A disability parking placard comes from your parent's state, so who signs the form, where you apply, what it costs and whether it covers meters all depend on where your parent lives. The placard is free in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York but $15 for a permanent one in Ohio, and the steps below show how to get it in each of the ten large states we checked.

In This Guide

How to Get a Disability Parking Placard, Step by Step

The federal guideline, 23 CFR Part 1235, is written as guidelines to the States, so the office, the form, the fee and the renewal schedule your parent deals with come from state law.

1
Step 1

Check that your parent's condition fits the state's definition

2
Step 2

Get the state's form and have a licensed professional your state accepts certify the disability

3
Step 3

Submit it to the office your state uses, which isn't always the DMV

4
Step 4

Learn the use rules: who must be in the car, where the placard hangs, and whether meters are free

5
Step 5

Note the expiration date and what happens to the placard after a death

Elsewhere, check your state's motor vehicle agency. If the car trip itself has become too hard, see our senior transportation guide and ADA paratransit.

Does Your Parent Qualify for a Disability Parking Placard?

The federal guideline, at 23 CFR 1235.2(b), describes people whose disability limits or impairs their ability to walk. As determined by a licensed physician, that's someone who:

  • Can't walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
  • Can't walk without a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistive device.
  • Is restricted by lung disease so that forced expiratory volume in one second is less than one liter, or arterial oxygen tension is less than 60 mm/hg on room air at rest.
  • Uses portable oxygen.
  • Has a cardiac condition classified as Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
  • Is severely limited in the ability to walk because of an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition.

State lists can be broader. Pennsylvania's also covers a person who doesn't have full use of an arm or both arms, and New York's includes legal blindness and any other physical or mental impairment of an equal degree that makes public transportation an unusual hardship and keeps the person from getting around without great difficulty.

Blindness can qualify too. Texas law counts visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or a field of vision of 20 degrees or less, and Georgia's application uses the same thresholds; other states word it differently. See our guide to driving with vision loss for the driving side.

In Georgia, hearing impairment can also qualify for a permanent placard: the Georgia Department of Revenue means hearing so limited that the person can't understand speech in a normal conversational tone, listed as reason code 7 on Form MV-9D.

Who Can Sign the Medical Form

Each state below accepts a wider list than the federal guideline's licensed physician.

State Who can certify
California Physician and surgeon; nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife or physician assistant (under a statutory condition); chiropractor (loss or limited use of the legs or both hands); podiatrist (foot or ankle); eye-specialist physician or optometrist (blindness)
Florida Physician licensed under Florida chapters 458, 459 or 460; podiatric physician; optometrist; advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) under a physician's protocol; physician assistant; out-of-state physician with licensure documentation and a signed form
Georgia Doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine; podiatrist; optometrist; licensed chiropractor
Illinois Physician; physician assistant; APRN; physical therapist; optometrist for a Class 2A vision disability
Michigan Michigan-licensed physician, physician assistant, physical therapist or optometrist; out-of-state physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner or physical therapist with a copy of the license
New York Physician; physician assistant; nurse practitioner; podiatrist for severe foot disabilities; optometrist for blindness (per the DMV)
North Carolina For an initial application: physician, ophthalmologist, optometrist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner; the Division of Services for the Blind; or a VA disability determination; a certified nurse midwife for a temporary placard only
Ohio Physician; physician assistant; APRN; optometrist (blindness or severe visual impairment only); chiropractor
Pennsylvania Physician, podiatrist, chiropractor, optometrist, physician assistant or certified registered nurse practitioner licensed in Pennsylvania or a bordering state; a police officer's statement for loss of use of a leg or legs, or blindness
Texas First application: notarized statement or prescription from a physician licensed in Texas or a bordering state (or authorized at a VA facility); podiatrist for a foot disorder; optometrist for vision; also, on a first application only, a person working under a physician's delegation or a Texas physician assistant acting as the physician's agent

The signature carries legal weight for the clinician too: New York's DMV applies its false-statement penalties to certifying doctors, Georgia lists a knowingly false statement by the certifier as a criminal offense, and Florida makes a knowingly false certification a first-degree misdemeanor.

Where to Apply and What It Costs

In New York, the DMV doesn't issue parking permits; each city, town and village appoints an agent, usually its clerk, and your parent applies where they live.

