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As the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector, I want to provide our residents with an updated status report on the countywide audit of Disabled Person Parking Permits. This ongoing audit represents the most comprehensive compliance effort ever undertaken in Miami-Dade County to protect seniors, veterans, and residents with legitimate mobility disabilities.
To date, our office has reviewed more than 12,000 disabled parking permit applications, and that review process is continuing. As a result of irregularities and suspected fraud identified during this audit, we are preparing to cancel more than 500 disabled parking placards that were improperly issued or fraudulently obtained. Let me be absolutely clear: any individual who abuses this system or attempts to exploit vulnerable residents will face investigation, enforcement, and full consequences under the law.
Our team has completed an initial phase of review and continues conducting multiple layers of verification. Every application is subject to two full and independent reviews, and any application suspected of fraud is referred to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office for further investigation.
As part of this enforcement process, individuals whose permits are found to be invalid will receive official notice that their disabled parking placards have been cancelled and must be surrendered immediately. Under Florida law, fraudulent use of a disabled parking permit may result in up to one year in jail, fines of up to $1,000, or both, and may also include disqualification from obtaining a permit for up to four years.
This audit covers all temporary and permanent disabled parking permit applications filed within the last two years, including those processed through internal agencies and Miami-Dade County’s 25 License Plate Agencies. All findings are being documented and tracked to ensure transparency, accountability, and consistency in enforcement.
We continue working closely with FLHSMV, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, and municipal police departments across Miami-Dade County. Our Enforcement Office remains actively engaged, and this audit will continue until every application has been thoroughly reviewed and every improper permit has been addressed.
