Disability Plates and Placards in Maine

Types of Maine Disability Permits

If you live in Maine, you may be eligible for a handicap parking placard or license plate if you meet the state's disability criteria.

The ME BMV offers you several disability plate and placard options depending upon the nature of your disability:

• Disability placard for:
  • People with temporary disabilities.
  • People with permanent disabilities.
  • Organizations transporting people with disabilities.
• Disability license plate for:
  • People with permanent disabilities who own their vehicles.
  • Disabled veterans who own their vehicles.

If you're applying for a handicapped parking placard or license plate, you must have your disability certified by a medical professional.

Traveling with a Disability

If you are traveling to Maine from out of state, you do not need to apply for a local disability placard or plate. The state of Maine recognizes disability parking permits from all other states.

Disabled Parking in ME

Your disability placard or license plate allows you to:

• Use disabled parking places.
• Park in metered spaces for 2 times the time limit for free.

It is against the law to use a handicap placard or license plate that is not issued to you.

Apply for ME Disability Permits

You can apply for a disabled placard or license plate from the Maine DMV:

• By mail.
• By fax.
  OR
  
• In person.

To apply, you must submit a completed Application for Disability Plates/Placard (Form PS-18) with the medical certification section completed by one of the following:

• Physician.
• Physician's assistant.
• Nurse practitioner.
• Registered nurse.

Handicapped placards and license plates are free; however, you will still need to pay your vehicle registration fees.

You can submit your application:

• By mail to:
Disability Clerk
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
• By fax to (207) 624-9204.
• In person at a Maine BMV office.

To be eligible for a Maine disabled license plate or removable windshield placard that allows you to park in designated disabled parking spaces, you need to be certified by a physician as having a disability that impairs your ability to walk. Specifically, you must come under any of the following definitions:

Disabled Veteran Plates

You can apply for a Maine disabled veteran plate IF you have a 100% service-related disability. Applications are accepted by mail or in person.

To apply by mail, you'll need a:

• Written request for the disabled veteran plate.
• Copy of your vehicle registration.
  AND
  
• VA letter stating your disability status.

Mail your documents to:

Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Registration Unit
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333

You can apply in person at the BMV main office ONLY. You'll need to take your VA letter.

Renew ME Disability Placards & Plates

All handicapped placards and license plates expire after a certain time:

• Temporary disability placards: 6 months.
• Permanent disability placards: 4 years.
• Disability license plates expire when your car registration expires.

You CANNOT renew a temporary placard. If you need it longer, you must apply for the placard. See “Apply for ME Disability Permits" above for more information.

To renew your permanent placard:

• Complete only the applicant information section of the Application for Disability Plates/Placard (Form PS-18).
  • You DO NOT need additional medical certification.
• Submit the form:
  • By mail to the address on the form.
  • By fax to (207) 624-9204.
  • In person at a Maine MVB branch office.

To renew a disability license plate, you'll need to renew your vehicle registration.

Replace a Disability Placard or Plate

If your disability placard has been lost, stolen, or destroyed, you can get a replacement ONLY IF:

• Your placard is not expired.
  AND
  
• The Maine BMV has your original application on file.

To get a replacement, call the ME BMV at or go in person to a BMV office.

NOTE: Your replacement placard will expire on the same date as your lost, stolen, or damaged placard.

Our Maine lost registration page has information about license plate replacement.