1.    A mobility-impaired individual who displays prominently upon a motor vehicle parked by that individual or under that individual’s direction and for that individual’s use, the distinguishing certificate specified in subsection 4, license plates issued under section 39-04-10.2, or a disabled veteran plate issued under subdivision j of subsection 2 of section 39-04-18 is entitled to courtesy in the parking of the motor vehicle. However, any municipality may prohibit, by ordinance, parking on any highway for the purpose of creating a fire lane or to provide for the accommodation of heavy traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. The privileges extended to a mobility-impaired individual do not apply on a highway if parking is prohibited.

2.    A mobility-impaired individual as used in this section includes an individual who uses portable oxygen; requires personal assistance or the use of crutches, a wheelchair, or a walker to walk two hundred feet [60.96 meters] without rest; is restricted by cardiac, pulmonary, or vascular disease from walking two hundred feet [60.96 meters] without rest; has a forced expiratory volume of less than one liter for one second or an arterial oxygen tension of less than sixty millimeters of mercury on room air while at rest and is classified III or IV by standards for cardiac disease set by the American heart association; has an orthopedic, neurologic, or other medical condition that makes it impossible for the person to walk two hundred feet [60.96 meters] without assistance or rest; or is a disabled veteran issued a plate under subdivision j of subsection 2 of section 39-04-18.

3.    Repealed by S.L. 1989, ch. 319, § 6.

4.    The director may issue a special identifying certificate to any mobility-impaired applicant upon submission by the applicant of a completed application and a written or electronic statement issued by a qualified physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, physical therapist, or an advanced practice registered nurse to the director that the applicant is a mobility-impaired person within the criteria of subsection 2. The director shall waive the requirement for a written or electronic statement from a qualified physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, physical therapist, or an advanced practice registered nurse if the applicant has previously submitted an application containing a certification from a qualified physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, physical therapist, or an advanced practice registered nurse that the applicant’s impairment is not reversible. The application must include the information required by the director. The physician’s, physician assistant’s, chiropractor’s, physical therapist’s, or advanced practice registered nurse’s statement must describe how the impairment limits the applicant’s mobility and daily life functions of the applicant. The certificate is valid for a period, not to exceed three years, as determined by the director. A physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, physical therapist, or an advanced practice registered nurse who provides a false statement that an individual is mobility impaired for the purpose of that individual obtaining a certificate under this subsection is guilty of an infraction for which a minimum fine of one hundred dollars must be    imposed. A certificate issued under this subsection must be nine and one-half inches [24.13 centimeters] in height and three inches [7.62 centimeters] in width and must bear, in white on blue, the internationally accepted symbol of access for the mobility impaired. The certificate must bear the expiration date and registration number assigned by the director. The director shall adopt rules governing the issuance of the certificate. A temporary certificate, valid for an initial period not to exceed three months, may be issued by the director for a fee of three dollars upon application supported by a physician’s, physician assistant’s, chiropractor’s, physical therapist’s, or an advanced practice registered nurse’s statement. The director may issue a maximum of one additional temporary certificate for a fee of three dollars. The temporary certificate may be extended an additional period, not to exceed three months, upon application supported by a physician’s, physician assistant’s, chiropractor’s, physical therapist’s, or an advanced practice registered nurse’s statement that the extension is warranted. Temporary certificates must be the same size as other certificates issued under this section and must be white on red. The director may issue a maximum of one additional certificate, if the applicant does not have number plates issued under section 39-04-10.2 or under subdivision j of subsection 2 of section 39-04-18, to a mobility-impaired individual to whom a certificate has been issued under this subsection. The additional certificates may be used only by or on behalf of the mobility-impaired individual.

5.    Except as provided in this subsection, two dollars of each fee for issuance of a certificate and one dollar of each fee for issuance of an additional certificate under this section must be deposited in the state highway department fund for purposes of defraying the cost of issuing the certificate. The rest of the fee, and the five dollar fee received for the issuance of an additional certificate under subsection 4, must be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the state rehabilitation council fund. The fees deposited in the fund are hereby appropriated on a continuing basis to the department of health and human services for use by the state rehabilitation council to accomplish the council’s statutory duties provided under section 50-06.1-16. If a certificate is lost, mutilated, or destroyed, the individual to whom the certificate was issued is entitled to a replacement. The individual shall furnish proof satisfactory to the director that the certificate has been lost, mutilated, or destroyed, and shall pay a replacement fee of three dollars.

