Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In California you apply for a disabled person (DP) parking placard with form REG 195, the Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates, online or at a DMV office. A medical provider certifies your disability on the form. A permanent placard costs nothing and lasts two years, expiring on June 30 of every odd-numbered year. A temporary placard lasts up to 180 days and has a fee. The placard belongs to the person with the disability, not to a car, so a teen or new driver can use it in any car they are driving or riding in.
Who qualifies in California?
You qualify if you have impaired mobility from any of these:
- loss of use of one or more lower extremities, or both hands
- a diagnosed disease that substantially impairs or interferes with mobility
- being unable to move without an assistive device
- specific, documented visual problems, including low vision or partial sightedness
Who can certify the REG 195?
| Provider | Can certify |
|---|---|
| Physician or surgeon, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife | Any qualifying disease or disability they know about |
| Chiropractor | Loss of use, or significant limitation in use, of one or both lower extremities |
| Optometrist, or a physician or surgeon specializing in eye diseases | Vision-related disabilities |
You don’t need a medical certification if you have lost a lower extremity or both hands and apply in person at a DMV office, or if you already hold a permanent California DP placard or DP or DV plates and enter that number on the form.
Types of placard: fees and how long they last
| Type | Fee | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent placard | No fee; free replacement | 2 years, expiring June 30 of every odd-numbered year; renews free with no new certification |
| Temporary placard | A fee applies (check the current amount on the DMV fees page); replacement also has a fee | Up to 180 days, or the date your provider gives if sooner; no more than six renewals in a row |
| Travel placard (California residents) | No fee listed | 30 days; you must already hold a permanent placard or DP or DV plates |
| Travel placard (nonresidents) | No fee listed | Up to 90 days, or the date your provider gives if sooner |
| DP license plates | No extra fee beyond normal registration | Stay on the vehicle they are issued for |
You can hold only one permanent placard at a time. Renew a permanent placard online at the DMV website.
How to apply, step by step
- Get the REG 195 online or from a DMV office.
- Fill in your part and sign it.
- Have your medical provider complete the Medical Provider’s Certification of Disability section, unless you are exempt (see above).
- Submit it online, by mail or at a DMV office. Pay the fee if you are applying for a temporary placard.
Can a learner or teen driver use a placard?
- If the placard is yours: yes. Hang it when you park a car you are driving or riding in, including while you practice on a learner permit with a supervising driver.
- If it belongs to a parent or relative: it is for their use. The DMV lists using someone else’s placard as misuse, so never hang it to park when you are driving on your own. If you regularly drive the placard holder, ask the DMV how the rules apply.
- The placard doesn’t change any learner rules. Your permit conditions still apply: see learning to drive in California.
What counts as placard misuse in California?
All of these are illegal and can lead to a citation and fines:
- lending your placard, or using someone else’s
- forging a medical provider’s signature
- having or displaying a counterfeit placard or plates
- giving false information to get one
- altering a placard or its ID card
Misuse can also lead to the placard or plates being canceled or revoked.
Other states: disabled parking placards for new drivers. More on disability and driving: US guide to driving with a medical condition or disability and learning to drive with a disability.
Sources
- California DMV, “Disabled Person Parking Placards and Plates” (dmv.ca.gov)
- California DMV, “Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates (REG 195)” (dmv.ca.gov)