How to Get a Disability Parking Placard

How to Get a Disability Parking Placard, Step by Step

The steps are close to the same in every state, because states build their systems on a federal model, the Uniform System for Parking for Persons with Disabilities (23 CFR Part 1235).

1. Find your state’s form. The table at the end of this page links each state’s application and names the agency. In most states that’s the DMV or motor vehicle division; in some, you file at a county office.
2. Get the medical certification. A licensed doctor, or another provider your state accepts, fills in the medical section confirming your condition and, for a temporary placard, how long it’s expected to last.
3. Fill in your part. Add your name, address and ID details. Some states, such as South Carolina, require a current driver’s license, permit or state ID.
4. Send it in. Submit the form in person, by mail or online, as your state allows, with any fee.
5. Display it correctly. Hang the placard from your rearview mirror whenever you park in an accessible space, or put it on the dashboard if there is no mirror.

Some states have moved parts of this online. Nebraska-licensed medical professionals submit the certification online, Iowa offers an online form, and Washington takes temporary applications online.

Who Qualifies for a Disability Parking Placard

Each state writes its own rules, but most track the federal model. It covers people whose disability limits or impairs their ability to walk, as determined by a licensed physician. Under that model, you qualify if you:

• can’t walk 200 feet without stopping to rest;
• can’t walk without a brace, cane, crutch, another person, a prosthetic device, a wheelchair or another assistive device;
• have lung disease severe enough that your forced expiratory volume in one second is under one liter, or your arterial oxygen tension is under 60 mm/hg on room air at rest;
• use portable oxygen;
• have a heart condition classified as Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards; or
• are severely limited in walking by an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition.

States differ at the edges. Tennessee’s application includes vision of 20/200 or worse with correction. South Dakota requires a physician to certify walking-related criteria and says vision loss alone doesn’t qualify. If you’re unsure, read the eligibility section of your state’s form before your appointment.

The test is medical: a provider certifies how your condition affects your walking. If you’re also looking at disability benefits, the disability requirements guide explains SSA’s rules.

Permanent and Temporary Placards

Most states issue two kinds:

• Permanent (blue) placards for long-lasting conditions. They still expire and renew in most states, on cycles from 2 years (California, Tennessee) to 10 years (Nevada). Some have no expiration at all: Arizona, Maryland, Utah and, for placards issued on or after 10/20/2025, Wyoming.
• Temporary (red) placards for a short-term condition, such as recovery from surgery. The federal model caps them at six months, and most states follow that. A few allow longer, such as Louisiana (one year), New Mexico (up to 12 months) and Washington (up to one year).

Some states add middle categories. Minnesota has temporary, short-term, long-term and permanent certificates; Nevada has a “moderate” placard of up to two years; Ohio has a standard placard for over 6 months up to 10 years.

Placards and Disability License Plates

A placard moves with you from car to car. Disability license plates stay on one vehicle registered in your name. The federal model says getting plates doesn’t stop you from also getting a placard, and the plate fee shouldn’t exceed the fee for a similar standard plate.

States handle plates through the same application in many cases. Fees vary: New York’s DMV charges $28.75 for disability plates, South Carolina charges the $36 regular registration fee, and Maryland applies its $40.00 substitute plate fee.

How to Display and Use Your Placard

Federal guidelines say to hang the placard from your front rearview mirror so it can be seen from the front and back of the vehicle. If there’s no rearview mirror, put it on the dashboard. Placards and plates showing the International Symbol of Access are the only accepted proof for using a reserved space.

Misuse can be costly: Texas lists fines of up to $1,250 and up to 50 hours of community service.

Keep track of your expiration date, which is printed on the placard. Several states mail renewals or let you renew online, including Alaska, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Using Your Placard in Another State

The federal Uniform System says each state’s system shall recognize placards, temporary placards and disability plates issued by other states and countries. That means your home state’s placard is meant to be honored when you travel to another state.

Two states spell out extra options on their own pages:

• California issues a travel placard to residents, valid for 30 days.
• Oregon issues a temporary duplicate travel permit good for 120 days and a foreign visitor permit good for up to 30 days.

Your Parking Rights Beyond the Placard

The ADA requires businesses open to the public and state and local governments to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to use their goods, services and programs. The ADA rights guide explains how to file a complaint when access is blocked, and the housing rights guide covers your rights where you live. For state-specific programs, open your state page.

Disability Parking Placard Forms and Agencies by State

Each state links to its page on this site. A blank fee or validity cell means the state’s page didn’t list that detail; the linked form has the current rules.

