The Michigan Department of State / Secretary of State will never ask people to send money or personal information via text message. Please contact the Michigan Department of Attorney General for more information on how to identify scams and to file a complaint.
Filing for office, including petition signature requirements and political party status.
Elections administration, including the Election Inspector's Guide; absentee voting; and the Michigan Qualified Voter File.
Find information about the Board of State Canvassers and its meeting notices.
Title and registration requirements; special titles; name changes; address changes; license plate fees; insurance requirements; new Michigan residents; lost titles; lost license plates; and deceased vehicle owners.
Disability parking and placard information, disability parking, disability plate, disabled parking permit, and wheelchair.
Recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles, watercraft, ORVs, and trailers.
Operating requirements for agricultural vehicles on public roads - lighting, slow-moving vehicle emblems, and more.
The International Registration Plan (IRP) - a program for registering and licensing of commercial vehicles in interstate operations among member jurisdictions (states or provinces).
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) online service for customers filing financial statements and liens through the Secretary of State.
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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:
Organizations that transport people with disabilities may apply for a green disability parking placard that is valid for four years.
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.
Disability placards (green) for organizations that transport people with disabilities are valid for four years.
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.
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.
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.
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 wheelchair user in their household 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, will still be due.
We recommend renewing your permanent disability parking placard online or by mail. You also can renew your placard by visiting one of our offices or by calling 888-SOS-MICH (888-767-6424).
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.
You can renew your disability plate by mail even without your renewal notice. To do so, submit the following information to our department in writing before your credential expires:
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.
A disability license plate includes an insignia indicating that the vehicle owner is legally allowed to park in spaces reserved for residents with a disability. The plate itself is permanent, but vehicle owners must renew the license plate tab every year, as is the case for all standard plates.
