N.J. Changes Parking Program for Disabled

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) —

People with disabilities will be required as of Aug. 1 to have their medical conditions recertified every three years to qualify for parking privileges in New Jersey, Motor Vehicle Commission chief administrator Raymond Martinez said Wednesday.

In the past, motorists would be required to undergo only an initial medical classification to qualify for the special placard and license plate. After that, materials would be renewed by mail every three years. Now, when renewal is up, so is a medical classification requirement by a qualified medical professional.

Motorists who already have the placards will not need to submit recertification until they’re due for renewal.

The placards that are hung on rearview mirrors will also be redesigned to make the expiration date more visible and to prevent alterations. License plates that are renewed every year are also subject to the three-year medical recertification.

Martinez said the new rules aim to reduce the number of placards and license plates issued to people who are no longer qualified to have them.

“It was almost an automatic renewal,” Martinez said. There was “no certification process with teeth to it, with scrutiny.”

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