Questions about Handicapped Parking

Who can park in the spaces marked for handicapped parking?

Only people who have a physician sign a form attesting that they qualify. This includes:

  • Persons who cannot walk without the aid of another person, a dog guide, a companion dog, a walker, a cane, crutches, braces, prosthesis, or a wheelchair.
  • Persons are mobility impaired by best corrected central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye as measured by the Snellen Test, OR persons
  • who have central visual acuity better than 20/200 with a limitation of the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle of 20 or less.
  • Persons who are restricted by a pulmonary condition to the extent that the Arterial Oxygen Saturation, on room air, at rest, is 90% or less or the patient desaturates to 90% or less on mild exercise, OR who use prescribed portable oxygen during the day.
  • Persons who have a cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified as class III or IV according to the standards of the New York Heart Association.
  • Persons who have a disability that would be aggravated by walking 150 to 200 feet under normal environmental conditions and a resultant mobility impairment of the same degree as described in the four criteria above.
ADA Logo

You must also:

  • Have the license plate with the wheelchair logo on it, or have a CURRENT placard with the wheelchair logo AND
  • The person with the license plate or placard leaves the vehicle.

How do I get a set of handicapped license plates and/or a placard?

The Department of Motor Vehicles has the application forms. Take the form to your physician, and when it is filled out, take it to the DMV. Hint: If you get license plates, get a placard as well for those occasions when you ride with someone else.

Can I park at metered parking spaces without paying or for extended periods of time?

No. Not in Pueblo. You must feed the meter at the prescribed intervals and/or move your vehicle. Some other cities have different laws, and you should always ask before assuming. If you call the police department and ask for the parking enforcement department, they can answer questions for you.

Can I park next to a handicapped space where those lines are?

No. This is the access alley, where people who use wheelchair lifts unload and load.

Can I have a handicapped parking space painted and signed in near my home?

Yes. Keep in mind that once this space is so marked, it is a permanently designated space and cannot be used by nonhandicapped parkers.

I got a ticket for parking in a handicapped space because I forgot to put out my placard. Now what should I do?

Contact the Municipal Court and ask for a court date. Take your placard in and explain the situation to the judge. You may still have to pay a fine, but it is usually much less. In the future, you can tape your placard to the lower right hand side of your front windshield.

I saw someone parked illegally in a handicapped parking space. Can I do anything about it?-

Yes. Make a note of the place, date, time, license plate number and car description and contact the TRAFFIC at 719-553-2538. Do not call 911! The person won’t get a ticket unless an authorized law enforcement officer sees the violation, but they will get a warning letter.

I have a Disabled Veteran license plate. Can I park in designated handicapped parking spaces?

Maybe. If your plate has the wheelchair logo on it, you certainly can. A few states only issue these plates to veterans with 100% disability and may or may not have the wheelchair logo on them. If your plate is from a state where you do have handicapped parking privileges but don’t have a wheelchair logo, it is a good idea to get a placard with a wheelchair logo for travel out of state to prevent confusion. If you have the option of getting the wheelchair logo for your DV plates, get it and you will not have to worry about being ticketed out of state.

When does my handicapped parking placard expire?

There are three-year placards, and they are marked with the month and year of expiration. They expire at the end of the month marked. If you have a temporary placard, it expires on the day, month and year marked. If you believe that you still need the placard, contact the DMV and your doctor for another one. If you still have a placard marked “Permanent,” these are no longer legal and you must get a three-year placard.

What happens if I am caught using someone else’s handicapped parking placard?

The placard will be confiscated by either the parking patrol person or the judge. This will leave the person who needs the placard without any ability to use handicapped parking spaces in the future. There is a $104 fine for this. $100 fine plus $4 court costs.

How are handicapped parking laws enforced?

Either a police officer or parking enforcer will issue a ticket. Pueblo also has volunteer handicapped parking enforcers who are authorized to issue tickets and confiscate illegally-used or illegal placards.