Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernández said more than 1,400 disabled parking permits have been canceled as a result of an audit conducted in the county.
According to Fernández, it is the “most comprehensive enforcement effort ever carried out” in Miami-Dade to protect seniors, veterans and residents with legitimate disabilities.
To date, the office has reviewed more than 27,000 applications. Most were confirmed as valid, while others required additional verification.
However, after multiple rounds of review, authorities identified a significant number of permits that were issued improperly or could not be validated.
As a result, formal cancellation notices are now being issued, and people holding invalid permits must surrender them immediately.
In addition, cases in which fraud is suspected are being referred to agencies, including the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, for further investigation.
Fernández stressed the legal consequences.
“Abusing this system is not a minor offense. It’s fraud against residents who truly depend on these permits. Anyone who tries to exploit this program will face consequences under the law,” he said.
Under state law, fraudulent use of these permits can carry up to one year in jail, $1,000 in fines, or both, in addition to being barred from obtaining a new permit for up to four years.
The audit includes temporary and permanent permits issued over the past two years, including those processed through partner agencies.
Authorities said the process is ongoing and that the number of canceled permits could continue to rise as the review moves forward.
This story was translated from Spanish with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An NBC6 editor reviewed the translation.