A message from nj.com
People with disabilities will now be required 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 today.
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. The changes take effect Aug. 1.
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 fraud associated with the program. He said law enforcement officers often find motorists who use placards that are not assigned to the vehicle they are using or the placards belong to someone who has died.
Mainly, the new laws 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 of the previous process. There was "no certification process with teeth to it, with scrutiny."
There are more than half a million placard and license plate holders in the state.
The MVC has already begun mailing registration renewals explaining the new law.
"This is just an attempt to tighten up the process a little bit," Martinez said. "Those spots are not just there for convenience, they're out of necessity."
SOURCE: nj.com via Associated Press
