Disability Plates and Placards in New York

SUMMARY: New York Disability Plates & Placards

Disability placards and license plates are available to residents of New York who have qualifying disabilities - you can get either permanent or temporary placards, and permanent license plates. To apply for a placard or license plate, you will need medical certification of your disability. You must renew your handicapped placard or plate periodically, and if your parking permit is lost or stolen, you can request a replacement from the agency that issued it.

Keep reading for more information about disability placards and license plates in New York.

Types of NY Disability Permits

The state of New York offers several types of handicapped parking permits for people with disabilities.

You may qualify for a:

  • Temporary or permanent placard, issued by your village, town, or city clerk's office.
  • Metered parking waiver, also issued by your local clerk's office.
  • Disability license plate, issued by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

NOTE: If you're a resident of NY, you can also apply for a separate permit for curbside parking in New York City.

Traveling with Disabilities

Every state in the U.S. accepts the handicapped placards and license plates of all other states. As a result:

  • If you visit the state of New York, you can use the placard or plate from your home state for disabled parking.
  • You can use a New York disability placard or plate in any other state of the U.S.

When visiting another state, you must obey the local parking regulations. For example, some states do not offer parking meter waivers or allow parking in the same types of spaces.

Apply for Disabled Parking in New York

Placards and license plates for handicap parking have different application processes since they are handled by different agencies:

  • Placards and parking meter waivers are processed by local clerks' offices.
  • License plates are processed by the New York DMV.

Disabled Placards

Local clerks' offices have their own application processes for disability parking placards. Contact your local New York city/town clerkfor instructions.

Most city or town clerks will require that you:

Disability parking placards are free. However, some agencies may add service or postage fees.

Parking Meter Fee Waiver

Like disability placards, parking meter fee waivers are issued by local clerks' offices.

Contact your area clerk for your area's specific application requirements.

Most agencies will require you to submit the Application for a Metered Parking Waiver for Persons with Severe Disabilities (Form MV-664.1MP), including medical certification.

Disability License Plates

You can apply for a disability license plate in person at a NY DMV office.

You MUST have a vehicle registered in your name to be eligible for disability license plates.

You will need:

Disabled Veteran Plates

If you are military veteran with a service-related disability, you can apply for disabled veteran license plates.

You will need:

Mail your application to the address on the form.

NOTE: You will also need to register your vehicle if you have not yet done so.

Renew a Disability Placard or Plate

Disabled parking placards and license plates expire and must be renewed.

Expiration dates vary for different placards and license plates:

  • Temporary placards are valid for up to 6 months.
  • Permanent placard expiration varies by location.
  • Disability license plates, including disabled veteran plates, are valid for as long as your registration is valid.

Placard renewals are processed by local clerks' offices, and renewal methods differ by location.

You will renew your license plate by renewing your vehicle registration.

Replace a NY Handicap Permit

To replace a lost, stolen or damaged disability placard, you will need to contact your local clerk's office.

You may be able to request a replacement without a new application; however, some clerks may require that a new application be submitted.

For information about replacing a license plate that is lost, stolen, or damaged license plate, see our NY license plate page.

Forms

MV-82
Vehicle Registration/Title Application
Application for NY title (original or replacement), registration (original, renewal, duplicate, or corrected), OR plate transfers.
MV-664.1
Application for a Parking Permit or License Plates, for Persons with Severe Disabilities
Application for temporary OR permanent NY disability parking permit OR license plates.
CP-30
Application for Custom Plate
Use this form to apply for specialized NY license plates (e.g. personalized, organizational, sports, regional, etc.). Do not use to order military/veteran, professional, or emergency license plates.
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