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Handicap hang tag program changes going smoothly, state saysAug 22, 2010 (The Beaufort Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- South Carolina's move to put photo IDs on handicap hang tags seems to be going smoothy seven months after the law requiring them went into effect, state officials say. The law requires all disabled people to get the photo ID added when they renew their tag or by Jan. 1, 2013. The state's handicap tags are valid for up to four years. More than 38,000 permanent placards and 7,328 temporary placards -- for disabilities lasting at least four months -- were issued in South Carolina from Jan. 4 to July 30. The law was changed because South Carolina legislators were concerned about fraudulent use of the tags. "You see so many people that are using handicap tags and they get out and go in a store and walk around and come back," said Joyce Golden, a resident of Summit Place of Beaufort, who uses a hang tag. "So you know they're not handicapped." S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles director of communications Beth Parks said in an e-mail that a few people complained early in the year about having their picture displayed or not being able to come in because of medical reasons. Many of those issues were resolved by issuing a disabled license plate rather than a placard, Parks said. Locally, AARP driving instructor Don Ferguson and representatives of Share Inc. Senior Center, Summit Place of Beaufort and Bluffton-Hilton Head Senior Center said they hadn't heard of any problems with the new law. Golden praised the new law and was one of many who didn't need a new photo taken when she got her tag in May because the DMV could use the one already on file for her driver's license. A violation of the law is a misdemeanor that could result in a fine of $500 to $1,000 or a prison sentence of up to 30 days, or both. A physician's recertification for a disability is required for individuals to obtain the $1 placard. The placard owners must also carry a registration certificate in their vehicles at all times. The photo identification and doctor recertification are not required for any agencies that have the authority to transport disabled people. To see more of The Beaufort Gazette or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.beaufortgazette.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Beaufort Gazette, S.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544). |