Can You Park Anywhere For Free In NJ With A Handicap Placard?

This issue seems to come up a lot in various Jersey Facebook groups, particularly in the summertime. To be fair, all of The Garden State's parking laws can be a bit difficult to keep straight.

There seems to be some confusion regarding whether or not people who possess an "accessible parking" placard for their rearview mirror or have a permanent handicap license plate should be forking over money to the parking meters. Obviously, this is a hot topic during the warmer months considering you must pay for parking in almost every NJ beach town.

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Someone was under the impression that "accessible parking" was free to anyone with the appropriate identification all throughout Wildwood. A quick Google search will reveal otherwise. Apparently, Wildwood's parking laws regarding handicapped spot payments are the same as almost everywhere else in the state.

So, can you park for free if you have a legal handicap parking sticker or license plate? The short answer is no. However, there is a caveat to that. If you plan on staying parked in a handicapped spot for longer than the meter lets you pay for, then you don't have to pay for each additional hour as long as your car is only there for up to 24 hours.

For example, if a meter in Wildwood only allows you to pay for up to 8 hours, then you may remain parked in the handicapped spot (as long as you have the proper tag or placard displayed) for up to 24 hours without getting a ticket.

The Garden State still requires people that must use "accessible parking" spots to pay for their parking spot. So, don't automatically assume that just because you have that blue parking placard means you get to park for free. You could find yourself having to pay a fine.

Sources: State.NJ.US, WildwoodNJ.org

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