6.    A certificate issued under this section must be hung from the rearview mirror of the motor vehicle whenever the vehicle is occupying a space reserved for the mobility impaired and is being used by a mobility-impaired individual or another individual for the purposes of transporting the mobility-impaired individual. No part of the certificate may be obscured. A fee of five dollars may be imposed for a violation of this subsection.

7.    An applicant may appeal a decision denying issuance of the certificate to the director.

Written notice of the appeal must be received within ten business days following receipt by the applicant of notice of denial. The applicant has sixty days to provide additional supportive material to the director for purposes of deciding the appeal. The director shall affirm or reverse the decision to deny issuance of the certificate within thirty days after receipt of the supportive material. Written notice of the decision must be given to the applicant.

8.    If a law enforcement officer finds that the certificate is being improperly used, the officer may report to the director any violation and the director may, in the director’s discretion, remove the privilege. An individual who is not mobility impaired and who exercises the privileges granted a mobility-impaired individual under subsection 1 is guilty of an infraction for which a fine of one hundred dollars must be imposed.

9.     a.    If a public or private entity designates parking spaces for accessible parking, the spaces must comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities as contained in the appendix to title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, part 36 [28 CFR 36] and must be indicated by blue paint on the curb or edge of the paved portion of the street or    parking lot adjacent to the space. In addition to blue paint, each reserved space must be indicated by a sign bearing the international symbol of accessibility for the mobility impaired. The sign must indicate that unauthorized use of the space is a nonmoving violation for which a fee of one hundred dollars must be imposed.

b.    For any event, a public or a private entity temporarily may reserve additional accessible parking spaces for use by motor vehicles operated by a mobility-impaired individual. In that case, each temporarily reserved space must be indicated by a sign bearing the international symbol of accessibility for the mobility impaired at least four hours before the event.

c.    A parking space clearly identified as reserved for the mobility impaired is considered designated and reserved for the mobility impaired and is sufficient basis for the enforcement of this section if the parking space has two of the following requirements:

(1) Blue paint on the curb or edge of the paved portion of the street or parking lot adjacent to the space; (2) A sign bearing the international symbol of accessibility for the mobility impaired; or

(3) Notice that unauthorized use of the space is a nonmoving violation for which a fee of one hundred dollars must be imposed.

d.    Except for a temporarily reserved parking space for the mobility impaired, a sign posted must be immovable.

e.    A law enforcement officer shall enforce this section in any parking lot or parking facility, whether publicly or privately owned.

10.    If the designated parking spaces for mobility-impaired individuals are occupied or inaccessible, a motor vehicle displaying the distinguishing certificate specified in subsection 4, license plates issued under section 39-04-10.2, or a disabled veteran plate issued under subdivision j of subsection 2 of section 39-04-18 may park at an angle and occupy two standard parking spaces.

11.    An individual may not stop, stand, or park any vehicle in any designated parking space that is reserved for the mobility impaired unless the vehicle displays a mobility-impaired identification certificate issued by the director to a mobility-impaired individual. A mobility-impaired individual may not permit the use of a certificate issued under this section by an individual who is not mobility impaired when that use is not in connection with the transport of the mobility-impaired individual. The registered owner of a vehicle may not allow that vehicle to be used in a manner that violates this subsection. Proof of intent is not required to prove a registered owner’s violation of this subsection. The registered owner, however, may be excused from a violation if the owner provides the citing authority with the name and address of the individual operating the vehicle at the time of the violation. A vehicle may temporarily use a space reserved for a mobility-impaired individual without a mobility-impaired certificate for the purpose of loading and unloading a mobility-impaired individual. A violation of this subsection is a nonmoving violation for which a fee of one hundred dollars must be imposed. Notwithstanding section 29-27-02.1, fifty percent of the fee imposed and collected under this subsection is appropriated on a continuing basis to the state rehabilitation council for the development of competitive and integrated employment opportunities.

12.    A motor vehicle licensed in another state which displays a special authorized vehicle designation issued by the licensing authority of that state for vehicles used in the transportation of a mobility-impaired individual must be accorded the same privilege provided in this section for similar vehicles licensed in this state if the laws of the other state provide the same privileges to North Dakota motor vehicles displaying the special identifying certificate authorized in this section.

13.    An entity that violates the requirements of subsection 9 is guilty of an infraction if the entity does not comply with subsection 9 within sixty days after receiving official notification of the violation.

    14.    The department shall issue a mobility-impaired parking permit for a vehicle owned and operated by care providers licensed by the state, veterans-related organizations, and other entities that regularly transport mobility-impaired individuals for use by those providers and entities to park in designated parking spaces while transporting mobility-impaired individuals.