Columbia County Sheriff's Office
       Handicapped Parking
​       Education and Enforcement Program

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​Columbia County is committed to the enforcement of laws pertaining to parking for individuals with disabilities.  The Columbia County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, will take the necessary steps to enforce the law to protect the rights of the people it is intended to serve.

Federal and New York State Laws provide special parking privileges for persons with disabilities.  These laws help to insure that eligible individuals with disabilities have the same opportunities to access goods and services that are available to the rest of the population. 

Reserving parking spaces for individuals with disabilities is not just a matter of safety and convenience/accessibility, it is also a matter of law.  Traversing a busy parking lot can be difficult and even dangerous for someone win a wheelchair, on crutches, or using a walker.  An individual in a wheelchair travelling across the busy parking lot may not be as visible to other drivers as a person who is walking.  Some people with severe disabilities are not able to maneuver as well as individuals who do not have disabilities, and are in a precarious position as they try to access malls, grocery stores, etc.  This includes people with non-visible disabilities with such conditions as lung or heart disease, or spinal problems, which make walking difficult.

Upon request, Deputy Sheriff's will attend meetings or other events to discuss Handicapped parking.  The Sheriff also makes Deputy Sheriff's available to other law enforcement agencies for Handicapped Parking in-service training.

To request information or for a Deputy Sheriff to speak about Handicapped Parking, contact dispatch at 518-828-3344
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