State	Where to apply	Form	Fee	How long it lasts
Alabama	Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division (license plate issuing official)	MVR 32-6-230 application		Temporary: up to 6 months
Alaska	Division of Motor Vehicles	Form 861 permit application	No charge	Permanent: 5 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Arizona	ADOT Motor Vehicle Division	Form 96-0104 plate and placard application		Permanent: no expiration; temporary: 6 months
Arkansas	DFA Office of Motor Vehicle	Physician’s Certification Form 10-336		Permanent: 4 years; up to two temporary placards
California	DMV	REG 195 placard application	Permanent placard: no fee	Permanent: 2 years (June 30 of odd years); travel placard: 30 days
Colorado	Division of Motor Vehicles, through county offices or myDMV	DR 2219 parking privileges application		Permanent: 3 years
Connecticut	Department of Motor Vehicles	B-225P renewable or B-225T temporary application	Temporary: $5; renewable: no fee
Delaware	Division of Motor Vehicles	MV474B plate or placard application		3 years
District of Columbia	DC DMV	DC disability placard or tags application		Long-term: up to 8 years
Florida	FLHSMV	HSMV 83039 permit application	Permanent: no fee; temporary: $15	Permanent: 4 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Georgia	Department of Revenue, through the county tag office	MV-9D parking affidavit	No charge	Permanent: replaced every 4 years; temporary: up to 180 days
Hawaii	Disability and Communication Access Board, through each county	PA-3 Form	Honolulu temporary placard: $12	Long-term: 6 years; temporary: 6 months or less
Idaho	Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles	ITD 3392 plates and placards application		Temporary: 1 to 6 months
Illinois	Secretary of State	VSD 62 certification	Free; replacement: $10	Temporary: up to 6 months (Secretary of State)
Indiana	Bureau of Motor Vehicles	State Form 42070 application	Up to 2 permanent placards: no charge; temporary: $5	Permanent: no expiration unless a provider certifies otherwise
Iowa	Iowa DOT	Iowa resident parking permit application	No cost	Permanent: 5 years; temporary: 6 months
Kansas	Department of Revenue, at the county treasurer	TR-159 certification		Temporary: up to 6 months
Kentucky	Transportation Cabinet, through the county clerk	TC 96-347 plate or placard application	First permanent: free; second or replacement: $10.00	Permanent: 6 years; temporary: 3 months
Louisiana	Office of Motor Vehicles	DPSMV 1966 physician’s certification	$3.00 per hang tag	Permanent: 4 years; temporary: 1 year
Maine	Bureau of Motor Vehicles	PS-18 placard or plate application	No additional fee	Permanent: renewed every 4 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Maryland	Motor Vehicle Administration	VR-210 placard or plate application	No fee for placards	Permanent: no expiration date; temporary: 3 weeks to 6 months
Massachusetts	Registry of Motor Vehicles	Massachusetts placard or plate application	No fee	Permanent: new placard mailed when it expires
Michigan	Department of State	BFS-108 placard application	First placard and renewals free; lost or stolen replacement: $10	Permanent: renewed every 4 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Minnesota	Driver and Vehicle Services	PS2005 certificate application	Temporary or short-term: $5; long-term or permanent: no fee	Permanent: 6 years; temporary: 1 to 6 months
Mississippi	Department of Revenue, with the county tax collector	Form 76-104 parking application		Temporary: up to 6 months
Missouri	Department of Revenue	Form 2769 placard application	Permanent: no fee; temporary: $2	Permanent: 4 or 8 years; temporary: up to 180 days
Montana	Motor Vehicle Division	MV5-DSB placard application	No fee	Permanent: 5 years; temporary: 6 months to 2 years
Nebraska	Department of Motor Vehicles	Handicapped Parking Permit application	No charge	Permanent: 6 years; temporary: 3 or 6 months
Nevada	Department of Motor Vehicles	SP-27 plate or placard application		Permanent: 10 years; moderate: up to 2 years; temporary: up to 6 months
New Hampshire	Division of Motor Vehicles	RDMV 130 walking disability application		Permanent: up to 5 years; temporary: up to 6 months
New Jersey	Motor Vehicle Commission	SP-41 plate or placard application	No fee	3 years
New Mexico	Motor Vehicle Division	MVD-10383 eligibility certificate		Permanent: 4 years; temporary: up to 12 months
New York	Your city, town or village clerk (New York City issues its own City permit)	MV-664.1 permit application	No fee for a permit
North Carolina	NCDMV	MVR-37A medical certification	$5.00 per placard (limit 2)	Permanent: 5 years; temporary: 1 to 6 months
North Dakota	NDDOT Motor Vehicle Division	SFN 2886 permit application	Lost or stolen replacement: $3	Permanent: 3 years; temporary: 3 months
Ohio	Bureau of Motor Vehicles	BMV 4826 placard application	Temporary or standard: $8.00; permanent: $15.00	Permanent: no expiration; standard: up to 10 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Oklahoma	Service Oklahoma	302DC placard application	No charge	5 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Oregon	ODOT Driver and Motor Vehicle Services	Form 735-265 permit application	No charge	8 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Pennsylvania	PennDOT	MV-145A placard application	No fee	Temporary: up to 6 months
Rhode Island	Division of Motor Vehicles	Rhode Island new and renewal placard application		Permanent: 6 years; long-term: 1 to 3 years; temporary: 2 to 12 months
South Carolina	SCDMV	RG-007A placard or plate application	$1 for a placard
South Dakota	Department of Revenue, through the county treasurer	Form 1305 (MV-044) permit and plates application
Tennessee	Department of Revenue, through the county clerk	Tennessee plate, placard and decal application		2 years; temporary: up to 6 months
Texas	TxDMV, at the county tax assessor-collector	VTR-214 placard or plate application		Permanent: renewed every 4 years; temporary: 6 months or less
Utah	Division of Motor Vehicles	TC-842 certification	Paper placards: no fee; durable placard: $2.50	Permanent: no expiration; temporary: up to 6 months
Vermont	Department of Motor Vehicles	VD-120 placard application		New medical form every 4 years unless certified permanent and stable
Virginia	DMV	MED 10 plates or placard application	Free
Washington	Department of Licensing	Washington individual parking application		Temporary: up to 1 year
West Virginia	Division of Motor Vehicles	DMV-41-TR parking application
Wisconsin	WisDOT Division of Motor Vehicles	MV2548 permanent permit application	Free	Permanent: recertified every 4 years
Wyoming	WYDOT Driver Services	Wyoming disabled parking application	No fees	Permanent (issued 10/20/2025 or later): no expiration; temporary: up to 6 months
Puerto Rico	DTOP, Directoría de Servicios al Conductor (CESCO)	DTOP-DIS-010 permit application

