Handicap parking rules come from two layers of law: federal regulations that set who qualifies for a permit and how accessible spaces must be built, and state laws that handle the actual permit applications and set the fines for misuse. To use a reserved space legally, you need a valid placard or disability license plate issued to you, you have to be in the vehicle (as driver or passenger), and the placard has to be displayed. Parking in one of those spaces without a permit typically costs between $100 and $500, and can run over $1,000 in some states or for repeat offenses.
Who Qualifies for a Handicap Parking Permit
Federal rules under 23 CFR Part 1235 define a qualifying disability as one that limits or impairs the ability to walk. A licensed physician has to certify that the applicant meets at least one of the following:1eCFR. 23 CFR Part 1235 – Uniform System for Parking for Persons With Disabilities
- Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
- Cannot walk without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or another person’s help.
- Has lung disease with forced expiratory volume (FEV1) below one liter, or arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm/Hg at rest on room air.
- Requires portable oxygen for mobility.
- Has a cardiac condition classified as Class III or IV under American Heart Association standards.
- Is severely limited in the ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.
Those are federal minimums. States can add conditions on top — legal blindness is a common addition, and some states include conditions affecting the use of hands and arms. Many states also let nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or podiatrists sign off in place of a physician. A self-reported condition without medical certification does not qualify anywhere.
How to Apply for a Placard or Disability Plate
Applications go through the state motor vehicle agency, whether that’s called the DMV, department of revenue, or something else. The form has two parts: a personal information section you fill out (name, address, driver’s license or state ID number, and vehicle information if you want plates rather than a placard), and a medical certification section that a physician or other authorized provider completes. Some states require the medical section to be notarized. Most accept the provider’s signature alone.
You can usually submit by mail, in person, or through an online portal. Fees are minimal — often free, rarely more than a few dollars. Most applicants receive a placard within a few weeks. If you need access sooner, some offices will issue a temporary placard on the spot while the permanent one is processed.
Permanent vs. Temporary Placards
The federal rule sets out two placard types. A permanent placard is blue with a white International Symbol of Accessibility; a temporary placard uses a red background. Both must show an identification number, an expiration date, and the seal of the issuing authority.1eCFR. 23 CFR Part 1235 – Uniform System for Parking for Persons With Disabilities
Temporary placards cover short-term situations like a broken leg, post-surgical recovery, or a pregnancy complication, and typically expire within six months or less. Permanent placards renew on a state-set cycle, commonly every three to four years, and renewal usually requires fresh medical certification. The word “permanent” refers to the disability, not the placard — the card itself still expires.
Rules for Using an Accessible Space
Display the Placard, and Be in the Vehicle
When you park in an accessible space, hang the placard from the rearview mirror so it’s visible from outside. Take it down before driving; it obstructs your view and is a traffic hazard. If you have disability plates, no additional display is needed.
The person the permit was issued to has to be either the driver or a passenger. You cannot lend your placard to someone who doesn’t qualify, even if they’re running an errand for you. This is the most common form of placard misuse, and it’s what enforcement officers watch for.
Using the Space Out of State
Because 23 CFR Part 1235 sets a uniform national system, states honor permits issued by other states.1eCFR. 23 CFR Part 1235 – Uniform System for Parking for Persons With Disabilities A valid placard or plate from your home state works when you travel elsewhere in the country. International recognition also exists under agreements coordinated through the International Transport Forum, covering the U.S. and dozens of other countries.
Metered Parking
Whether your placard exempts you from paying a parking meter depends on where you are. Some states grant a blanket exemption. Others leave it to individual cities or offer no exemption at all. Even in states that waive the fee, you usually still have to move your vehicle when the posted time limit runs out. Check the specific city’s rules rather than assuming.
Blocking the Access Aisle
The striped area next to an accessible space is an access aisle, not extra pavement. It exists so people can deploy a ramp or transfer from a wheelchair. Parking in or across an access aisle is a violation on its own in most jurisdictions, and it can make the adjacent space completely unusable regardless of whether anyone is parked in it.
Penalties for Parking Illegally in an Accessible Space
No Permit, or Someone Else’s Permit
Fines for parking in an accessible space without a valid placard or plate range from around $100 on the low end to $500 or more, and some states authorize fines above $1,000 for repeat offenses. Enforcement applies on both public streets and private property — a shopping center lot is not a safe harbor. Towing is common, and the vehicle owner typically pays the fine plus tow and impound fees.
Blocking an access aisle carries its own penalty in many places, separate from the fine for occupying the space itself. Being “not technically in the spot” does not help; if the aisle is unusable, the space is unusable.
Placard Fraud and Expired Placards
Using a placard that wasn’t issued to you, displaying a deceased person’s placard, or altering an expiration date is treated much more seriously than a regular parking violation. Most states classify placard fraud as a misdemeanor, with fines well above a standard ticket and possible jail time. The placard gets revoked, and the person it was actually issued to (or their estate) can lose it permanently.
Using an expired placard is a separate offense in many states, often a lesser misdemeanor but still carrying a fine and automatic confiscation. Several states have tripled or quadrupled their fine structures for accessible parking violations since 2010.
What a Compliant Accessible Space Looks Like
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, enforced through 28 CFR Part 36, set the physical requirements for accessible parking at any business, government building, or other ADA-covered facility. A car-accessible space is at least 8 feet wide with a 5-foot access aisle. A van-accessible space is at least 11 feet wide with a 5-foot aisle, or 8 feet wide with an 8-foot aisle. Both the space and the aisle have to be essentially level (slope no steeper than about 2%), and van spaces need overhead clearance of about 8 feet 2 inches on the route in and out.2ADA.gov. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
Every accessible space must have a sign with the International Symbol of Accessibility mounted at least 5 feet above the ground (measured to the bottom of the sign), so it stays visible when a vehicle is parked in the space. Van-accessible spaces need an additional “van accessible” sign. Facilities with four or fewer total parking spaces have to provide one accessible space but are not required to post a sign.3ADA.gov. Accessible Parking Spaces
The number of accessible spaces required depends on the size of the lot, calculated per lot or garage rather than across a whole property. A 25-space lot needs one (which must be van-accessible); larger lots step up from there, and at least one out of every six accessible spaces must be van-accessible. All accessible spaces must be on the shortest accessible route to the building’s accessible entrance, so a lot with the right count but the spaces placed at the far end is not compliant.3ADA.gov. Accessible Parking Spaces
Accessible Parking Where You Live
The ADA covers commercial properties and government facilities, not residential parking. If you rent, your rights come from the Fair Housing Act instead. Under 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B), housing providers must make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, or services when necessary to give a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy their home.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing and Other Prohibited Practices
A tenant with a qualifying disability can request an assigned parking space closer to their unit, even if the complex already has general accessible spaces somewhere on the lot. Those spaces might always be occupied, or they might be too far from the tenant’s door. The landlord can ask for verification of the disability and confirmation from a medical provider that the accommodation is needed, but a flat refusal to assign parking violates the Fair Housing Act. Whether the assigned space needs full accessible dimensions or just a closer location depends on the tenant’s specific needs.
Accessible Parking at EV Charging Stations
The U.S. Access Board has confirmed that EV charging stations must be accessible under both the ADA and the Architectural Barriers Act, which covers facilities built or altered with federal funding, including stations funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program.5U.S. Access Board. Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations That means accessible routes to the charger, reachable controls, and usable payment interfaces. If you rely on accessible parking and drive an EV, government buildings, public parks, and interstate rest stops are where accessibility at charging stations is most consistently enforced.