Information for Disabled Drivers in Florida
The Florida disability placards may be obtained through the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). The handicap placard in Florida is better known as a disabled parking permit and is available to drivers who have either a temporary or a permanent disability.
Disabled drivers who want to apply for a permit need to satisfy certain eligibility criteria before completing an application at the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles division. Moreover, motorists need to meet a set of disability parking tag requirements if they want to obtain a permit.
A Florida handicap sticker renewal must be performed when approaching the expiration date of the parking permit. In addition, motorists may also have to apply for a disability placard replacement when their current ones get lost or stolen. Disabled drivers who want to learn more detailed information about how to renew, replace or obtain a new permit need to continue reading the following sections.
Eligibility Requirements for Disability Placards in Florida
Motorists are required to follow the Florida handicap placard rules prior to applying for one. When applying for a handicap parking sticker, motorists need to satisfy one of the following conditions:
- Inability to walk without the help of another person, a brace, crutch, cane, prosthetic device or other assistive device.
- Severe difficulty walking as a result of an arthritic, orthopedic or neurological condition.
- A permanent need for a wheelchair.
- Lung disease.
- Cardiac condition classified as Class III or IV, according to the American Heart Association.
After satisfying at least one of the qualifications for disability placards in Florida, motorists need to prepare the required documentation for applying for a parking permit. Disabled drivers who want to obtain a disability parking permit need to prepare an application form that is completed and signed by a medical professional. In addition, they will be required to provide a copy of an official Florida driver’s license or ID card.
How to Apply for a Disability Placard in Florida
To submit a Florida disabled placard application, motorists need to complete an application form and submit it along with other required documents to the FLHSMV. A disability parking permit may be obtained only after the applicants complete the following steps:
- Complete an Application for Disabled Person Parking Permit (form 83039).
- Have a physician, chiropractor, optometrist, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant complete and sign the medical certification of the application form.
Drivers who are applying for FL disabled parking permits need to submit the application form by mail or in person at a local FLHSMV branch, after completing these two important steps.
How to Apply for a Disability Placard by Mail
Disabled drivers may apply for a disability parking permit by sending the necessary documentation to the FLHSMV mailing address. They first need to complete a disabled placard application form and make sure that the medical certification part of the form has been signed by a medical professional within the last 12 months. Motorists who complete the application form for a disabled parking permit need to mail it to the FLHSMV along with payment for the applicable fees and a copy of either a driver’s license or an ID card.
How to Apply for a Disability Placard in Person
Drivers with disabilities may also choose to apply for a DMV handicap parking permit in Florida by appearing in person at a nearby FLHSMV location. Once they arrive at the motor vehicle agency, they need to submit the completed application form, with a mandatory medical certification. In addition to the disabled car parking application form, applicants may be mandated to submit either a driver’s license or an ID card and payment for the applicable fees.
How to Renew Disability Placards in Florida
Motorists who are disabled are required to perform a Florida handicap placard renewal prior to the expiration date of their parking permits. However, the expiration date of a handicap parking tag is determined based on the type of disability that a driver has. For instance, drivers with a temporary disability may obtain temporary disabled parking permits that are valid for no more than six months. However, a permanent permit may be valid for four years.
The permanent permit expiration date is determined according to whether you are an individual or an organization. Individuals need to perform a handicap placard renewal process for a permanent permit on their birthday after four years, while organizations must renew on June 30th after the validity period is over. When approaching the expiration date of the temporary or permanent disability parking permits in Florida, motorists are able to renew either by mail or in person at a local DHSMV office.
How to Renew Disability Placards by Mail
Disabled drivers who are wondering how to renew a disability parking permit in Florida by mail need to prepare certain documentation and send it to the state HSMV. To apply for a handicap parking placard renewal, motorists need to prepare and mail the following documents to the FLHSMV:
- A copy of the registration for the expiring parking permit
- A completed and signed Application for Disabled Person Parking Permit (form 83039)
- Payment for the applicable fees.
How to Renew Disability Placards in Person
To renew a Florida disability parking permit in person at a local HSMV office, drivers need to prepare the same documents as for the mail-in procedure. Disabled motorists who want to perform a handicap placard renewal need to provide a copy of the registration for the expiring parking permit, a fully completed application form and a payment for the applicable fees. The only difference between the in-person and mail-in methods is that when renewing a disabled parking permit at the FLHSMV, the required paperwork must be submitted personally.
How to Replace Disability Placards in Florida
A disability parking permit in Florida may get lost or stolen, and drivers will be required to apply for a new temporary or permanent permit, depending on the type of a disability they have. An FL disability placard replacement is currently not available because disabled drivers are required to re-apply for a new permit when their current one is lost or stolen. Motorists who are wondering how to replace a handicap parking sticker in Florida need to prepare the application form, along with the other necessary paperwork, and submit it to the FLHSMV.
Florida Disability Placard Fees
The handicap placard fees for a temporary permit are $15, while no fee is needed when applying for a permanent permit. The same fees for a FL disabled person parking permit apply when drivers want to renew their temporary documents. Moreover, since the disability placard replacement procedure is the same as the process when applying for a new permit, the same fees are involved.