Israel Plans Major Overhaul of Disabled Parking Permit System to Curb Fraud

An inter-ministerial team in Israel has recommended a comprehensive review and overhaul of the disabled parking permit system after discovering that about one-third of permits issued in recent years were granted improperly. The report found that the Licensing Authority had become a "rubber stamp," with external doctors approving 70% of applications in an average of just 90 seconds based solely on documents, without physical examinations. The authority lacks the expertise, tools, and manpower to properly assess applicants' disabilities and functional status.

According to the Ministry of Transport, approximately 150,000 permits out of the total issued in recent years were improperly granted. In 2025, there were around 446,000 eligible permit holders and 655,000 vehicles associated with these permits, marking a 320% increase in vehicles linked to permits over the past decade. The team recommends re-evaluating all permits, gradually canceling about 300,000 permanent permits at a rate of up to 75,000 per year, requiring owners to reapply under stricter criteria. Additionally, 133,000 permits expiring by the end of 2027 will not be automatically renewed.

The proposal also includes ending the practice of linking two vehicles to one permit, except for parents of disabled children, with real-time enforcement via a dedicated app. Parking on sidewalks would be banned or limited to 15 minutes. Medical approval authority would shift from the Ministry of Transport to the National Insurance Institute and the Ministry of Defense, basing eligibility on medical examinations and conclusions approved by the National Insurance Institute. Eligible groups include the blind, those with mobility disabilities of 60% or more receiving mobility allowances, certain disabled children, and those with nursing care allowances of level 4 or higher.

The report attributes the surge in permits to the Licensing Authority's expanded use of its approval powers, which were intended for exceptional cases but became routine, with approvals based solely on paperwork without physical checks, proper procedures, supervision, or oversight of doctors' work.