Tuesday, August 21, 2012

DOES MY OUT OF STATE HANDICAP PERMIT WORK HERE AS WELL?

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DEAR SERGEANT AL: I am planning on traveling out of state with my car as I have a permanent disabled/handicap permit from my home state both for the windshield and on the license plates on my car. Can I use my permit in other states? –HOVEROUND MAMA.
DEAR HOVEROUND MAMA: Here’s the skinny 411 when it comes to using your out of state handicap permit in another state: I don’t think any government or business entity wants to be a test case in piled on litigation when it comes to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. One of the reasons why you have such a permit hanging on your rear view mirror and why businesses and governments went to such lengths as to alter their infrastructure and the law was to make handicap access easier for people like you as a result of this act. It would be counterproductive and bad public relations to ticket or exclude a disabled person from access just because they are from another state or they don’t have the proper permit or plate. That would be the equivalent of discriminating against a black person from another state because they do not have the proper identification from the visiting state identifying them as being black. Believe it or not this was the way it was similarly done years ago in places like South Africa with those who fell between the cracks of color classification during apartheid, and it’s obviously bad policy to do things in such a way anywhere today. But since having a disability creates the unique circumstance of requiring some kind of ID to obtain the access disabled persons need, the ID needs to be possessed and displayed in such a manner that makes access easier for them wherever they go. Law enforcement is keenly aware of this. In 99% of the cases where a police officer or ticket agent gives a car with a handicap permit a ticket regardless of what state they originate, it is simply because the officer didn’t notice the permit hanging from the windshield, a simple regrettable mistake. Believe me when I state cops don't like to hang out in parking lots doing handicap patrol. If you see one doing this it's because either the cops got a complaint that they have to do something about it, or the cop that's there is just a nut job. Thank goodness the 1% of the time where the cop is simply just a prick that you often hear horror stories, is really the exception, not the rule.

To answer your question, yes your out of state handicap permit should be perfectly valid in whatever state you should be visiting, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you had the same kind of welcome if you even visited Canada and Mexico with your car. I would call BOTH your home state and the visiting state to see what their policy is regarding visiting handicap permits to see if a temporary or visitor’s one is required, which I think in most cases it is NOT. I did a little digging on the Internet for several states to find in California for example, there is a temporary visiting permit you can use when LEAVING the state to visit others. It is free and valid for 30 days. I get the impression that this device is only as a precaution, an added measure that helps and certainly doesn’t hurt to have just in case. According to the California DMV website:

“If you have a parking placard or license plate issued by the state of California, and you plan to travel out of state, you will want to obtain a Travel Parking Placard for California Residents. Follow the same steps as above and don't forget to include the appropriate fee. If you are a permanent placard owner, there is no charge. A traveling placard is good for 30 days.”
The main issue is if you move to that jurisdiction: make sure you transfer your handicap permit to your new home state should you move within 30 days, just to be on the safe side. If by chance you should get a parking ticket or God forbid towed from a handicap zone, make sure you have your medical ID and handicap permit handy so you can present for dismissal and/or redemption. Everyone from teachers to bosses likes a doctor’s note explaining an ailment, and having one here for a judge though not required, wouldn’t hurt either. HOVEROUND MAMA you owe me a spin on the back of your wheelchair when you get back from your trip! I wanna see how fast we can go down the block before I fall off! Maybe I can strap on a turbocharger to soup up your horsepower so you can go through the airport faster! You need some more sass in your step: I wanna see you knock some people down as you go buzzing by! LOL I hope you don't mind a little of my sick crazy cop humor again: I love you; you silly thing: have a safe trip and easy access with your wheelchair! Sgt. Al loves you baby!

My kinda wheelchair:

 My kinda lawn mower:


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4 comments:

  1. Great blog post - not only was it informative, it was way funny too! Keep up the great work Sgt. Al!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I called the Ontario provincial police information line, and the very nice lady assured me that a US-state issued handicapped permit is honored there.

    ReplyDelete

Sgt. Al here. I welcome your comments, ideas, and suggestions. You have questions about the police, and I'm interested in hearing what you have to say as a citizen. Thanks!

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