Who Can Park In Handicap Parking In Texas?
The Texas disabled parking program exists to equal the playing field and make the lives of disabled people easier. All jurisdictions in the Lone Star State are well-equipped with ADA-compliant disabled parking infrastructure. The Texas disabled parking rules are firm but fair, and this enables the program to run smoothly.
Accessible Parking In Texas
The Texas disabled parking program caters to residents of the state who have both short-term and long-term disabilities. It also caters to visitors to Texas who have a disability and a disabled parking permit from their home state.
What Are The Texas Disabled Parking Rules?
People who are new to accessible parking in Texas tend to have several questions. Who can park in handicap parking in Texas? What qualifies for handicap parking in Texas? What is the fine for parking in a handicap spot in Texas? Below, we will answer these important questions and many more.
Who Can Park In Handicap Parking In Texas?
Handicap parking spots in Texas adhere to standards set out in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Handicap spots are located in every jurisdiction and are marked with a signpost emblazoned with the International Symbol of Access.
The following people can park in handicap parking in Texas:
- Texas disabled parking permit holders
- Holders of disabled parking permits issued by all other US states and overseas territories
- Holders of disabled parking permits issued by Canada, Mexico, EU, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan
Can Handicap Permit-Holders Park In Metered, On-Street Spots In Texas?
In Texas, disabled parking permit holders can park for free in metered, on-street parking spots for an unlimited amount of time.
What Is The Fine For Parking In A Handicap Spot In Texas?
The fine for illegally parking in a handicap spot in Texas ranges from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $750.
How Do You Get A Disabled Parking Permit In Texas?
To get a Texas disabled parking permit, visit the Dr. Handicap online clinic. At the clinic, you will have a telemedicine consultation with a medical professional who will verify your suitability to use disabled parking.
Once your suitability is verified, you will be emailed a signed application form that you can complete and submit to the Texas DMV.
What Qualifies For Handicap Parking In Texas?
In Texas, a person qualifies for disabled parking if they have any of the following disabilities:
- They cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
- They cannot walk without the use of or assistance from an assistance device, including a brace, cane, crutch, another person, or a prosthetic device.
- They are restricted by lung disease to the extent that their forced respiratory expiratory volume for one second, measured by spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than 60 millimeters of mercury on room air at rest.
- They use portable oxygen.
- They have a cardiac condition classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to the American Heart Association.
- They are severely limited in their ability to walk because of an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.
- They have a foot disorder that limits or impairs their ability to walk.
- They have another debilitating condition that, in the opinion of a physician licensed to practice medicine in Texas or a state adjacent to Texas, or authorized by law to practice medicine in a hospital or other health facility of the Veterans Administration, limits or impairs their ability to walk.
- They have visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses.
- They have visual acuity of more than 20/200 but with a limited field of vision in which the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle of 20 degrees or less.
Who Can Verify An Application For Handicap Parking In Texas?
The following medical professionals can verify an application for disabled parking in Texas:
- Physician
- Podiatrist
- Optometrist
- Physician’s assistant
- Advanced practice nurse
The professional must meet one of the following conditions:
- They are licensed in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, or Oklahoma
- They practice medicine in a U.S. military installation based in Texas
- They practice medicine in a hospital or health facility of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
What Types Of Disabled Parking Permits Are Available In Texas?
- Permanent disabled parking placards (blue) – valid for four years
- Temporary disabled parking placards (red) – valid for six months
- Permanent license plates
- Disabled Veterans license plates
- Institutional permanent placard (blue)