Handicap Placard in North Carolina: Eligibility, Application, and Use

To get a handicap placard in North Carolina, you fill out Form MVR-37A, have a licensed medical provider certify a qualifying mobility impairment, and submit the form with a $5 fee to any NCDMV license plate agency. Walk-in applicants leave with the placard the same day. A permanent placard is good for five years; a temporary one lasts one to six months, depending on what your provider writes down.

Who Qualifies

North Carolina law treats you as eligible if a licensed medical provider confirms a mobility impairment. You meet the standard if any one of the following applies:

You cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
You cannot walk without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or help from another person.
You have lung disease with a forced expiratory volume in one second below one liter, an arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm/Hg on room air at rest, or you use portable oxygen.
You have Class III or Class IV cardiac limitations as classified by the American Heart Association.
An orthopedic, neurological, or arthritic condition severely limits your ability to walk.
You are totally blind, or your vision (even corrected) prevents ordinary activities, as certified by a licensed ophthalmologist, optometrist, or the Division of Services for the Blind.

A disability determination from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also satisfies eligibility without a separate medical certification.¹

Who Can Sign the Medical Certification

The list of authorized certifiers is narrower than many people expect. For a permanent placard, the signer must be a licensed physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, ophthalmologist, optometrist, or an authorized representative of the Division of Services for the Blind. Chiropractors cannot certify the form. For a first-time temporary placard only, a licensed certified nurse midwife may also sign.²

Permanent, Temporary, or Plate

A permanent placard is valid for five years and can be renewed with medical recertification. You may hold up to two placards, and each costs $5. Hang it from the rearview mirror when parked; take it down before you drive.²

A temporary placard covers short-term impairments and is valid for one to six months, whichever your provider recommends. Temporary placards cannot be renewed. If the condition outlasts the placard, you file an entirely new application with a fresh medical certification.²

If your disability is permanent and you would rather have credentials on the vehicle itself, you can apply for a disability license plate using Form MVR-37 instead of, or in addition to, a placard. The registration sticker renews annually. When a parent or guardian obtained the plate for a minor, medical recertification is required every five years at renewal.³

How to Apply

Step 1. Get Form MVR-37A. Download it from the NCDMV website or pick one up at any license plate agency.²

Step 2. Fill in your section. Provide your name, address, and North Carolina driver’s license or ID number. Check whether you want one placard ($5) or two ($10), and mark permanent or temporary.

Step 3. Have your provider complete and sign the medical section. Your provider certifies the nature of the disability and, for a temporary placard, sets the validity period from one to six months.

Step 4. Submit the form. You have two ways to turn it in:

In person at any NCDMV license plate agency, with payment. You receive the placard the same day.
By mail with a check or money order payable to NCDMV, sent to: North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, 3148 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27697-3148. Allow three to four weeks.²

For a disability license plate, use Form MVR-37 and follow the same submission process.¹

How to Use the Placard

The placard belongs to you, not to a vehicle. You can use it in any car, truck, or van you drive or ride in as a passenger. The NCDMV issues a registration card with each placard listing your name, address, placard number, and expiration date, and that card must be inside the vehicle whenever the placard is displayed. No one else may use your placard when you are not in the vehicle, even a spouse or family member.

Parked in a designated accessible space, your vehicle may stay for unlimited time in zones that otherwise cap how long you can park.⁴

Renewing Your Placard

Permanent placards renew every five years on Form MVR-37AA, and the $5-per-placard fee applies again.⁴

Medical recertification is generally required at renewal, with two exceptions. You do not need a fresh certification if the placard expires after you turn 80, or if you were certified as totally and permanently disabled at the initial application or a prior renewal and that certification is on file with the NCDMV. Applicants who fall into either exception can renew online. Everyone else renews by mail or in person.³

Temporary placards are never renewable. A condition that lasts longer than expected requires a brand-new application with a current medical certification.²

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Placards

A replacement placard costs $5 if yours is missing. If the placard is damaged but you still have it, the NCDMV replaces it at no charge. Losing the registration card that came with the placard is costlier: a duplicate registration card is $25.50. Replacements can be handled at any license plate agency or by mail using the same Raleigh address.²

Penalties for Misuse

Under G.S. 20-37.6(e), using someone else’s placard, lending yours to a person who does not qualify, or blocking a curb ramp designated for people with disabilities are infractions that carry fines between $100 and $250. An officer does not need to catch the misuse in progress. Finding a vehicle in an accessible space with a placard while the registered holder is not present is enough to issue a citation. The court can also revoke your placard privileges.

Traveling With Your Placard

Every U.S. state recognizes disability placards issued by other states, so your North Carolina placard works anywhere in the country. North Carolina in turn honors out-of-state placards and disability plates under G.S. 20-37.6A. International recognition is less predictable. Under a 1997 resolution by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, participating countries, including Canada and much of Europe, are expected to honor U.S. credentials that display the international wheelchair symbol, though some countries, such as Germany, have not fully implemented the agreement. Check with local authorities before you rely on the placard abroad.⁵

1
North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Application for Disability License Plate MVR-37
2
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) / DMV. MVR-37A Medical Certification for Application and Renewal of Disability Parking Placard
3
North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Disability Placards and Plates
4
North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Application for Renewal of Disability Parking Placard or Total and Permanent Disability Parking Placard MVR-37AA
5
International Transport Forum (ITF). Reciprocal Recognition of Parking Badges