Individuals who are blind or who have a disability that restricts their ability to walk may qualify for a disability license plate or parking placard. Restrictions on walking are defined as:
Disability Parking Placard Application
A person with a qualifying disability is eligible for a disability license plate or parking placard. To obtain a disability plate or placard, Michigan law requires that people be blind or have any condition that significantly limits their ability to walk or requires a wheelchair, walker, crutch or other assistive device.
Disability parking placards are limited to one per person. Permanent disability placards are valid for four years and are issued to individuals whose condition is not expected to improve. Temporary disability placards are valid from one to six months and are issued to individuals whose condition is expected to improve. Green parking placards, issued to organizations that transport disabled individuals, are valid for four years.
A person may have both a disability license plate and a placard. Free parking is provided only to vehicles displaying a disability placard with a yellow free-parking sticker. The requirements for obtaining a free-parking sticker are more narrowly defined than for a disability license plate or placard. NOTE: Green placards, issued to organizations, aren't eligible for the free-parking sticker.
There is no fee for an original temporary or permanent disability parking placard or for renewing a permanent placard.
If your disability placard is lost or stolen, it may be replaced for $10 at a Secretary of State office or by submitting a request by mail or fax.
Applicants for a disability license plate pay only the standard annual vehicle registration fee. A passenger vehicle, pickup, or van equipped with either permanently installed wheelchair lift equipment or permanently installed hand controls and owned by a person who uses a wheelchair or transports a member of their household who uses a wheelchair is eligible for a 50 percent reduction in the standard annual registration fee (additional service fees, such as those for personalizing the plate or for purchasing and renewing a fundraising version, are excluded from the discount).
Vans used for commercial purposes are not eligible for the reduction.
A lost or stolen disability placard can be replaced at any Secretary of State office for $10. You will be asked to show identification. Branch offices accept cash, checks, money orders, Discover, MasterCard and Visa debit or credit cards at the counter.
Or, you may submit your request and $10 fee by fax to 517-636-5865 or by letter to:
Michigan Department of State
The Special Services Branch
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918
Your request should include your daytime telephone number.
If faxing your request, pay with Visa, MasterCard or Discover - be sure to include your credit card number and expiration date.
If mailing your request, pay by check or money order. Make checks or money orders payable to State of Michigan.
Permanent disability parking placards are valid for four years, expiring on the applicant's birthday. You must have a disability in which there is a medical expectation that it will not improve to be issued a permanent disability placard. Permanent placards may be renewed up to 45 days before their expiration date or up to six months early if the applicant will be out of state during the renewal period or has other good reason for renewing early. There is no renewal fee. A physician's statement is not required.
Temporary disability placards are valid from one to six months and are issued when there is a medical expectation that the disability will improve. If the medical condition has not improved when the placard expires, a new application, including your medical professional's authorization, must be submitted to get a new temporary placard.
Renewing a disability license plate
Renewing a disability license plate is similar to renewing other types of plates. Disability plates can be renewed by mail or online. A doctor's statement is not required with renewals.
Regular renewal fees apply. Proof of Michigan no-fault insurance is required unless your plate renewal notice shows a PIN indicating your insurance company has reported your vehicle as being insured.
If the person who qualified for the disability plate is no longer living, the disability plate must be replaced at time of renewal with a standard plate.
Renewing a permanent disability parking placard
A permanent disability parking placard may be renewed up to 45 days before the expiration date.
Convenient options are offered for renewing a permanent disability parking placard with the new placard being issued by mail. Renew by submitting a request at Michigan.gov/ContactSOS, by telephone at 888-SOS-MICH (888-767-6424), or by mail to:
Michigan Department of State
PO Box 30764
Lansing MI 48909-8264
Please make sure to include your expiring permit number and your name, address and a daytime phone number with your renewal request.
Temporary disability parking placard
Temporary disability parking placards cannot be renewed. A new application is required if the medical condition has not improved.
The Americans with Disabilities Act and Michigan Person with Disability Civil Rights Act apply to driver education programs and services. There is no distinction between public and private schools; they are both required to work with teens with special needs. Students with disabilities who attend driver education may be entitled to accommodations (including appropriate auxiliary aids and services) at no cost, as long as their disabilities do not prevent them from driving safely and unless providing such auxiliary aids or services would fundamentally alter the nature of the program or result in an undue burden. The Michigan Department of State encourages parents and driver education providers to work together to provide an appropriate accommodation to help meet the need of the student. For additional information, contact the U.S. Department of Justice ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice); 800-514-0383 (TTY); www.ada.gov. Or contact the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, 800-482-3604 (voice); 877-878-8464 (TTY).
Voting at the polls can present a unique set of challenges to people with disabilities. Federal and state laws require Michigan's cities, townships and villages to provide a reasonable number of accessible registration facilities. It is the intent of the law to ensure that voters with disabilities are fully able to exercise their voting rights at the polls. Any action or physical barrier that prevents voters with disabilities from casting a ballot is unacceptable.
