Qualifying Conditions For A Disabled Parking Placard In Illinois
Today we’re here to outline the different types of disabled parking permits that are available in the Prairie State, and discuss the qualifying conditions for a disabled parking placard in Illinois.
There are several different types of Illinois disabled parking permits available to disabled drivers. This includes some permits that entitle their holders to park in metered, on-street spaces for free. Only people with specific disabilities qualify for each type of permit. So let’s find out: what qualifies for disabled parking in Illinois?
What Types Of Disabled Parking Permits Are Available In Illinois?
The following different types of disabled parking permits are available in Illinois:
- Permanent placard or license plate
- Meter-exempt permanent placard
- Temporary placard
- Organization placard
- Disabled Veterans license plate
You will qualify for a meter-exempt permanent placard if you are a permanently disabled Illinois license-holder who, due to your disability, is unable to:
- Access parking meters
- Reach 42 inches above the ground
- Handle coins due to hand disabilities
- Walk more than 20 feet at a time
Qualifying Conditions For A Disabled Parking Placard In Illinois
What qualifies for disabled parking in Illinois? If a person has one or more of the following disabilities, they will qualify for a permit:
- Lung disease to such a degree that the person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume is one second when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter
- Use of a portable oxygen device
- Class III or Class IV cardiac condition according to the standards set by the American Heart Association
- An inability to walk without the assistance of a wheelchair, walker, crutch, brace, and other prosthetic device or without the assistance of another person
- Severe limitation in the ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, oncological, or orthopedic condition
- An inability to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest because of one of the above five conditions
- Missing a hand or arm or has permanently lost the use of a hand or arm
Who Can Certify An Application For Disabled Parking In Illinois?
The following state-licensed medical professionals are qualified to certify a person’s disabled parking permit application in Illinois:
- Licensed physician
- Advanced practice nurse
- Optometrist
- Physician’s assistant
How Do You Apply For A Disabled Parking Permit In Illinois?
How do I get a disability placard in Illinois? The first step is to have a video consultation with a state-licensed medical professional at the Dr. Handicap online clinic. Once the medical professional verifies your disability, they will complete the medical certification section of the Illinois disability placard application form and email it to you within one working day.
Once you receive the certified application form, complete it and submit it by mail to:
Secretary of State
Persons with Disabilities License Plates/Placard Unit
501 S. Second St., Rm. 541
Springfield, IL 62756
Applications for a temporary disabled parking permit can be mailed to the above address or submitted in person at any Secretary of State facility.
How Do I Get A Disabled License Plate In Illinois?
You can get a disabled parking license plate if you are:
- Permanently disabled and you own your own car
- The parent and guardian of disabled children
- An immediate family member who lives at the same address as a disabled person that you care for
- An organization that transports disabled people
- Disabled Veteran
If you want a disabled parking license plate, you’ll need to state this on your application form.
Illinois Disabled Parking Rules And Regulations
- Disabled parking permit holders from all US states can park in designated disabled parking spaces in Illinois
- Permit holders must pay to park at metered, on-street parking spaces, unless they hold a yellow and grey meter-exempt permanent placard
- It is illegal to park in any areas that are reserved for emergency vehicles or commercial vehicles, or are signposted as “No Parking”
- Disabled parking placards must be clearly displayed by hanging from the rearview mirror while a vehicle is parked in a disabled parking space
- Permit holders from Canada, Mexico, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Switzerland are allowed to use disabled parking infrastructure in Illinois