Can I Park On A Red Curb With A Disabled Parking Permit?

If you suffer from a chronic illness or disease, you may be eligible for a disabled parking permit in your state of residence. A disabled parking permit allows you to park in spaces reserved especially for permit holders, and in a few other places, too. Of course, it’s not a pass to park anywhere you please, as we’ll explore in this article. Here’s what you need to know about obtaining a disable parking permit and where you can park with one – including the answer to the question, “Can I park on a red curb with a disabled parking permit?”

Getting a Disabled Parking Permit

Every state in the United States has its own criteria and forms to be filled out for disabled parking permits and disabled parking plates for vehicles. In many states, you must fill out a form provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It’s best to check with your specific state for the agency that handles disabled parking permits and the process you must go through to obtain one.

Typically, your qualifying medical condition must be verified by a physician, optometrist, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. In some states, those with visible disabilities may be able to simply show up to the local Department of Motor Vehicles branch and the certification by a physician can be waived, but that wholly depends on the rules of your state.

Qualifying Conditions for Disabled Parking

Again, you’ll need to check with your state’s DMV to understand the qualifying criteria for a handicap parking permit, but in general, most states provide them for the following common conditions:

• Impaired mobility that requires you to use an assistive device such as a wheelchair or walker
• Heart disease
• Lung disease
• A condition that limits your ability to use your legs or walk certain distances
• Loss of one or both hands/one or both legs, or limited use of your extremities
• Vision problems such as partial sightedness or low vision

Other conditions may render you eligible for a disabled parking permit, so make sure to find out the specifics where you live.

How Much Disabled Parking Permits Cost

The cost of your disabled parking permit also varies by state. In some states, there is no charge for a disabled parking permit and no additional charge for disabled parking plates beyond the cost of registering your vehicle as you normally would. Some states may charge a small fee as well as a replacement fee if your permit is lost or stolen.

It’s also important to remember that you can have a disabled parking permit taken away due to misuse. You must also be in the vehicle that the placard is being used on. You cannot loan it to anyone or allow anyone to use it or you’ll risk losing it. If you park in areas that are not allowed by the permit, you’ll risk losing it as well.

Where can I Park with my Disabled Parking Permit?

If you have a disabled parking placard displayed clearly on your rearview mirror or you have disabled parking plates, then you can generally park:

• In blue zones
• In green zones
• In metered parking (in some states/cities you do not have to pay, or there is no time limit)
• In residential permit parking areas
• In parking spots with time limits

There are certain places a disabled parking placard will not allow you to park. These include:

• During posted loading hours for passenger or commercial purposes
• During commuter tow-away hours
• During hours where street cleaning takes place
• No more than 72 hours in any one spot
• In “No Parking”, “No Stopping”, and other red zones

Can I Park on a Red Curb with a Handicap Placard?

Red zones are often marked with red curbs and signs that clearly state you may not stop, stand, or park there. Buses may stop in red zones in order to let off passengers, but other vehicles cannot. Red zones are also often seen outside of schools and other public buildings as fire lanes or other “No Parking” areas.

It’s important to remember that while a disabled parking permit does allow you to park in many places, red zones will never be one of those places. There aren’t any special red curb parking rules for handicap parking holders, so if you park there, you risk having your car towed and incurring possible fines. But if you follow the rules around parking in your city and state with your disabled parking permit, you shouldn’t have difficulty getting where you need to go.

Featured image by Adam Griffith on Unsplash