New York City works differently: NYC DOT issues the state permit there, by mail only. The city has no reserved spaces on its streets, so a state or out-of-state permit works there only in off-street reserved spaces. Most curbside parking takes a separate City permit, the NYC Parking Permit for People with Disabilities, which NYC DOT issues to a person who needs a private vehicle to get around and has a permanent disability that seriously impairs mobility, certified by their own physician and a physician the NYC Health Department designates. Anyone living in the United States can apply, and it isn't valid outside the city.

If your parent has a New York license or non-driver ID, bring it when you apply or renew and have them carry it while using the permit; police may ask for it, though not having it isn't a violation.

Texas, Florida, Michigan and Georgia tie the placard to an ID number. In Texas, the application takes a Texas license, ID card or military ID number (an out-of-state license for a nonresident treated in Texas); the first four digits and initials go on the placard. Florida prints the license or ID number on the placard and requires carrying that ID while using it, unless a physician certifies your parent is too disabled to get to an office for one. Michigan's placard shows part of the number, and Georgia's form says applicants should list a Georgia license or photo ID number for a permanent placard. If your parent has given up driving, keep or get a state ID card before applying, unless an alternative above fits. Our guide to giving up a driver's license covers keeping a photo ID.

State Where to apply Placard fee
California The DMV, online, by mail or at an office Placards or plates for all of a permanently disabled person's vehicles at no additional fee; plates still owe normal registration fees
Florida The county tax collector office or license plate agency; the certifying practitioner can fax the form there directly No charge to issue or renew a permanent permit; a fee applies to the lifetime permit, so ask the tax collector; temporary permit $15, charged no more than once in 12 months
Georgia County Tag Office where the person lives No charge, permanent or temporary
Illinois Permanent: mail the form to the Secretary of State. Temporary: take it to a Secretary of State facility Free to eligible Illinois residents
Michigan The Secretary of State, by mail to the address on the form or at any office Not confirmed for placards, so ask the Secretary of State; a disability plate costs no more than the regular plate fee
New York The city, town or village agent (usually the clerk) where the person lives; in New York City, NYC DOT, by mail No charge
North Carolina A license plate agency, the same day, or by mail, which takes three to four weeks At least $5 per placard
Ohio The registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar $15 for a permanent placard
Pennsylvania By mail to PennDOT No fee
Texas County assessor-collector where the person lives or is getting treatment $5 for a temporary placard

If your parent can't sign the application

States differ when a stroke or dementia prevents signing. Michigan's form has a box for an applicant who can't sign, and a representative signs with their own driver's license number. In North Carolina, if you sign with a power of attorney, attach or show a certified copy of it when the placard is issued. In Texas, someone whose vehicle regularly transports your parent can apply on their behalf. Florida's and New York's laws and forms name a parent or guardian; if you hold a power of attorney instead, ask the issuing office whether it will accept your signature. See guardianship vs. power of attorney for the difference.

How many placards your parent can have

Illinois issues one placard per person. California allows one at a time; Texas two for a permanent disability without disability plates, one with plates, and two for a temporary one; Florida at most two, the second only in limited cases. North Carolina issues one more on request if there's no disability plate, Ohio one more only for good cause, and PennDOT says a person may have two permanent placards, or one placard and one plate.

Permanent or Temporary, and When to Renew

The federal guideline describes a temporary placard, a red shield, valid up to six months.

State Temporary placard Permanent placard term and renewal
California Up to 180 days or the date the medical professional notes, whichever is shorter; can't be renewed more than six times in a row Expires June 30 every two years; every six years the DMV sends a renewal form that needs no medical certification
Florida The period the certifying physician states, up to 6 months Up to 4 years, ending on the holder's birthday; one 4-year renewal without a new certificate, then a certificate issued within the last 12 months
Georgia No more than six months; can't be extended, so a new certified application is needed Replaced every four years
Illinois Up to 6 months, depending on the disability Permanent disability recertified every 5 years
Michigan 1 to 6 months Valid for not more than 4 years
New York Recovery periods up to 6 months Every permit has an expiration date; renewal is set by the local issuing agent
North Carolina Up to six months; not renewable Renewed every five years with medical recertification, except for a person certified as totally and permanently disabled or a placard that expires after the holder turns 80
Ohio For disabilities expected to last six consecutive months or less Permanent placard has no expiration; a standard placard expires at the end date on the prescription or after 10 years, whichever comes first
Pennsylvania Up to six months; can't be renewed, so a new certification is needed Valid five years; renewed in March and September
Texas No more than six months; the statute allows renewal on a new physician's statement, while the Texas DMV says to apply for a new placard Valid four years for a Texas resident; renewed on request without new evidence of eligibility

