42 | Driver’s Manual RESERVED PARKING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES QUESTIONS Parking reserved for persons with disabilities  is a legal requirement. These special parking  spaces for motorists with disabilities ensure safe  and equal access to goods and services, access  which is taken for granted by  many persons. You can park  in reserved spaces only if you  have a permit or vehicle plates  for persons with disabilities  and only when the person who  received the permit or vehicle  plates is in the vehicle.  It is illegal for any vehicle to  park, stop or stand in a space  reserved for the disabled unless it has vehicle  plates for the disabled issued by the DMV, a New  York State Parking Permit for the Disabled issued  by a city, town, county or village or a similar  vehicle plate or permit issued by another state.  The vehicle must be in operation to transport the  disabled person described in the registration or  permit. This law applies to spaces reserved and  provided by local ordinance on streets and high- ways and those held for special use by state law  in shopping centers that have five or more stores  and 20 or more off-street public parking spaces. It is a misdemeanor to make a false statement  or give false information on an application for  vehicle plates. If you make a false statement or  provide false information to get a parking permit  for a person with a disability, you face a fine from  $250 to $1,000, plus a mandatory surcharge of  $30 and possible civil penalties from $250 to  $1,000. These penalties apply to the applicant  and to a doctor who provides certification. To apply for vehicle plates for the disabled or  for a NYS Parking Permit for the Disabled use  the MV-664.1 Instructions and Application for a  Parking Permit or License Plates for People with  Severe Disabilities.  Reserved spaces must be marked with signs  like the one shown above, and also can be des- ignated with pavement markings. Do not park in  the spaces with diagonal stripes next to reserved  The fines for parking violations on a street are  set by municipalities. Unless a municipality sets  higher penalties, the fine for a shopping center  violation is $50 to $75 for a first offense and $75  to $150 for a second offense within two years in  the same municipality. A mandatory surcharge of  $30 will be added to each penalty. parking areas. These spaces are needed to give  access to those with wheelchairs and vehicles  with special equipment. Before you go on to Chapter 8, make sure you  can answer these questions: • After you have parallel parked, how near to  the curb must your vehicle be? • May you open a door on the road side of  your vehicle if there is no oncoming traffic?  • Before you leave a parking space, what  should you do? • What does a NO STOPPING sign mean?  • Can you stop to load or drop off passengers  at a NO STANDING or NO PARKING sign? • May you park on a crosswalk in the middle  of a block?