The Attorney General of Texas
December 18, 1978
JOHN L. HILL
Attorney General
Honorable George N. Rodriguez,. Jr. Opinion No. H-12 g 1
El Paso County Attorney
El Paso City/County Building Re: Whether disabled veteran’s
El Paso, Texas 79901 license plates authorize a driver
to park for an unlimited amount
of time at a parking meter.
Dear Mr. Rodriguez:
You have asked if a disabled veteran’s license plate authorizes a driver
to park for an unlimited amount of time at a parking meter. You explain that
the City of El Paso, like many other cities, has an ordinance against “feeding”
meters. Thus, an individual may not remain in a metered parking space
beyond the maximum time allowed for the parking meter, even though coins
may have been placed in the meter for the additional time.
Article 6675a-5e, V.T.C.S., provides that a veteran of the armed forces
who has suffered at least a 70% service-connected disability is entitled to
register his automobile without pavment of the prescribed annual registration
fee. He also is to receive a specially designed license plate which indicates
that he is a disabled veteran. Subdivision (e) of this article provides:
(e) A vehicle on which these specially designed
plates are displayed is exempt from the payment of
parking fees, including those collected through parking
meters, charged by any governmental authority other
than a branch of the federal government.
By its terms, the statute permits a disabled veteran to park without
paying the meter fee, but does not expressly permit parking at a space in
excess of the time allowed.
We do not believe that the legislature intended to permit parking for an
unlimited time, since it expressly provided another means for disabled persons
to park at a parking meter without payment of the fee and without regard to
any limitation on length of time. V.T.C.S. art. 6675a-5e.1, § 6(b). This
statute permits “permanently disabled” persons to obtain a special symbol to
be attached to their automobiles which will entitle them to certain parking
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Honorable George N. Rodriguez, Jr. - Page 2 (H-12911
privileges including the privilege of parking at a meter without charge and for an
unlimited amount of time. Unlike article 6675a-5e, the disabled veterans’ statute,
this article is limited to individuals who are unable to ambulate without the aid of a
mechanical device. Of course, any qualified disabled veteran is eligible to obtain
the symbol provided for in article 6675a-Se.1 and can utilize the parking privileges
attached to it.
SUMMARY
Disabled veterans and other individuals who qualify under
article 6675a-5e.l may obtain a special symbol to attach to
their automobiles which will permit them to park at a meter
without payment of the fee and without regard to the
amount of time designated for parking there. However, a
disabled veteran’s license plate alone does not exempt an
automobile from parking requirements which limit the
amount of time at which an individual may park at a meter.
,Very truly yours,
Attorney General of Texas
APPROVED: w
/ DAVID M. KENDA L, First Assistant
Opinion Committee
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