HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMITS

(Important: This office cannot mail renewed Handicapped Parking Permits until 10 days before the last day of the month of the expiring permit.)

Handicapped Parking Permits are available at no charge to all individuals who qualify. To qualify, the applicant must have a certified medical condition that limits personal mobility resulting in the applicant's inability to travel more than two hundred feet without assistance such as a wheel chair, crutch, walker, prosthetic or other device.

The definition of a certifiable medical condition may be, but is not limited to:

• Severe visual or physical impairment;
• Severe respiratory problems;
• Class III or Class IV cardiac condition;
• Loss of all or substantially all the use of one or more limbs.

Handicapped Parking Permits are also issued to facilities such as retirement homes, hospitals, schools and places of a similar type involved in the transportation of handicapped individuals. These permits are assigned to specific vehicles that are titled and registered in the name of the facility and can only be used with the vehicle to which the permit was specifically assigned.

Only ONE permit per handicapped individual is allowed. However, handicapped individuals may obtain Handicapped License plates for their vehicle in addition to their permit.

To obtain a handicapped plate, refer to Handicapped License Plates .

TYPES OF HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMITS

A Permanent Permit is blue in color and indicates the permit holder has a permanent medical condition. A Permanent Permit must be renewed every three years. All Permanent Permits expire on the last day of the month of the applicant's birthday in the third year of issuance.

A Temporary Permit is red in color and is valid for a maximum of six months. Expiration within the six month maximum is determined by the expected date of recovery as indicated in the Medical Certification portion of the Handicapped Parking Permit Application. If, after the initial maximum six-month period has expired, the temporary condition still exists, the Temporary Permit may be renewed one time for an additional maximum six-month period.

RENEWAL OF A HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMIT

Handicapped Parking Permits are valid until the last day of the month of expiration. Applications for renewal of a Handicapped Parking Permit may be submitted after the first day of the month of expiration. However, this office cannot mail the renewed permit before 10 days prior to the last day of the month of expiration.

Both Permanent and Temporary Handicapped Parking Permits are renewed by submitting an application in the same manner as when the initial permit was obtained.

REPLACING A HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMIT THAT HAS BEEN LOST OR STOLEN

In the event a permit has been lost or stolen, a duplicate permit can be obtained by completing an Application for Handicapped Parking Permit * and checking the box marked Duplicate. It is not necessary for the Medical Certification to be completed, but the issuing site for your area (usually your City/Village Clerk) must complete the bottom portion of the application prior to the application's submission to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

APPROPRIATE USE OF A HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMIT

• A Handicapped Parking Permit is not transferable and may not be reproduced or altered.
• Only handicapped individual or the motor vehicle to which the permit was specifically assigned can use the permit. The receipt that accompanies the permit at the time of issuance must remain with the permit at all times.
• The permit is only to be used when the handicapped or disabled person is entering or exiting a motor vehicle while it is parked in a designated Handicapped Parking space.
• The permit should be attached to the rearview mirror while the vehicle is parked in a designated Handicapped Parking space. It should not be attached to the rearview mirror while the vehicle is in motion. If there is no rearview mirror in the vehicle, the permit should be displayed on the dashboard.

MAKING APPLICATION FOR A HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMIT

• Applications may be obtained from your local issuing site, usually your City/Village Clerk or in some areas your County Clerk or Treasurer, or may be downloaded here .
• Once you have obtained the application, the applicant's portion must be completed in full and signed by the handicapped individual or an authorized representative.
• The application must then be submitted to your physician for completion of the Medical Certification portion.
• The application must then be returned to your local issuing site for verification. Be sure to bring proof of identification with you when submitting the application for verification.
  Acceptable forms of identification are:
• valid driver’s license;
• valid state identification card;
• valid certified birth certificate;
• valid passport;
• other valid, reliable form of identification with date of birth; or
• a combination of valid, reliable forms with name and date of birth
• The issuing site will forward the application to the Department of Motor Vehicles for processing.
• Once the permit has been processed, it is sent directly to the applicant by mail.

Before submitting your application, be sure that all areas are completed in full and are legible.

Most common reasons for an Application for Handicapped Parking Permit to be returned to the applicant for correction:

• The applicant or an authorized representative has not signed the application.
• The medical portion is not completed. Be sure your physician or his/her authorized representative has signed the Medical Certification portion of the application and has indicated the type of condition.
• The issuing site did not verify the application.
• The applicant is attempting to renew a permit that is still valid. Remember, if your permit is lost or stolen, you are applying for a Duplicate, not renewing.

Download an Application for Handicapped Parking Permit *

(* Adobe Acrobat PDF document.)

Questions regarding Handicapped Parking Permits may be addressed to Email or by contacting this office at (402) 471-3918.

This page last revised 8/8/2008