Florida Statute 320.0848: Disabled Parking Permit Eligibility and Use

A Florida disabled parking permit is available to anyone whose doctor certifies a qualifying mobility-limiting condition on form HSMV 83039. Submit the completed form to a motor vehicle service center and you’ll receive either a permanent blue placard, good for four years at no charge, or a temporary red placard, good for up to six months for a $15 fee. The rules that follow, especially the one requiring the permit holder to actually be in the vehicle, are where people run into trouble.

Who Qualifies

The core standard in Florida Statute 320.0848 is that you cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest because of a lung, heart, or other physical condition.¹ That’s the threshold most applicants use, but the statute also recognizes several other qualifying situations:

You need portable oxygen to get around.
You have a Class III or Class IV cardiac condition under American Heart Association standards.
A severe lung disease limits your walking to the point that unassisted movement is unsafe or impractical.
A neurological impairment restricts your ability to walk.

A licensed healthcare provider has to certify the condition. Depending on the nature of the disability, that can be a physician, osteopathic physician, chiropractor, podiatrist, or optometrist.¹ The provider also decides whether the condition is permanent or temporary, and that decision drives which placard you get.

Permanent and Temporary Placards

Florida issues two colors, and the differences matter.

The permanent blue placard is for conditions not expected to improve. It’s valid for four years, expires on your birthday, and carries no fee for the initial permit or the renewal.¹²

The temporary red placard is for conditions expected to resolve. The certifying provider sets the duration up to a maximum of six months, and the fee is $15.¹ If the condition hasn’t resolved when it expires, you can’t just extend it. You start over with a fresh application and a new medical certification.

One cap worth knowing: the state will not issue more than two placards to any single person, unless you are a quadriplegic or can show you are a frequent traveler.³

How to Apply

The whole process runs through one document: HSMV 83039, the Application for Disabled Person Parking Permit.⁴ Download it from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website or pick one up at a service center. You fill out the personal information; your healthcare provider completes and signs the medical certification.

Check the date on your provider’s signature before you leave the office. It has to be within 12 months of when you submit the application, and a stale signature is the most common reason applications get rejected.⁵ You’ll also need a valid Florida driver license or ID card.

Completed forms go to a motor vehicle service center, in person or by mail.² Going in person is faster because the agent can hand you the placard once the paperwork checks out. If you mail it, include a copy of your ID and the $15 fee if you’re applying for a temporary permit; the placard and a registration receipt come back to the address on your application. Keep that receipt in the vehicle. It’s your proof of ownership if a parking enforcement officer asks.

Renewing or Replacing a Permit

Permanent placards expire every four years on your birthday, and FLHSMV sends a renewal notice ahead of the date. Renewal is not automatic. You submit a new HSMV 83039 with a fresh medical certification signed within the past 12 months, which means another trip to your provider.⁵ The renewal itself is free.

Lost or stolen placards require two forms: HSMV 83146 (Application for Replacement License Plate, Validation Decal or Parking Permit) and a current HSMV 83039 with medical certification signed within the past 12 months.² The recertification part surprises people. Even if your placard had three years left on it, you still need a new signature from your doctor before the state will replace it.

Rules for Using the Placard

The permit holder has to be riding in or being transported by the vehicle when the placard is displayed in a disabled space. Lending your placard to a family member running errands without you is a crime in Florida, not a gray area.³

Hang the placard from the rearview mirror or lay it on the dashboard so it’s visible from outside. Take it down while driving so it doesn’t obstruct your view. Keep the registration receipt in the vehicle at all times.

License Plates Instead of a Placard

If you’d rather not manage a hanging placard, Florida offers disabled license plates with the same parking privileges. Someone who qualifies under 320.0848 can request an international wheelchair user symbol plate under Section 320.0843 in place of a placard.³ Disabled veterans have a separate route: a disabled veteran license plate under Section 320.084 carries full disabled parking privileges and can be issued instead of a placard.⁶

Visitors From Out of State

Florida honors disabled parking permits and plates from other states and foreign countries as long as they display the international symbol of accessibility, the wheelchair icon.⁷ If a visitor’s permit doesn’t carry a recognized symbol, they need a Florida temporary permit before parking in accessible spaces here, and they can apply at a service center using their existing medical documentation.

Penalties for Fraud and Misuse

Florida splits the criminal exposure into two tiers.

Knowingly providing false information on HSMV 83039 is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. That applies to the applicant and to the healthcare provider who signs the medical certification, and the warning is printed on the form itself.¹

Using another person’s placard to park in a disabled space when the permit holder isn’t in the vehicle is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. Displaying a counterfeit or unauthorized copy carries the same penalty.³

Beyond the criminal charge, law enforcement and parking enforcement specialists can confiscate the placard on the spot. After a conviction or a no-contest plea, the confiscated permit is destroyed and won’t be returned. A second conviction against the same permit holder triggers a ban on applying for a new permit.³

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 320.0848 – Persons Who Have Disabilities; Issuance of Disabled Parking Permits
2
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Disabled Person Parking Permits
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 320.0848
4
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Disabled Person Parking Permit
5
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Permanent Disabled Person Parking Permits
6
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 320.084
7
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Disabled Person Parking Permits for Florida Visitors