Secretary of State Police will target holiday shoppers abusing disability parking at malls statewide, including University Mall in Carbondale.
The enforcement will start on Black Friday since it marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season and is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Bill Bogden is the disability liaison with the secretary of state. He says it's important to remember these spaces are designed to be used for people with disabilities.
"It's not a community space. It's not a space, 'oh, I'm only going to be in and out of the store for five minutes,' and so forth. Those spaces are very essential for individuals with disabilities to safely get in and get out of their vehicles."
Drivers caught misusing a placard face a six-month driver's license suspension and a $600 fine.
Repeat violators will face a one-year driver's license suspension and a $750 fine for a second offense; for third or subsequent offenses, violators will face a $1,000 fine.
The fine for parking in an accessible parking space without a disability placard or license plate can be up to $350 and using a deceased person's placard or a fraudulent placard can result in a $2,500 fine and one-year revocation of a driver's license.