To get a disability parking placard, download your state’s application from its motor vehicle agency, have a licensed medical provider certify a qualifying condition on the form, and submit it by mail, online, or in person. Most states issue permanent placards for free, and the whole process, from your first doctor visit to a placard in hand, usually takes a few weeks. The qualifying conditions, fees, and exact form differ by state, but the three steps are the same everywhere.
Check Whether You Qualify
Every state sets its own eligibility rules, but the qualifying conditions overlap heavily. You will generally qualify if you have a condition that significantly limits your ability to walk. Most states draw the line somewhere between 100 and 200 feet without needing to stop and rest, though the exact distance varies.
Beyond a walking limitation, common qualifying conditions include:
- Needing a wheelchair, walker, cane, crutch, brace, or prosthetic to get around.
- Severe lung disease, such as COPD or emphysema, particularly if you rely on portable oxygen.
- Serious cardiac conditions classified as Class III or IV under the New York Heart Association standard.1American Heart Association. Classification of Functional Capacity and Objective Assessment
- Legal blindness: visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the better eye with correction, or a severely restricted field of vision.
- Loss or significantly impaired use of one or both legs or hands.
A licensed medical professional has to certify your condition on the application. Who counts depends on your state, but the list usually includes physicians, osteopaths, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The provider needs firsthand knowledge of your condition, so this should be someone who actually treats you, not a doctor you see once just to get the form signed.
Step One: Get the Right Form
Download the application from your state motor vehicle agency’s website, or pick one up at a local office. The form name varies by state, but a search for “disabled parking placard application” on your state’s DMV site will find it. The form has two sections: one you fill out with your personal information, and one your doctor completes with the medical certification.
Step Two: Have Your Doctor Complete the Medical Certification
Bring the form to an appointment with your treating provider. The medical section asks the provider to identify your qualifying condition, describe how it affects your mobility, and indicate whether the disability is permanent or temporary. The provider signs and dates the section, and some states also require a medical license number.
An incomplete or unsigned medical section is the most common reason applications get rejected. Check every field before you leave the office.
Step Three: Submit the Application
Most states accept applications by mail, in person at a motor vehicle office, or online. If you go in person, bring a photo ID and all original documents. Some states process in-person applications on the spot and hand you a temporary permit while the permanent placard is printed and mailed. Mail-in applications typically take two to six weeks.
What It Costs
Many states issue permanent placards for free. Where fees exist, they usually run between $5 and $20. Temporary placards sometimes carry a small administrative fee even in states where permanent ones are free. Check your state motor vehicle agency’s website for current pricing before you apply.
Placard or Disabled Person License Plates
Most states offer two ways to access disabled parking: a removable placard that hangs from your rearview mirror, or special license plates carrying the International Symbol of Access. Both grant the same parking privileges.
A placard is portable. It belongs to you, not your car, so you can move it between vehicles or use it when riding with someone else. That makes a placard the better choice if you regularly ride in different cars or don’t own a vehicle. License plates are permanently attached to one vehicle, which is more convenient if you always drive the same car. Some people get both. Applying for plates is similar but usually involves a separate form and a plate fee.
Disabled veteran plates exist in every state as a third option, but in some states they only grant accessible parking privileges if they display the International Symbol of Access alongside the “DV” designation.
Temporary or Permanent Placard
What your doctor certifies determines which type you get.
Permanent placards, typically blue, are for long-term or lifelong disabilities. Validity varies significantly by state: some run two to four years, others as long as six, and a few states, including Arizona and Ohio, issue permanent placards that never expire. Renewal, when it applies, is usually simpler than the original application.
Temporary placards, usually red, cover short-term conditions like a broken leg, a hip replacement, or post-surgical rehabilitation. They are generally valid for up to six months. You cannot renew one by simply extending it. If your recovery takes longer than expected, you will need a new application with a fresh medical certification.
Using the Placard Correctly
Hang the placard from your rearview mirror so it is visible through the windshield when you park in an accessible space. Remove it before driving. A placard swinging while you drive blocks your field of vision and, in many states, is a traffic violation on its own.
The placard may be displayed only when the person it was issued to is driving or being transported in the vehicle. Lending it to a family member running errands without you is illegal everywhere.
Never park in the striped access aisle next to an accessible space, even briefly. Those crosshatched zones exist so people using wheelchairs and ramps can get in and out of their vehicles.2ADA.gov. Accessible Parking Spaces
Meter rules are less uniform. Some jurisdictions let placard holders park at meters for free or for extended time. Others, particularly dense urban cores, require everyone to pay. Don’t assume your placard exempts you from meters everywhere. Check local signage or the parking authority’s website before walking away from an unpaid meter.
A placard does not override “no parking” signs, fire lanes, or loading zones. It gives you access to designated accessible spaces and, depending on local rules, may provide meter benefits. Nothing more.
Traveling to Another State
Federal regulations require every state to honor placards and disabled person license plates issued by other states, so your placard works in all 50.3eCFR. Title 23 Part 1235 – Uniform System for Parking for Persons With Disabilities The specific privileges attached to it can differ, though. One state might exempt you from meters; the state you are visiting might not. Time limits on metered spaces also vary by local ordinance. The core access, meaning the right to use accessible spaces, is universally recognized.
For international travel, check your destination country’s rules. Some countries have reciprocal agreements, but this is far from universal.
Renewal and Replacement
Renewal rules depend on your state and placard type. Some states renew permanent placards automatically or with a simple signature from the holder, no new medical certification required. Others want your doctor to re-certify every renewal cycle. A few skip renewal entirely by issuing placards that don’t expire. Your motor vehicle agency will usually notify you by mail before expiration with instructions. Many states now offer online renewal for permanent placards when no new medical certification is needed.
If your placard is lost, stolen, or damaged, contact the motor vehicle agency for a replacement. You will typically fill out a short replacement form and show identification. Some states issue the first replacement free and charge a small fee for later ones. If the placard was stolen, filing a police report before requesting the replacement can speed things up in some jurisdictions and creates a record that protects you if the stolen placard is misused.
Penalties for Misuse
Fines for a first misuse offense typically run from $250 to $1,000, and many states add civil penalties on top of the base fine. Repeat offenders can face misdemeanor charges carrying up to six months in jail. Officers and parking enforcement personnel can confiscate a placard on the spot if they find it being used fraudulently, expired, or reported stolen. Common violations include using someone else’s placard when that person is not in the vehicle, using an expired or counterfeit placard, and parking in an accessible space without any placard at all.
When a Placard Should Be Returned
If the person a placard was issued to passes away, the placard should be returned to the issuing motor vehicle agency or destroyed. Using a deceased person’s placard carries the same penalties as any other form of placard fraud, and many states cross-reference placard records against death records to invalidate them. Family members handling a loved one’s affairs should add the placard to the list of documents to cancel alongside driver’s licenses and registrations.
If your condition improves and you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, return the placard. Temporary placards handle this automatically by expiring, but permanent placards stay valid unless someone takes action.