Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez Announces Crackdown on Disabled Parking Permit Fraud

Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez announced today that his office is cracking down on disabled parking permits connected to individuals who are deceased as part of a new data-driven fraud detection initiative.

“This is simple. In Miami-Dade County, we are not going to allow anyone to abuse the name of the deceased to get a benefit they are not entitled to,” said Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez. “Anyone in possession of a fraudulently obtained disabled parking permit should stop using it immediately and turn it in,” Fernandez said. “If you are using the name of someone who has passed away to get special access, you are not just breaking the rules and dishonoring the dead. You are taking a space away from a paralyzed person, a cancer patient, or someone’s grandmother who actually needs it.”

The Tax Collector’s Office is cross-checking disabled parking permits against official death records and other available data. The review has identified permits requiring action, and the office expects additional cases may be identified as records are reviewed.

“Using a permit tied to someone who has passed away is shameful,” Fernandez added. “We are going to find these permits, remove them from circulation, and refer suspected abuse to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.”

The office is also implementing routine data checks and enhanced verification protocols to prevent future misuse.

“This is what accountability looks like,” Fernandez said. “We are using data to protect residents, expose abuse, and make sure government does not look the other way.”