Drivers with Disabilities

One out of 10 Americans has some kind of disability, and some drivers with disabilities require special parking access or modifications to their vehicles. Included in this article is information about obtaining a disabled parking permit, and other driving aids and vehicle modifications for disabled drivers. Be sure to also check out our License Plates and Placards section, as well as information about Kentucky's disabled-issue license plates.

Disabled Placard Requirements

If you have a qualifying disability, you are eligible to receive special parking placards. A qualifying disability is defined as follows:

• Loss of an arm.

• Blindness.

• Inability to walk 200 feet without having to rest.

• Inability to walk without the help of a brace, cane, person, or other device.

• Lung disease with arterial oxygen tension of less than 60 mm/hg at rest.

• Need for portable oxygen.

• Cardiac disease with resulting Class III or Class IV limitations, according to the American Heart Association.

• Inability to walk or difficulty walking as a result of an orthopedic or neurological condition.

Application Procedure

In order to be granted a disabled parking permit in Kentucky, you must have a completed application signed by a licensed physician verifying that you have a qualifying disability. You will need Adobe Acrobat to access the application.

Submit the signed application at your local County Clerk's office.

This permit will allow you to park legally in designated parking spaces for the disabled.

The fee for each permit is $8 and permits are valid for two years. If approved, you'll receive a placard to display on your rearview mirror or dashboard when you park in a designated disabled parking spot.

If your permit is lost, stolen, or destroyed, the fee for a replacement is $2.

For more information about disabled parking permits, including those ordered by agencies, read KRS 189.456.

Specialty Disabled License Plates

You may also apply for a specialty disabled license plate if you are a veteran, former prisoner of war, or motorcycle rider.

To apply for a disabled license plate, complete the application, which must be signed by a physician if your disability is not obvious. (If it is obvious, a Division of Driver Licensing employee can sign the form.)

Submit the signed application at your local County Clerk's office.

Fees vary from $12.50 for a motorcycle license plate to $20 for other plates, and renewal fees run from $3 to $20.

Traveling?

Whether your Kentucky disabled placard is valid in a different state is up to that state. Contact the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for details―it might already have specific information about the state in question. You can also contact the destination state's DMV, or check our Drivers with Disabilities article that applies to the state you'll be visiting.

For extra protection, you should always carry in your vehicle a copy of the physician's statement that certifies your disability.

For those traveling to Kentucky from another state, don't fret. Kentucky honors out-of-state placards.

Driver Evaluation/Vehicle Modification Program

Under the Driver Evaluation/Vehicle Modification Program, trained professionals provide services and recommendations to new drivers, drivers in need of special equipment, and drivers with deficient driving skills.

Drivers can get recommendations for how to to modify their vehicles. They can also purchase the equipment and have it installed and inspected.

For more information about the Driver Evaluation/Vehicle Modification Program, contact the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation at:

• Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

• Driver Evaluation/Vehicle Modification Branch

• 301 E. Main St.

• Suite 500

• Lexington, KY 40507

• Telephone: (859) 246-2117

• Fax: (859) 246-2799