A wide range of disabilities qualify for a handicap parking permit, not just conditions that require a wheelchair. Most states use similar core categories: mobility impairments, respiratory disease, cardiac conditions, visual impairment, and neurological or orthopedic conditions that limit your ability to walk. The specific threshold used in most states is the inability to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
Mobility Impairments
The most common qualifying category is any condition that significantly limits your ability to walk. In most states, the standard benchmark is 200 feet. If you cannot walk that distance (roughly the length of a large parking lot) without needing to stop and rest, you generally qualify. This applies whether your limitation comes from a permanent condition like an amputation or a temporary one like a broken leg recovering from surgery.
You also qualify if you need an assistive device to walk. This includes canes, crutches, walkers, braces, prosthetic limbs, or a wheelchair. Needing physical assistance from another person to walk counts as well. The key factor isn’t the diagnosis itself but how much it restricts your movement.
Lung and Breathing Conditions
Chronic lung diseases that restrict your breathing are a qualifying category in every state. This covers conditions like COPD, emphysema, severe asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis. If you use portable oxygen, that alone is typically enough to qualify. For people who don’t use oxygen, states may look at lung function test results to confirm the severity of the condition. Colorado, for example, specifies that your forced expiratory volume (the amount of air you can push out in one second) must be less than one liter, or your blood oxygen level must be below a certain threshold at rest.
Heart and Cardiovascular Conditions
Severe heart conditions qualify when they limit your ability to perform basic physical activity like walking across a parking lot. Most states reference the American Heart Association’s functional classification system, and conditions rated Class III or IV are the standard threshold. Class III means you’re comfortable at rest but experience fatigue, shortness of breath, or chest discomfort during ordinary physical activity. Class IV means symptoms are present even at rest.
This covers chronic heart failure, ischemic heart disease, congenital heart conditions, and other cardiovascular problems that leave you physically limited. Your doctor determines the severity classification based on your symptoms and test results.
Visual Impairment
Legal blindness qualifies for a handicap parking permit. The standard used by most states is 20/200 vision or worse with corrective lenses, meaning that what a person with normal vision can see from 200 feet, you need to be within 20 feet to see. Some states also consider severely restricted visual fields. Tennessee, for instance, explicitly lists 20/200 vision or worse as a qualifying condition. People with qualifying visual impairments can receive placards even if they are passengers rather than drivers.
Neurological, Orthopedic, and Arthritic Conditions
Conditions that don’t involve a wheelchair or visible assistive device still qualify if they severely limit your ability to walk. This includes multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, severe arthritis (rheumatoid or osteoarthritis), spinal cord injuries, neuropathy, cerebral palsy, and other neurological or orthopedic conditions. The qualifying factor is functional limitation, not the diagnosis label. If your condition causes enough pain, weakness, fatigue, or instability that walking across a parking lot is difficult or unsafe, you can qualify.
These “invisible disabilities” are fully recognized in every state’s eligibility criteria. States typically list them as “severe arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic conditions that limit the ability to walk.” You do not need to use a mobility device to qualify under this category.
Loss of Limb Use
If you have permanently or temporarily lost the use of one or both legs, or one or both arms, you qualify. This includes amputations, paralysis, and conditions that functionally remove the use of a limb even if it’s still physically present. Some states specifically mention loss of arm use because it can affect the ability to operate doors, navigate curbs, or maintain balance.
Temporary vs. Permanent Permits
Most of the conditions above can qualify you for either a temporary or permanent placard, depending on whether the limitation is expected to improve. Temporary placards are issued for conditions like recovery from surgery, broken bones, pregnancy-related mobility issues, or short-term flare-ups of chronic conditions. In Indiana, a temporary placard expires on the date your healthcare provider specifies or one year from issuance, whichever comes first. Most states follow a similar approach, with temporary permits lasting anywhere from a few months to one year.
Permanent placards and disability license plates are reserved for conditions that are unlikely to improve. To get disability license plates rather than a hanging placard, your condition typically must be certified as permanent. Permanent placards still need periodic renewal (often every few years depending on your state), but the renewal process is usually simpler than the initial application.
Who Can Certify Your Disability
A medical professional must sign your application to confirm your condition meets your state’s criteria. This isn’t limited to your primary care doctor. In most states, the following professionals can certify your application: physicians (MDs and DOs), physician assistants, advanced practice registered nurses or nurse practitioners, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists (for visual impairments). Florida’s list, which is representative, also accepts certification from out-of-state physicians as long as they provide proof of licensure.
Veterans have an additional pathway. If you’ve been evaluated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the military as permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, you can submit that documentation (typically a VA Form Letter 27-333 or equivalent) instead of a separate medical certification.
Using Your Permit in Other States
Every U.S. state is required to honor valid disabled parking permits issued by other states. If you have a placard from Texas, it works in California, Florida, or anywhere else in the country. Canada also recognizes U.S. permits, and the U.S. recognizes Canadian and European permits under an international reciprocity agreement. The one thing to keep in mind when traveling is that local parking rules (time limits, meter payment requirements, specific zone restrictions) vary by city and state, so the placard grants you access to designated spaces but doesn’t override every local parking regulation.
How to Apply
The process is straightforward in every state. You get an application form from your state’s DMV (most are available online), have your healthcare provider fill out the medical certification section, and submit it to the DMV either in person or by mail. Some states now accept online submissions. There is usually no fee for a placard, though disability license plates may carry a small charge. Processing times vary, but most states issue placards within a few weeks. If your condition is urgent, some states offer same-day or expedited processing at in-person DMV offices.
If you’re applying on behalf of someone else, such as a family member you regularly transport, many states allow caregivers to hold a placard specifically for use when driving a qualifying person. The permit is tied to the person with the disability, not the vehicle, so it can be used in any car the person is riding in.