Since July 1, 2026, Florida Statutes section 320.0848(1)(d) renews a permanent permit once, for four more years, without a new certificate of disability, though the state's web page still asks for a new form HSMV 83039 signed within 12 months and the Palm Beach County Tax Collector asks for a new HSMV 83039; if asked, point to the statute. The same law offers a lifetime permit, valid until death and not renewed, to a person certified as permanently disabled due to permanent dismemberment or an amputation who needs the permit because of it; a fee applies, so ask the tax collector.

Using the Placard the Right Way

New York allows reserved spaces only when the person it was issued to is traveling in the vehicle, the Michigan Secretary of State says the same, the Texas DMV says using it without the person in the vehicle violates state law, and the NCDMV limits it to trips when the holder is in the vehicle.

In Illinois, a caretaker who completes Part 2 of form VSD 62 may use the placard while transporting the holder, who must exit and enter the vehicle when it's parked in an accessible or metered space.

The placard isn't tied to one car. New York issues a permit regardless of age or driving ability to a holder who needn't have a license or a car, Georgia says your parent doesn't need to own a vehicle, and Georgia and Michigan allow use in any vehicle the holder is driving or riding in.

New York and Florida say to hang it from the rearview mirror when parked and take it down while driving. Pennsylvania's statute says to hang it only when using a reserved space.

A senior community's van may have its own placards: Texas law provides them for a van or bus run by a residential retirement community for the elderly, and Pennsylvania issues an organization up to eight.

A reserved space at home

Your parent can ask a landlord for a reserved space at home. HUD's Fair Housing Act regulation bars refusing a reasonable accommodation that may be necessary for a person with a disability to use and enjoy their home, and its own example is a reserved space near the unit of an apartment applicant with limited mobility. On a Pennsylvania street, the municipality, not PennDOT, may post a reserved space near the home at the person's request. Our guide to getting a reserved disability parking space where Mom lives covers both routes.

Meters, Travel and Moving

A placard doesn't automatically mean free meters. California lists free on-street metered parking among a placard's privileges, Texas says holders may be exempt from government meters but state law doesn't let them exceed the meter limit, though cities may extend meter time, and New York says permits don't exempt a vehicle from parking fees unless a locality adopts an ordinance. New York's separate metered-parking waiver, from the same local office, needs a valid New York State driver's license and works only when your parent is driving with no one aboard who could pay, so it won't help if you drive, and it doesn't lift the time limit. New York City doesn't issue it to residents, because its City permit already parks free at city meters.

California allows unlimited time in sign-posted time-limited zones. Florida's free street and meter parking applies only while the car carries the permit holder, tops out at 4 hours at a time-limited meter unless a local ordinance extends it, and doesn't cover event lots. Ohio allows two hours past the limit unless local rules say otherwise or the car is a traffic hazard, and Pennsylvania 60 minutes unless local ordinances or police rules restrict parking for rush-hour traffic.

Illinois generally issues its meter-exempt placard to licensed drivers (its FAQ says a non-driver gets a blue placard that isn't meter-exempt), and Michigan requires a free-parking sticker plus a valid driver's license, so a parent without a license doesn't get free meters even when family drives, except through Illinois's guardian route. Since July 31, 2026, Illinois law has the Secretary of State issue the meter-exempt placard to the legal guardian of a person with disabilities who can't drive, where Illinois disability plates or a placard were already issued; it doesn't name an agent under a power of attorney.

For travel, the federal guideline calls for each State to recognize placards and plates issued by other States and countries for reserved spaces; state agencies say other privileges follow local rules. Illinois, for example, doesn't treat out-of-state placards as meter-exempt.

If your parent moves to another state, plan on a new placard. New York requires newcomers to prove the disability again and won't exchange an out-of-state permit, Ohio requires a holder who moves away to surrender the placard, and Michigan requires proof of Michigan residency for a permanent placard.

What Misuse Can Cost Your Family

Using a parent's placard on a solo errand carries real penalties. In Texas, a first offense under the state's disabled-parking law is a misdemeanor with a fine of $500 to $750. For placard misuse, North Carolina sets a $100 to $250 penalty, Pennsylvania a fine of up to $100, and Michigan up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Florida and Ohio treat misuse as a misdemeanor.

