Disability parking

Michigan law says:  

A person with a disability who is determined by a physician, a physician assistant, or an optometrist to have 1 or more of the following physical characteristics: 

(a) Blindness as determined by an optometrist, a physician, or a physician assistant. 

(b) Inability to walk more than 200 feet without having to stop and rest. 

(c) Inability to do both of the following: 

(i) Use 1 or both legs or feet. 

(ii) Walk without the use of a wheelchair, walker, crutch, brace, prosthetic, or other device, or without the 

assistance of another person. 

(d) A lung disease from which the person's forced expiratory volume for 1 second, when measured by 

spirometry, is less than 1 liter, or from which the person's arterial oxygen tension is less than 60 mm/hg of 

room air at rest. 

(e) A cardiovascular condition that causes the person to measure between 3 and 4 on the New York heart 

classification scale, or that renders the person incapable of meeting a minimum standard for cardiovascular 

health that is established by the American heart association and approved by the department of public health. 

(f) An arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition that severely limits the person's ability to walk. 

(g) The persistent reliance upon an oxygen source other than ordinary air. 

How do I get a disability license plate or parking placard?

To get a disability parking placard:

• Fill out the Disability Parking Placard Application form BFS-108.
• Have a licensed medical professional complete and sign the appropriate sections of the application.
• Mail the form to the Secretary of State address found on the application or submit it at any Secretary of State office.

To get a disability parking plate:

• Fill out the Application for a Disability License Plate MV-110.
• Have a licensed medical professional complete and sign the appropriate sections of the application.
• Mail the form to the Secretary of State address found on the application or submit it at any Secretary of State office.

Disability Placards:  

• First placard is free 
• Renewal is free
• $10 to replace lost placard  

Disability license plate:  

• Regular plate fee for your vehicle. 
• Passenger vehicle, pickup, or van with permanent wheelchair lift or permanent 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 registration fee. Additional fees for personalized and the plate or for purchasing and renewing a fundraising version, are excluded from the discount). 

You can purchase a replacement placard at any Secretary of State office, by mail, or by fax.  

At the Secretary of State office. You will need:  

• Driver’s license or ID.  
• $10 replacement fee.  
• Offices accept cash, check or money order payable to State of Michigan, and debit or credit cards. 

By mail. You will need:  

• Letter with your full name, phone number, address and placard number if known.   
• $10 check or money order payable to State of Michigan Mail the letter and payment to:  
  
  Michigan Department of State 
  Internal Services Section 
  7064 Crowner Drive 
  Lansing, MI 48918 

By fax, you will need:  

• Letter with your full name, phone number, address and placard number if known.   
• Include your credit card or debit card number and expiration date. 
• Fax to 517-636-5865  

• Permanent blue placards valid four years.  
• Temporary red placards valid 1 to 6 months.  
• Green placards issued to organizations are valid for four years.

Disability plates:  

• Renew online, self-service stations, by mail, in person.  
• Pay by card, cash, or check.
• Show proof of Michigan no-fault insurance.  

Renew permanent blue placard: 

• Renew up to 45 days before expiration. 
• Renew online, Go to Quick Renewal/Replace and enter: 
• The placard number 
• Expiration date on the placard 
• Email address 
• Renew by mail,
• or at the office, 
• or submitting a request online at Michigan.gov/ContactSOS 

Renew temporary red placard: 

• Have license medical professional complete the application. Complete your part of the application and mail it or bring it to the Secretary of State. 

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.
• Qualified medical professional must provide their authorization under part 3 of the Disability Parking Placard Application (BFS-108).

Please note that privately owned parking lots and garages are not required to provide free parking.

A licensed medical professional completes Part 3 the Disability Parking Placard Application (BFS-108).

Remember: Privately owned parking lots and garages are not required to provide free parking.

• Michigan law allows only one parking placard to be issued to a person.  
• You can use your placard in any vehicle that you are driving or riding in.  

Yes, you can have both as the same time. Use your placard when you are traveling in a vehicle without a disability plate.  

• All states and some foreign countries honor Michigan's disability license plates and placards.  
• 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. 

State law requires that a disability parking spot must only be used when the person with a disability is either driving or being transported in the vehicle.

No, a disability plate doesn't qualify you for free parking. You must have a disability parking placard with a yellow free-parking sticker to park for free.

No.   

To park for free, you need:  

• A yellow free-parking sticker on your placard and a valid driver’s license. 

How to get free parking:   

• A licensed medical professional completes Part 3 the Disability Parking Placard Application (BFS-108). 

Remember: Privately owned parking lots and garages are not required to provide free parking. 

Renewal forms cannot be resent. You can still renew without the renewal notice: 

• Go to Online Services or renew at a self-service station.
  
  
• Renew at any Secretary of State branch office. Documents needed for renewals are:
  • Old registration for each registration (or plate configuration) 
  • Michigan no-fault insurance for each vehicle.
  • Driver's license 
  • Cash, check, money order, or a debit or credit card. 

• To renew by mail:
  • Use the Renewal Fee Calculator to determine the renewal fee. 
  • Mail a photocopy of your current registration, proof of Michigan no-fault insurance, and a check or money order payable to the State of Michigan to:
    
    Michigan Department of State 
    Internal Services Section 
    7064 Crowner Drive 
    Lansing, Michigan 48918 

• Allows you to park the vehicle in approved spots reserved for people with disabilities.