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. 

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.

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 Service 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.

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.  
• 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.

Before your disability plate expires, you can renew it by mail. Submit the following in writing: 

• Your first, middle, and last name 
• Michigan driver’s license or ID number 
• Plate number 
• Permanent address and alternative mailing address, if applicable 
• Phone number 
• Money order or check made out to the State of Michigan for your renewal fee 
  
  To determine what you owe for your renewal, use our renewal fee calculator. Mail your information and payment to the following address: 
   
  Michigan Department of State 
  Internal Services Section 
  P.O. Box 30764 
  Lansing, MI 48918-8264 

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 BFS-108 placard application. 

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

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