Getting Your Disabled Parking Permit In South Carolina: All You Need To Know

Dr Handicap - South Carolina flag

Holders of a disabled parking permit in South Carolina are very well catered to. Every city, town, village, and natural attraction in South Carolina is amply supplied with disabled parking facilities. The Palmetto State is a very disabled-driver-friendly part of the United States.

South Carolina’s largest city, Charleston, with its handsome historic district lined with Antebellum townhouses and laced with cobblestone lanes, has plenty of provisions for handicap parking permit holders.

Columbia is the South Carolina state capital. The city has numerous public attractions including the South Carolina State Museum and the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, and disabled parking spaces are strategically located all across the city.

Disabled parking in South Carolina also extends to the state’s great Atlantic beaches, such as Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island, as well as the beautiful gardens of the state’s many plantations.

If you are a disabled resident of South Carolina and you have yet to avail of the state’s excellent disabled parking program, now is the time to take action. Here is all you need to know about getting your disabled parking permit in South Carolina.

Dr Handicap - South Carolina

Qualifying Disabilities in South Carolina

The list of disabilities that qualify a person to use a disabled parking permit in South Carolina is pretty standard and similar to the majority of other U.S. states. However, it is slightly more flexible than most in that it includes any condition that makes a person unable to walk 100 feet without experiencing “increased pain”.

Here is the complete list of qualifying disabilities in South Carolina:

  • An inability to ordinary walk 100 feet without aggravating an existing medical condition, which includes increased pain;
  • An inability to ordinarily walk with assistance from a wheelchair, cane, brace, crutch, Zimmer frame, prosthetic device, or other person;
  • A restriction by lung disease;
  • Use of a portable oxygen tank;
  • A heart condition classified as Class III or Class IV by the American Heart Association;
  • An inability to walk due to an orthopedic, arthritic or neurological condition such Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis;
  • Blindness.

Medical Certification In South Carolina

If you have any of the above disabilities, you should book a consultation with a licensed physician or an advanced practice registered nurse. This can be done in person, or more conveniently, using telemedicine.

The examining medical professional will need to verify your disability and fill in the relevant section of a Disabled Placard and License Plate Application form. They will need to stipulate whether the disability is permanent or temporary. If temporary, they will need to state how long it is expected to last.

Dr Handicap - disabled parking sign on wall

Types of Disabled Parking Permit in South Carolina

The applicant will need to fill in the remainder of the application form. They will need to decide whether they would like a placard or a license plate. This choice is only available for permanently disabled individuals. Temporary permits always come in the form of a placard.

As well as individual permanent and temporary placards, and permanent license plates, business and organization placards and plates are also available. These are for businesses or organizations that transport disabled people.

Disabled license plates in South Carolina can be either regular disabled license plates, Disabled Veterans plates, or personalized license plates.

Disabled Parking Rules in South Carolina

Holders of a disabled parking permit in South Carolina can park in any designated hanidcap parking space in the state. They can also park in any on-street metered space in the state’s cities for free.

Out-of-state drivers who hold disabled permits from other states can avail of all of the same rights as a South Carolina permit holder while in the state.

Disabled Permit Application Process in South Carolina

Once an application form has been filled in by both a suitable medical professional and the applicant it should be submitted, along with any relevant fee, to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. The fees are $1 for a disabled placard, $20 for a regular disabled license plate, $50 for a personalized plate, and nil for Disabled Veterans plates.

If a person is applying for Veterans plates, proof of veteran eligibility will need to be supplied along with the application form.

Application packages can be submitted either in person at a local SC DMV office, or by mail to:

SC Department of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016

Once the application has been processed, placards and plates are sent out by mail.

Renewing a South Carolina Disabled Placard

A temporary placard is valid for up to four months, a permanent placard is valid for four years, and a disabled license plate is valid for two years.

All placards can be renewed by submitting a new application form, along with updated medical certification, to a local SC DMV office.