Alabama handicap parking laws reserve designated spaces for drivers who display a valid placard or disability access license plate, and using one of those spaces without the right credentials brings a fine that starts at $50 and rises to $500 for repeat offenders. A second or later violation also carries at least 40 hours of mandatory community service. Faking an application or parking with an expired placard is treated as a criminal misdemeanor, not a parking ticket.
Who Can Legally Park in a Disability Space
Only a person with a valid Alabama disability placard or disability access license plate can use a designated space. The placard belongs to the person, not the vehicle, so a driver transporting someone with a placard or plate can park in a designated space as long as that person is in the vehicle at the time.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32-6-231 – Distinctive Special Access or Disability Access License Plates and Placards
Parking a car in a designated space and leaving the placard holder at home is not allowed. Neither is using a relative’s placard to run errands on your own.
Fines for Parking Without a Placard
Alabama Code Section 32-6-233.1 sets minimum fines that escalate with each offense:
- First offense: at least $50.
- Second offense: at least $200.
- Third or later offense: at least $500.
These are floors. A court can impose a higher amount, and towing costs are separate. Officers have statutory authority to tow a vehicle illegally parked in a disability space, so the out-of-pocket cost of a single citation can climb well above the base fine.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32-6-233.1 – Unauthorized Use of Parking Places
Community Service on Repeat Offenses
A first offense is a fine only. Starting with the second violation, the court must order at least 40 hours of community service in addition to the fine. The statute uses “shall be ordered,” so a judge cannot waive it. The hours can be served with a nonprofit that assists people with disabilities or through activities designed to build awareness of the daily obstacles they face.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32-6-233.1 – Unauthorized Use of Parking Places
Access Aisles Are Ticketed Too
The striped zones next to disability spaces are access aisles, and Alabama treats parking in one as its own violation. These aisles exist so wheelchair ramps and lifts can deploy; blocking one can trap a wheelchair user inside a vehicle. A driver who nudges into the striped area to avoid the marked space itself is still parked illegally.
Placard Fraud and Expired Placards Are Criminal
Alabama draws a sharp line between an unauthorized parker and someone who lies to get credentials or keeps using expired ones. Under Section 32-6-233, both of the following are Class C misdemeanors:
- Falsely representing yourself as a person with a disability, or as someone who transports one, to obtain a placard or specialty plate.
- Parking in a disability space using an expired placard or plate.
A Class C misdemeanor conviction can carry jail time and a fine, and it goes on your record.3Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32-6-233 – Penalty for False Representations or Misuse of Privileges If your placard has lapsed, renew it before you park in a designated space again.
How Enforcement Works
Any sworn Alabama law enforcement officer who meets the state’s minimum training standards can enforce these rules. That covers municipal police, sheriffs, deputies, and state troopers. The law expressly authorizes officers to enter private property to enforce disability parking rules, so a grocery store or mall lot is on the same footing as a public street.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32-6-233.1 – Unauthorized Use of Parking Places
An officer can ask the driver or any passenger to show proof of a valid placard or plate. You don’t have to carry medical records, but the credential itself has to be present. If nobody in the vehicle can produce one, the officer can write the ticket on the spot.
How to Get an Alabama Disability Placard
Placards and decals are free, and the process runs through the Alabama Department of Revenue rather than a separate motor vehicle office.4Alabama Department of Revenue. How Do I Obtain Disability Access Parking Credentials?
Download form MVR 32-6-230 from the Department of Revenue’s Motor Vehicle Division site, or pick one up at your local licensing office. A licensed physician, certified registered nurse practitioner, or certified nurse midwife completes the medical certification section, then you return the form to the licensing office. Parents, stepparents, and legal guardians can apply on behalf of a minor or dependent who qualifies.5Alabama Department of Revenue. Application for Disability Access Parking Credentials
Qualifying Conditions
The certifying provider has to confirm at least one of the mobility criteria on the application, which include:
- Inability to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
- Inability to walk without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or assistance from another person.
- Lung disease with forced expiratory volume under one liter per second, or arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm Hg on room air at rest.
- Need for portable oxygen for daily activities.
- Cardiac condition classified as Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
- Arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition that severely limits walking.
Temporary and Permanent Placards
A temporary placard covers short-term disability and is valid for up to six months. Permanent placards follow a five-year renewal cycle tied to Alabama’s license plate renewal schedule. On renewal of permanent credentials, you can self-certify the qualifying disability instead of getting a fresh physician certification.4Alabama Department of Revenue. How Do I Obtain Disability Access Parking Credentials?