Disability Placards in South Carolina
Getting a handicap placard in South Carolina is a procedure that can be completed through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) by applicants who have a qualifying disability according to state law. Besides permanent SC disability placards with a validity period of four years, the state also offers temporary permits for residents whose conditions are expected to last between four and 12 months.
In any case, in order to apply for a disabled person placard, you must have an official photo ID issued by the state DMV, such as a driver’s license, ID card or a learner’s permit. If you do not have one of those identification documents, you will be required to complete other steps to obtain these credentials.
After you successfully obtain a DMV handicap parking permit, you can use it to legally park a vehicle in parking spaces reserved for handicapped individuals. Get more information about SC handicap placards in the sections below.
Eligibility Requirements for Disability Placards in South Carolina
In order to obtain a disabled person parking placard in South Carolina, handicapped individuals will be required to meet the disability placard requirements imposed by the state DMV. For example, applicants will first have to fulfill the qualifications established by the state and prove that they have one or several of the following conditions, impairments or disabilities:
- Serious cardiac, neurological, arthritic and/or orthopedic conditions that restrict the applicant’s ability to walk
- The need to carry a portable oxygen tank
- Lung diseases that limit the applicant’s respiratory abilities
- The inability to walk without making rest stops or without using a helping device
- Legal blindness
Note: You may be considered eligible for a temporary or permanent disability parking permit, depending on whether your condition is certified as short-term or long-term, respectively.
Drivers with disabilities who qualify for an SC disabled parking badge can start preparing their request by collecting the necessary paperwork. In addition to the DMV disabled placard application form, motorists will be required to submit a state-issued identification credential and a prescription order signed by a licensed medical professional. Note that the physician’s prescription order is required in addition to his or her certification statement, which can be provided on the application form.
How to Apply for a Disability Placard in South Carolina
The process of submitting a South Carolina application for disability placards can be completed either in person or by mail. While the requirements to get a disabled parking placard typically remain the same regardless of the chosen method, minor differences may apply. For example, when getting an SC disability placard by mail, customers will be required to submit their fee payment in the form of a check or money order.
Conversely, the requirement to present an official photo ID only applies when requesting a parking permit in person. In any case, note that the state DMV limits the issuance of disability parking permits to one placard per applicant. Organizations transporting disabled individuals are also eligible for one parking placard per registered motor vehicle.
Applying for a South Carolina Disability Placard by Mail
Submitting your disabled placard application in South Carolina by mail is a convenient way of obtaining this credential without making an office visit. In order to successfully get a disability parking placard by mail, applicants will be required to submit the proper application form, a fee payment and the physician’s prescription order to a specific DMV mailing address.
In order to avoid any delays in the mail-in handicap placard application process, customers must ensure that their request form is correctly filled out prior to sending it. For instance, the SC application for disability placards must contain the applicant’s personal data, his or her photo ID number and the physician’s statement and signature. Be mindful that falsifying a request form for handicap permits is a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine and a jail sentence.
If your request is legitimate and accurate, the state will manufacture and mail out your DMV handicap parking placard once it receives your application packet and verifies the submitted paperwork.
Note: In addition to an SC handicap placard, the DMV will issue an accompanying registration certificate that must be attached to the permit whenever you park in mobility impaired parking spaces.
Applying for a South Carolina Disability Placard in Person
Disabled individuals may prefer to submit their South Carolina disability placard application in person. To do so, you may visit any DMV branch office within the state. When applying for a disabled person placard in person, residents will be required to complete very similar steps to those that apply for the mail-in procedure detailed above. Therefore, in addition to submitting a filled out application form and a physician’s prescription order, applicants will be required to pay the applicable placard fees.
On the other hand, when submitting an SC application for a disability placard in person, drivers may also be asked to present an official photo ID for purposes of confirming their identity. The request for a first-time disability placard will be processed once the DMV employee approves the submitted paperwork and fee payment.
How to Renew Disability Placards in South Carolina
Because the DMV issues disability placards in South Carolina with a limited validity, disabled individuals whose condition persists beyond the permit’s expiration date will be required to renew their credentials. To complete the SC handicap placard renewal process, you will be required to submit the same application form that is used for the issuance of first-time permits. The methods available to renew a disabled person parking placard are also the same as those that apply when getting your first permit.
Therefore, if your disabled parking placard is set to expire soon, you can either visit a nearby DMV office or mail the application form to the corresponding mailing address of the department. In order to successfully complete the disability placard renewal procedure, you will also be required to obtain a new physician’s certification.
Renewing a South Carolina Disability Placard by Mail
When renewing handicap parking permits in South Carolina, handicapped individuals will mostly be required to complete the same steps as the ones for first-time applicants. Therefore, in order to complete a disabled placard renewal by mail, residents will be required to fill out the corresponding sections of the standard handicap placard request form and submit it along with a signed prescription order.
Moreover, they will be required to include an acceptable payment method for any applicable fees. Furthermore, it is important to note that applicants will be required to check the corresponding renewal box on the request form and fill out the number of their current placard. Once the state DMV receives the mailed-in handicap placard renewal request and locates the motorist’s record, it will issue a disability parking credential with a new expiration date.
Renewing a South Carolina Disability Placard in Person
Another method to renew a disability placard in South Carolina is submitting the necessary paperwork and fee payment through a nearby DMV location. If you are wondering how to renew disability parking permit documents in person, note that you will be required to fill out the proper application form and mark the renewal box prior to submitting it along with the rest of the documentation.
In order to expedite the in-person disabled placard renewal procedure, you may obtain the request form through the official DMV website, and fill it out prior to making your office visit. In addition, prior to processing your walk-in request to renew an SC disabled parking credential, the DMV representative may also ask you to present a state-issued form of identification.
How to Replace Disability Placards in South Carolina
In the event of a lost, stolen or damaged credential, handicapped motorists can undergo a disability placard replacement procedure through the state DMV. In order to replace a lost or mutilated documentation, applicants will be required to submit the standard application form and pay the regular manufacturing fee. Note that the requirements and methods to complete an SC handicap placard replacement are the same whether in person and via mail.
Replacing a South Carolina Disability Placard by Mail
To successfully replace a South Carolina disabled person placard by mail, drivers will be required to send their application packet to the designated DMV mailing address listed on the request form. However, prior to mailing the handicap placard form, disabled residents must ensure that it contains their accurate personal data, the number of their original placard and the reason for requesting a replacement one.
The mail-in method to apply for an SC disabled placard replacement must also contain the standard fee payment and a physician’s prescription order. Drivers will receive their duplicate disability permit by mail once the state DMV receives and processes these replacement requests.
Replacing a South Carolina Disability Placard in Person
If you are wondering how to replace a handicap placard in South Carolina in person, note that you will have to submit an application form filled out for replacement purposes. Then, you must submit it along with the fee payment and supporting paperwork through a local DMV site.
Prior to processing your disability placard replacement request, the department’s representative may ask you to present a state-issued form of photo ID. Once your disability placard application form, fee payment and physician’s prescription are verified, your request for a duplicate placard will be processed.
South Carolina Disability Placard Fees
An important step in the application process for South Carolina disability placards is providing an acceptable payment method for the applicable handicap placard fees. It is important to note that the state DMV requires the payment of a low nominal fee for every procedure involving disability parking placards.
If you are mailing your application, you will also be required to pay certain postage fees that are unrelated to the DMV procedure.