Disability License Plates & Placards

Placards and license plates for people with disabilities are issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Disability placards and plates allow parking in designated handicap spots as well as other parking privileges. Read below for more information about disability placards and license plates in Maryland, including how to apply. Permanent or temporary disability placard (depending upon the nature of your disability). Disability license plate, if you have a permanent disability. Permits for handicap parking require the certification and signature of a doctor or other approved medical professional. You can use your out-of-state disability placard or license plates when traveling in Maryland since all states recognize the disability permits issued by other states. Access to parking spaces designated for people with disabilities. Waived parking meter fees ONLY IF the parking meter DOES NOT meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Extended time in metered spaces: Up to 2 times the time limit in metered spaces for a maximum of 4 hours.

Baltimore and other areas of Maryland are installing parking meters that are ADA compliant and REQUIRE FEES from ALL drivers. Look for SIGNS and instructions where you park. Fill out the Application for Maryland Parking Placards/License Plates for Individuals with a Disability (Form VR-210). Have one of the following professionals fill out the certification section on the form: - Licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. Licensed chiropractor or podiatrist. NOTE: You may self-certify the loss of a limb; however, you will need to apply in person. You will also need to pay registration fees if your registration renewal is due. By mail to the address on the form. In person at a Maryland MVA office (applications are not accepted at the Oakland office). NOTE: To apply for a disability license plate, you must go to a full service MVA location (NOT an express location). All placards and plates for handicap parking expire. Temporary placards are valid for up to 6 months. Permanent placards do not contain an expiration date. License plates are valid for 2 years. Temporary disability placards CANNOT be renewed. If your temporary placard expires and you still need it, you must apply for a new temporary disability placard. If you have a permanent handicap placard, the Maryland MVA will send you a renewal notice before it expires. Be sure that your address is up to date. Verify the information on the renewal notice. Note any changes, such as an address change. Sign and date the application. Mail it back to the address on the notice.

Also, it is best not to include breathing difficulty, because then the Registry will think you have pulmonary disease, for which they have specific measures and standards. When you have to indicate how far you can walk, remember that you will mostly need the placard on your bad days. Estimate your walking ability based on a bad day, not on a good day (because if you don’t need it on a good day you won’t use it anyway). Think about the days when you can barely stand or walk to the bathroom. Those are the days you will really need this placard. You can even ask your doctor to describe these day-to-day mobility issues. Also there is a section where you are asked how far you can walk without rest, and how far with intermittent rest. To the Registry, “rest” does not mean sitting down or lying down, it means standing!

Since standing is not rest for a person with CFIDS, I recommend either putting the same range for both sections, or describing in the doctor’s letter what “resting” means for you. The Registry has recently begun to issue temporary placards. Make sure to indicate whether you are seeking a permanent or temporary placard. If you have been sick for less than five years, you should request a temporary placard. A temporary placard is good for one year, and then must be reapplied for. If you have been sick five or more years, make sure that your doctor indicates that your disability is permanent. Make sure that you keep copies of your application and your doctor’s letter. Later, if you get denied, it will be important to refer to them. You should hear back from the Registry within a month. If you get denied after your first application, you have ten days to appeal.

I strongly recommend appealing. Call the Registry and ask why you were denied. Make them cite the specific reason(s). Ask what information they would need to have clarified in order for you to obtain a placard. Take notes on everything they tell you, including the date you called, and the name of the person with whom you spoke. If anything is unclear to you, ask the person to repeat of clarify the information. Call the MA MAE/CFS Association and tell them what is happening. The Association can help advocate with you and is compiling information on this issue. Call your local representative’s office and/or the Governor’s office. Explain your situation to them. Ask for their help. If you applied for a placard in the past, but were denied, you can still apply again. I would suggest calling the Registry and asking them why you were denied the last time (they should still have your file). In your new application, follow the same guidelines as above, but explain which part of the process you didn’t understand before. Provide a clarification of that issue. If your appeal is denied, there are further steps you can take. Although this process can be stressful, tiring, and frustrating (especially if you are very sick), it is not necessarily a hopeless case. Generally, the longer you persevere with state agencies, the more likely you will win in the end. A copy of the state guidelines governing the issuance of Handicapped Parking Plates and Placards — 540CMR (Code of Massachusetts Regulations), section 1700 — can be obtained for free from your library. This document probably will be useful to you only after you have applied and been denied.