How To Get A Replacement Disabled Parking Permit
If you’re the owner of a disabled parking permit, you will already have discovered how useful it is. Being able to park in designated parking spots and, in some cases, being able to stay for free or for longer periods in parking meter bays, can be very handy and helpful if you’re living with a disability of some sort. Treat your permit as you would a treasured possession! It’s your passport to a less stressful life, so be sure to take good care of it and know where it is at all times. You must have it displayed whenever you’re using special parking spots – be it in your own car or someone else’s – or else you could be fined.
A disabled parking permit is generally available in two different formats. One is for your own car, where your license plates are marked in a certain way so that a parking enforcement officer can see at a glance whether or not you’re allowed to park in a disabled parking spot. The other format is a placard, which you hang from your rear-view mirror, or anywhere visible inside the car, once parked. The beauty of the latter, of course, is that it’s mobile. You can use it in your own car any time, but you can also transfer it to a neighbor’s or a friend’s car whenever you’re a passenger. Without this portable placard form of a disabled parking permit, you would not be allowed to use designated parking spots when traveling in a car that’s not your own.
The problem with a portable disabled parking placard is that there’s a chance you could lose or misplace it. Not only that, but there’s a possibility it could get damaged in some way. If it does get damaged and parts of it become illegible, then you are required to replace it. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the body responsible for the issue of your disabled parking permit, and they are also responsible for replacing lost, stolen, or damaged placards.
The good news is that if you do lose your placard or it becomes damaged, you don’t have to repeat the whole process of applying and being assessed. Since you have already done all of that, your eligibility for a permit is still valid. The process for obtaining a replacement disabled parking permit does vary from state to state, but you will find the information you need on your state’s DMV website. In some states, the replacement process can be carried out at your local tax collector’s office, but generally you will need to find the relevant application form on the DMV website.
After that, all you need to do is complete the form and submit it. If your handicap parking placard is damaged, you will need to submit the placard itself as well. Some states charge a replacement fee; others don’t. An important thing to note is that once you’ve requested a replacement handicap parking placard, your original one will be cancelled straight away. So if you know that you’ve just misplaced your placard rather than actually lost it or had it stolen, it’s worth searching high and low or re-tracing your steps to see if you can find it before applying for a new one! Continued use of a cancelled placard is illegal, so if yours was stolen, there’s a good chance the culprit will be caught at some stage if they persist in using the placard. It might be good to note that if you apply for more than one replacement disabled parking permit during a year, or if you apply for more than three over the course of five years, your request may be refused. This will depend on individual circumstances, of course.
This is the process for loss of, or damage to, the placard form of a disabled parking permit. But what if your disabled parking permit is in the form of special license plates? It’s possible that your plates could be damaged in an accident or your car could be stolen. In either case, you would need to report the incident to the police as soon as possible. A police statement on the occurrence may be required as part of your replacement request process. Damaged plates will need to be handed in with your application; temporary substitute ones will be provided. If your car was stolen, you will generally not be charged for replacement plates, but you could be charged in the case of an accident. Again, this will vary depending on where you live.
If you are in a situation where you need a replacement disabled parking permit for one reason or another, there’s no need to panic. The process to get a new one, as you can see, is simple enough and shouldn’t take too long. In the same way that Dr. Handicap offers in-house specialist assessment for your eligibility for a permit in the first place, we are happy to help if you need to get a replacement for any reason. Just get in touch!