Drivers with Disabilities

According to Colorado statutes, a disabled driver is one who cannot get about without the assistance of a "mechanical device" or who has a general physical impairment that makes parking close to entrances a great help. Your physician has the discretion to assign this disability status to you, depending on your condition.

If you fall into either of these categories, you might be eligible to receive a handicapped parking placard or disability license plates. The Disability Brochure published by the Colorado Department of Revenue's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is an informative guide to the regulations for obtaining handicapped driving privileges.

Applying for a Placard

• Fill out and sign (or have a representative sign) the Application for Persons with Disabilities Parking Privileges form and return it to a local motor vehicle office.

• Before submitting the form, you must have it signed by a licensed Colorado doctor or Commissioned Medical Officer (CMO).

If the disability is temporary, you will be assigned a red placard that is valid for up to 90 days; otherwise, you will be issued the standard blue placard that is valid for three years. There is no charge for either placard.

You must hang the placard from the rearview mirror in plain sight. You can use it in any vehicle the applicant is driving or riding in as a passenger.

Travelers

If you are disabled and planning a trip to another state, you may take along your Colorado placard. As long as the placard is current and belongs to either the driver or a passenger in the vehicle, it is valid in any state. Also, Colorado honors other states' placards that meet the same requirements.

Applying for Disability License Plates

• Complete the
  Application for Persons with Disabilities Parking Privileges form, sign it, and return it to a motor vehicle office. The form must be certified by a CMO or doctor licensed in Colorado.

• Provide a copy of the vehicle's title or registration showing that the applicant owns (or co-owns) the vehicle.

• If you would like the Handicapped Disabled Veteran License Plates issued by the state, you need to follow the above procedures but also furnish a written clearance on the appropriate letterhead from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from your branch of military service. The document needs to state that you became permanently disabled as a result of your service and that the disability is rated as 50% or higher.

Plates need to be renewed annually and cost nothing more than the general registration fees.

You are required to recertify your qualifying disability status every three years (disabled veterans are exempt here), but you don't need a physician's signature to do this.

If a placard or license plate is stolen, you need to file a police report and notify a motor vehicle office without delay.