To ensure that proper accessibility is maintained, federal and state laws require polling places to remove or make accommodations for any barriers that prevent voters with disabilities from voting. Care should be taken to ensure that the polling place is accessible - doors should not be blocked, alternatives to stairs such as ramps or elevators should be available, and lighting and seating should be adequate. Furthermore, at least one voting station should be adapted to allow a person to vote while seated.
Voters with disabilities who require assistance in casting a ballot have a few options:
To qualify for a free-parking sticker, you must have a valid Michigan driver's license and be unable to do one or more of the following:
Insert coins or tokens in a parking meter or accept a ticket from a parking lot machine due to a lack of fine motor control of both hands.
Reach above your head to a height of 42 inches from the ground, due to lack of finger, hand or upper extremity strength or mobility.
Approach a parking meter due to the use of a wheelchair or other ambulatory device.
Walk more than 20 feet due to an orthopedic, cardiovascular or lung condition in which the degree of debilitation is so severe that it almost completely impedes your ability to walk.
Please note that privately owned parking lots and garages are not required to provide free parking.
To obtain a free-parking sticker, you must have your physician, chiropractor, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant complete part 3 of the parking placard application form. You must have a disability placard with a yellow free-parking sticker on it to park free. A disability license plate does not authorize free parking. Privately owned parking lots and garages are not obligated to provide free parking.
Michigan law allows only one parking placard to be issued to a person. However, you may use your placard in any vehicle that you are driving or that is transporting you.
Yes, you can have a disability license plate and a parking placard at the same time. The placard may be used during those times when you are traveling in a vehicle without a disability license plate.
Yes. If you would have difficulty taking a written test because of special needs, you should contact the Business Licensing Section at 888-SOS-MICH (888-767-6424). You may be eligible for audio and interpreter assisted tests.
All states and some foreign countries honor Michigan's disability license plates and placards for using a disability parking space. However, some jurisdictions may not allow free parking even with the Michigan free-parking sticker. Contact the law enforcement agency of the community you will be visiting to find out if there are any special disability parking ordinances.
If you believe you have been wrongly denied an accommodation and would like to file a complaint, who you file a complaint with depends on the situation:
For more information on ADA, visit ADA.gov or contact the U.S. Department of Justice ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
Tests aren’t timed but must be completed prior to the office closing. If you require a quiet area, department staff will provide accommodations to the best of their ability. All Secretary of State offices have headphones and audio versions of the driver knowledge exam. If you need someone to read the test to you, contact the MDOS-Access@Michigan.gov before scheduling your office visit.
You will pay self-serve prices for full service at participating gas stations. There are no additional costs.
If you need an accommodation for an upcoming driver assessment reexamination, call the Driver Assessment Section at the number provided in your scheduling paperwork. You may also call 517-335-7051 for assistance.
You can appoint someone else to complete certain vehicle title and registration transactions on your behalf. To do so, provide your appointed agent with the following to take with them when they visit a Secretary of State office:
State law requires Michigan residents to renew their license or ID every 4 years. The law requires residents to take a new photo for their license or ID every 12 years at a Secretary of State office.
If you’re required to take a new photo for your license or ID or need to complete any of the following transactions, you will need to visit a Secretary of State office:
If you are homebound and cannot visit a Secretary of State office to complete your transaction, contact the Michigan Department of State at MDOS-Access@Michigan.gov or call 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424) for assistance.
Please note: An application for a first-time, enhanced, or REAL ID-compliant license or ID can’t be completed outside of a Secretary of State office.
All Secretary of State offices have a designated counterspace for residents who require an accommodation and may need to sit while completing their transaction. If you require this type of accommodation while visiting an office, please speak to a staff member or greeter at the office upon arriving for your visit.
Per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, a reasonable accommodation is any modification to a policy, practice, or procedure that is necessary to meet the needs of the person with a disability. Reasonable accommodations cannot fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity being provided or result in an undue financial or administrative burden.
Qualifying service animals as defined in federal and state law are permitted in Secretary of State facilities and offices. Per ADA regulations, this includes dogs or miniature horses that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities (28 CFR Sect. 35. 136, 38.104).
The animal must be under control, not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of staff and customers, be housebroken, and its presence cannot “fundamentally alter” the nature of the goods, services, programs, or activities being provided.
The law doesn’t consider a comfort animal, an emotional support animal, or a therapy dog as a service animal, primarily because they lack the specialized training necessary to assist someone with a disability and therefore aren’t limited to working only with people with disabilities.
Michigan Public Acts 144-147 expand upon the definition and uses of service animals to include issues such as licensing fee exemptions, state-recognized certification and registration, and penalties for fraudulent use.
You are required to display a state-issued disability license plate or placard to qualify for refueling assistance.
No. Special needs students must pass the test version being utilized for the class they are attending. Providers are permitted to administer the test orally, or record the test onto an audiocassette for a student's use.
