet due to an orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular or lung condition in which the degree of debilitation is so severe that is almost completely impedes the ability to walk.

*** Economic need will not be a consideration to qualify for meter-exempt parking
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Other updates: Jesse White Announces New Plan To Reduce The Fraudulent Use Of Disability Placards And Plates


A law proposed by White to crack down on fraud and abuse of the state's disability parking program took effect January 1st. The new law includes toughening the penalties for those who abuse a deceased person's placard or disability license plate. House Bill 5624 creates a new two-tiered parking program. Public Act 97-844 strengthens the penalty for using a placard and/or disability license plates in which the person is now deceased, which under the previous law fell under the category of general misuse of a placard or plate. The law creates a new offense for this egregious act, making it a Class A Misdemeanor, which carries a minimum one-year driver's license revocation and a $2,500 fine.


In addition, the license suspension periods for general misuse of a disability license plate or placard increases from 30 days to a six-month suspension for a first offense; from six months to a one-year suspension for a second offense as well as increasing the fine from $750 to $1,000, and from a one-year suspension to a minimum one-year revocation for a third offense. A license revocation requires the offender to meet with a Secretary of State Administrative Hearing officer at the end of their revocation period before driving privileges may be restored.


The fine for illegally using a placard or disability license plates without the authorized holder of the placard or disability license plates present is a maximum of $500. The fine for parking in an accessible parking space without a parking placard or disability license plates can be s minimum of $250 and a maximum of $350.


Secretary White urged people to report abuse of accessible parking spaces via the Secretary of State's website at www.cyberdriveillinois.com and complete the Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities Abuse Complaint Form. People can also report abuse by calling 217-785-0309.

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/services/persons_with_disabilities/disabilities.html

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/disabilitypub.html

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