California bars lending a placard or displaying one not issued to you except to transport the disabled person, with a civil penalty of $250 to $1,000, or a misdemeanor with the same fine range and up to six months in county jail. New York's DMV lists fines of $50 to $75 for a first offense of illegally parking in a reserved space and $75 to $150 for a second, says the locality can add to these fines, and says police can tow.

New York's issuer can revoke a permit or deny its renewal after misuse. In Florida, a second finding of fraudulent or unlawful use of the same holder's permit bars that holder from applying for a new one for four years.

If the Placard Is Lost or Stolen

California issues a substitute without recertification up to four times in a two-year renewal period. Florida charges $1 for a replacement placard (nothing with a police report of theft) and needs a certificate of disability from the last 12 months, though a lifetime-permit holder may use one issued at any time. Michigan and Illinois each charge $10. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, a found original must be surrendered. New York says to report a lost or stolen permit to the locality that issued it.,

In North Carolina, the placard's registration card must stay with the placard while in use, so move both when you switch cars; replacing a lost card costs $25.50.

After Your Parent Dies

California requires it returned to the DMV within 60 days of the holder's death.

Pennsylvania voids a placard 30 days after the holder's death; if there's no personal representative, the spouse or next of kin returns the plate or placard to PennDOT. Florida and Ohio check death records at least yearly and cancel a deceased holder's placard. In Georgia, the rule we found covers the disability plate, not the placard: it's canceled at the holder's death and can't be transferred.

Elsewhere, ask the issuing office. Our checklist for what to do when a parent you cared for dies covers the rest of the paperwork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a nurse practitioner sign the placard form?

In some states. New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and California (under a statutory condition) name a nurse practitioner; Illinois and Ohio name an advanced practice registered nurse, and Florida one working under a licensed physician's protocol, so confirm your parent's clinician's license counts., Georgia's list doesn't name one, and Michigan's names a nurse practitioner only among out-of-state providers, so another listed professional may need to sign there.,

Should we get disability license plates instead of a placard?

Plates are issued for a particular vehicle, and whose vehicle qualifies depends on the state. New York and California require it to be registered in your parent's name; Texas lets the owner of a noncommercial vehicle of 18,000 pounds or less that regularly transports a person with a permanent disability apply. In Pennsylvania and North Carolina, a plated vehicle may be driven without your parent as long as no disability privileges, including parking, are used. A placard moves between vehicles with your parent, which matters if several relatives drive or your parent has no car., Under the federal guideline, a disability plate can't cost more than a regular plate for the same class of vehicle.

My dad has disabled veteran plates. Can he park in accessible spaces?

In Texas, not on those plates alone. The Texas DMV says disabled veteran plates without the International Symbol of Access don't authorize parking in a disabled space, so he'd need a placard or a plate with the symbol, and he must meet its own medical criteria: not every disability that qualifies for disabled veteran plates qualifies for one. See our guide to VA benefits for seniors.

Learn More

CaregiverGiving Up a Driver's License: How to Surrender It and Keep a Photo IDHow to surrender a driver's license and keep a photo ID (free in some states), plus what to do with the car's plates and the disability parking placard. CaregiverSenior Transportation: How to Get Around When You No Longer DriveSenior transportation options when an older adult stops driving: aging-network rides, ADA paratransit, Medicaid medical rides, and how to pick the right one. CaregiverADA Paratransit: How to Qualify, Appeal a Denial, and Keep Your RidesHow to qualify for paratransit under the ADA: it turns on disability, not age. The 21-day decision rule, the 60-day appeal, and no-show suspension rights. CaregiverWhen Should an Older Adult Stop Driving? How to Know and What to DoThere's no one recommended age to stop driving. The warning signs it may be time, how to have the conversation, dementia and driving, and staying mobile after. CaregiverWhat to Do When a Parent You Cared For Dies: A ChecklistWhat to do when a parent dies: the federal steps in order, the Social Security payment you must return, who gets the $255, and when your power of attorney ends. CaregiverHow to Get a Reserved Disability Parking Space Where Mom LivesIf Mom rents, the Fair Housing Act lets her ask her landlord to reserve a handicap parking space; HUD says they can't charge extra. In a house? Ask the town.

Find personalized help getting a disability parking placard for your parent at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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