Pennsylvania Handicap Placard

Disabled residents are eligible to apply for a Pennsylvania handicap placard through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The types of handicap permits offered include:

  • Temporary handicap placards
  • Permanent handicap placards
  • Handicap license plates
  • Disabled veteran license plates

Depending on the type of disability you have, you may qualify to receive a different type of permit, which will be determined by a medical professional.

 

Laws

When you are issued a Pennsylvania handicap parking placard, you must follow certain laws in order to retain your permit or avoid a fine. You should only hang your placard on your rearview mirror when you are parked in a designated spot with a handicap sign, and remove it when the vehicle is in motion. It is only lawful to use the placard if you were issued the placard directly or if you are transporting someone with the stated disability.

Falsely claiming a disability in order to receive a handicap placard, or knowingly using a handicap placard when you do not have a disability and are not transporting someone with a disability, could result in significant penalties. The accused person could be punished by a fine of no more than $10,000, no more than five years imprisonment or both.

 

Parking Pass Requirements

In order to apply for a Pennsylvania handicap placard, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Restricted use of one or both arms
  • Not able to walk 200 feet without resting
  • Being legally blind
  • Having a severe lung disease that restricts mobility
  • Requiring the use of a brace, crutch, cane, prosthetic device, another person, a wheelchair or other assistive device for mobility
  • Requiring the use of portable oxygen
  • Having a Class III or Class IV cardiac condition as set forth by the American Heart Association standards
  • Having severe mobility limitations due to a neurological, orthopedic or arthritic condition
  • Being a person in loco parentis of anyone with the above conditions

 

How to Apply

Applying for a Pennsylvania handicap parking placard involves:

  • Completing the Person with Disability Parking Placard Application (Form MV-145A) and having it notarized
  • Having the medical certification section completed by a medical professional, such as:
    • A licensed physician
    • A chiropractor
    • A podiatrist
    • A physician’s assistant
    • A certified registered nurse practitioner
  • If you are applying for a disabled veteran license plate, your application must certify that your disability is 100% service-related or you have a permanent disability as a result of your military service

Please click here for more information on how to get your online medical certification from a licensed physician in Pennsylvania.

 

Other Information

Temporary placards in Pennsylvania are valid for up to six months and cannot be renewed. If you need to extend the validity, you must fill out a new application and obtain a new medical certification.

Permanent placards are valid for up to five years and can be renewed by completing the form mailed to you by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation prior to its expiration. You do not need a new medical certification and do not need to have the form notarized.

License plate renewals are completed at the time of renewing your vehicle registration.

Our licensed physicians are available in every state to help you determine your qualification for receiving a handicap parking sticker in Pennsylvania. Be sure to contact us right away to see if you qualify for handicap parking benefits.

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