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does a Disability Parking Placard Look Like?

Under the federal model, it's a two-sided hanger with the International Symbol of Access at least three inches high, white on a blue background for a permanent placard or a red background for a temporary one. Each side shows an ID number, the expiration date and the issuing agency's seal.

Can I Get a Placard for Vision Loss?

It depends on the state. Tennessee's list includes vision of 20/200 or worse with correction, while South Dakota says blindness or impaired vision alone doesn't qualify there. Check your state's form in the table on this page.

Who Besides a Doctor Can Certify My Application?

Many states allow other licensed providers. Utah accepts a physician, physician assistant, physical therapist or nurse practitioner; Virginia adds podiatrists and chiropractors for listed conditions; Wyoming accepts an advanced practice registered nurse; and Tennessee accepts a licensed physical therapist.

How Many Placards Can I Get?

The federal guidelines tell states to issue one additional placard on request to an applicant who doesn't have disability plates, and some states set a cap in their fee rules: North Carolina and Utah limit durable placards to 2, and Indiana issues up to 2 permanent placards at no charge.

Can a Business or Group Get Disability Plates?

Under the federal guidelines, a state should issue special plates to an organization for a vehicle used mainly to transport people with disabilities that limit walking, with a certification that meets the state's criteria.

More on Rights and Daily Life

• ADA RightsWhat the ADA covers and how to file a complaint
• Workplace AccommodationsReasonable accommodations at work: asking, the interactive process and examples
• What Is an IEPIndividualized education programs under IDEA: eligibility, evaluation, the team and your rights
• What Is a 504 PlanSection 504 plans: who qualifies, typical accommodations and how to request one
• IEP vs 504IEPs and 504 plans side by side: laws, eligibility, services and protections
• HousingFair housing protections, reasonable accommodations and federal housing help

This guide explains official rules in plain language. It isn't legal advice, and only the agency that runs a program can decide your case.

Sources

1. eCFR: 23 CFR Part 1235, Uniform System for Parking for Persons with Disabilities
2. California DMV: Disabled person parking placards and plates
3. Texas DMV: Disabled parking placards and plates
4. Oregon DMV: Disabled person parking permits
5. New York DMV: Parking for people with disabilities