Dallas commissioner outlines plan to begin ticketing illegal handicapped parking, cites state law and fines

Commissioner Reedy, District 1, told the City of Dallas Commission on Disabilities on Feb. 25 that the commission is moving toward enforcing citations for people who park illegally in handicap parking spaces across the city.

Reedy said the authority to issue citations comes from the Texas Legislature and noted statutory minimum fines: “The first time offense is $500. The second offense is $750,” he said, adding that Houston has used a similar program since 2004 and issued roughly 6,300 citations in fiscal year 2024, generating about $3,000,000 in first-offense fines.

The commission’s interest in the program stems from a year-long effort, Reedy said. He described training requirements for volunteer enforcement officers, including a four-hour state-required training and background checks, and said training could include how to recognize forged or fake handicap placards and plates. “The state does not tell us what we have to include in this training…so that’s certainly an item we could include,” he said.

Commissioners raised safety and confrontation concerns during the discussion. Commissioner White described reports that store staff have had guns pulled on them when confronting illegally parked drivers; Reedy said avoidance of confrontation is included in training. Reedy also stressed there are no statutory exceptions for short stops or medical emergencies other than a legitimately issued but not-visible placard.

The presentation did not include an implementation date or a full operational plan; Reedy said staff and commissioners would continue work and provide updates. He also asked commissioners to contact him for further details and follow-up.

The commission did not take a formal vote on creating the enforcement program during the Feb. 25 meeting.