Iowa's
Persons with Disabilities Parking Law
Types
of Permits
- PLATES: issued to an owner of a
vehicle who is a person with a permanent disability; also issued to parent or guardian of
a child with a disability if the child lives with parent or
guardian.
- REMOVABLE WINDSHIELD PLACARDS:
issued to a person with a disability on a "temporary" (6 months) or permanent
basis. Removable windshield placards may also be issued to an organization which
transports persons with disabilities and/or elderly customers.
- STICKERS: issued to an owner of a
motor vehicle who is a person with a disability who does not want a persons with
disabilities license plate. The sticker is placed on a "regular" license plate
in the lower right corner of the rear plate.
Eligibility
Any Iowa resident with a disability that limits or impairs
the person's ability to walk. A person shall be considered a person with a disability and
can obtain a removable windshield placard, sticker or plate under the following
circumstances:
- The person cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to
rest.
- The person cannot walk without the use of, or assistance from,
a brace, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assisting device.
- The person is restricted by lung disease to such an extent
that the person's forced expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is
less than one liter, or the arterial-oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg on room air
at rest.
- The person uses portable oxygen.
- The person has a cardiac condition to the extent that the
person's functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV
according to standards set by the American Heart Association.
- The person is severely limited in the person's ability to walk
due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.
Applying
for a Permit
- Complete an Application
for Persons with Disabilities Parking Permit Form #411055 (please note: obtaining the
form from this website requires Acrobat® Reader, a
free utility from Adobe) Applications forms are also available at any
county treasurer's office, any Iowa DOT full-service driver's license site,
or the Iowa DOT Office of Vehicle Services
listed below.
- Provide a medical statement from a physician, chiropractor,
physician's assistant or nurse practitioner on their letterhead stationery, stating the
applicant is a person with a disability and that the disability is either temporary
or permanent.
- Return the application and medical statement for removable
windshield placards to any Iowa DOT full-service driver's license site
or the Iowa DOT Office of Vehicle Services
listed below.
- Stickers are only available at the Office of Vehicle
Services.
- Persons with disability license plates are available at your
county treasurer's office.
Medical Statements
Persons licensed to practice medicine in Iowa or in a
contiguous state, including podiatrists, chiropractors, physician assistants, or advanced
nurse practitioners. The contiguous states are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri,
Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Cost
There is no cost for the removable windshield placard,
sticker or plate. However, motorists displaying a persons with disabilities plate will
continue to pay their regular annual vehicle registration fee. There is a $25 fee for
personalized plates.
How
Long Permits Are Valid
- PLATES: Persons with disabilities plates must
be validated each year with a self-certification by the owner stating the disability still
exists for the owner or for the child.
- REMOVABLE WINDSHIELD PLACARD: Temporary
permits will expire 6 months from the date of issue, unless the physician indicates a date
prior to six months; those which are permanent are non-expiring.
- STICKERS: Valid as long as the motor vehicle
registration is current.
Multiple
Permits
- Persons with disabilities plates may be issued to all vehicles
titled in the person with disabilities' name.
- Two removable windshield placards may be issued for each
person with a disability.
- Persons with disabilities parking stickers may be issued to
all vehicles titled in the person with disabilities name.
Placard Requirements
The law requires the permit holder's signature to be on the
removable windshield placard for it to be valid and used when parking in a designated
parking space.
Penalties
- Providing false information to obtain the removable windshield
placard, sticker or plate may result in a $300 civil fine; the removable windshield
placard, sticker or plate may also be revoked.
- Parking in a designated space when there is not a person with
a disability driving or riding in the vehicle may result in a $100 fine.
- Failing to return the removable windshield placard, sticker or
plate when the use is no longer needed, and then misusing it may result in a fine of up to
$100
Parking Space Requirements
Requirements for the numbers and dimensions
of accessible parking spaces are established by the Iowa Department of
Public Safety. For further information, contact the Regulatory
Assistance Coordinator at 515-725-6185 or email at
regassist@dps.state.ia.us.
Office of Vehicle Services Address
Office of Vehicle Services
Iowa Dept. of Transportation
P.O. Box 9278
Des Moines, IA 50306-9278
Telephone: 515-237-3110
Email: vehser@dot.state.ia.us
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