§ 11-55. Parking spaces reserved for handicapped persons.

(a)

All public parking areas and all privately owned parking areas open to the public, in all subdivisions and other commercial, industrial developments in the unincorporated areas of the county, for which building permits were issued prior to September 1, 1975, may voluntarily provide handicapped parking spaces, provided that such spaces, and the signage therefor, comply with the standards and provisions of Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as amended.

(b)

With the exception of the foregoing parking areas, handicapped parking spaces and the signage therefor shall be provided in accordance with the standards and provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as amended, for all public parking areas and privately owned parking areas open to the public, in all subdivisions and other commercial, industrial and residential developments in the unincorporated areas of the county including those completed to date, those presently under construction, and those constructed in the future, except for developments expressly exempt from the handicapped parking space requirement under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as amended.

(c)

For the purpose of this section, a space reserved for handicapped persons shall be marked by an erected, above-grade sign indicating that the parking space is reserved for handicapped persons. Such erected, above-grade sign shall conform to the standards set forth in the American National Standards Specifications, ANSI A117.1-1980, as amended, as incorporated in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as amended, and all such signs erected after July 1, 1985, shall, in addition, bear a statement of the penalty for violation of this section established in section 11-45 of this Code, in substantially the following form: "Unlawful parking in this space is subject to a fine of from $50.00 to $100.00."

(d)

Failure to comply with the foregoing subsections shall constitute a misdemeanor and be prosecuted as a violation of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as amended.

(e)

It shall be unlawful for any nonhandicapped person to park any motor vehicle in a parking space reserved for handicapped persons on any public parking lot or at privately owned parking areas open to the public, except as provided in subsection (f) of this section. A county police officer or any other authorized law enforcement officer may issue a summons for any violation of this section, without the necessity of a warrant being obtained by the owner of such privately owned parking area.

(f)

The following motor vehicles may be lawfully parked in parking spaces reserved for the handicapped at public parking areas and privately owned parking areas open to the public:

(1)

Any motor vehicle registered to a handicapped person which is identified by a decal or distinguishing license plate issued by the division;

(2)

Any motor vehicle actually being used to transport a handicapped person which displays the distinguishing decal issued by the division;

(3)

Any motor vehicle registered in any state other than Virginia that displays such other state's license plate, decal or other device, indicating that the vehicle is registered to, or is being used to transport, a handicapped person.

(g)

For purposes of this section, the distinguishing license plates and decals issued by the division shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1)

Disabled veteran (DVO-000);

(2)

Handicapped person (HPO-000);

(3)

Handicapped person license plates displaying the international symbol of access;

(4)

Decals issued by the division for display on the sun visor on the driver's side of a vehicle, when the vehicle is parked in an area reserved for handicapped parking.

(h)

For purposes of this section, a handicapped person shall be any person certified as being a physically handicapped person by the veterans' administration, the social security administration or the division, or any comparable organization or department of any other state. (10-1-92; 9-21-17.)