Photo: Jerry "Woody", CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Accessible parking permits in Canada are issued province by province, not nationally. In Ontario you apply to ServiceOntario and the permit is free. In Alberta you take an approved form to a registry agent. In British Columbia the permit is run by SPARC BC, a non-profit. In every case a health professional must certify that your condition limits your mobility, and the permit belongs to you, not to a car, so it can be used in a learner’s car when you are the driver or passenger.
Ontario, Alberta and BC compared
| Ontario | Alberta | British Columbia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issued by | ServiceOntario | Registry agents | SPARC BC (Social Planning and Research Council of B.C.) |
| Who certifies | Physicians, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, chiropodists and podiatrists | Physicians, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, chiropractors | Per the SPARC BC application form |
| Long-term permit | Permanent or “subject to change”: 5 years | Long-term: 5 years. Permanent: renewed every 5 years without new medical certification | Permanent: 3 years, renewable |
| Temporary permit | Up to 12 months | 3 to 12 months | 1 to 12 months, not renewable (apply again) |
| Fee | Free to get, renew or replace | Ask your registry agent | Check with SPARC BC when applying |
In Prince Edward Island, accessible spaces are marked by an approved sign or blue paint, and no one may stop, stand or park in one unless the vehicle shows a valid accessible parking permit or plate.
Who qualifies?
Ontario
A regulated health practitioner must certify a condition that limits your mobility. Examples include needing a brace, cane, crutch or wheelchair, needing help to walk, severe lung disease, needing portable oxygen, certain heart conditions, severely limited walking because of arthritic, neurological, musculoskeletal or orthopaedic conditions, and serious vision impairment.
Alberta
You may qualify if you cannot walk more than 50 metres (164 feet), or have a loss of vision that substantially limits safe and independent mobility in parking areas.
British Columbia
SPARC BC lists mobility limitations such as needing extra width to get in and out of a vehicle in a wheelchair, using a cane or other mobility aid, or being unable to walk far because of a health condition. You do not need to own a car.
How to apply
Ontario
- Get the form from a ServiceOntario centre or online.
- Complete Part A yourself; a regulated health practitioner completes Part B.
- Submit with ID showing your full name, date of birth and signature, online, by mail or in person.
Ontario says online and mail applications take up to 3 weeks.
Alberta
- Complete the parking placard application (REG3164).
- Have an authorized health care provider approve it.
- Take it to a registry agent with ID within 6 months of the provider signing it.
British Columbia
Download the application from SPARC BC or apply through its website. Motorcycle users and organizations apply by phone.
Quebec and other provinces
In Quebec, the parking sticker for persons with disabilities is issued by the SAAQ. Check eligibility, fee and validity with the SAAQ directly. Other provinces and territories run their own schemes through their licensing or municipal offices.
Can a learner driver use the permit?
Yes, if the permit holder is in the car. In Ontario the permit is issued to a person, not a vehicle, and the named holder must be the driver or a passenger going to or from the parking space. So a learner with a permit can display it in a practice car, and a parent with a permit can use it when they are a passenger supervising a lesson.
What you cannot do is use it without the holder. Ontario prohibits parking in an accessible space while waiting to drop off or pick up the holder, and misuse can bring a fine of up to $5,000 and seizure of the permit.
Travelling to another province
Alberta accepts valid placards from other provinces, territories and countries, and can issue a temporary visitor placard if you forgot yours, to be returned before you leave. Ontario also issues a traveller’s permit, valid for 12 months or the remaining life of your permit, whichever is shorter.
Related: Drivers with disabilities: learning to drive in Canada. Back to the hub: Driving with a medical condition or disability in Canada.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, “Get an accessible parking permit” (ontario.ca)
- Government of Alberta, “Get a parking placard for people with disabilities” (alberta.ca)
- SPARC BC, “Parking permits” (sparc.bc.ca)
- Government of Prince Edward Island, “Highway Traffic Act” (princeedwardisland.ca)