How to Fill Out and Submit New Jersey Form SP-41: Disability Placard

New Jersey Form SP-41 is the Application for Vehicle License Plates and/or Placard for Persons with a Disability, issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. You use it to request wheelchair symbol plates, a disability parking placard, or both, and there is no fee for either.¹ Download the current version (revision R 7/25) from the MVC website, or pick one up at any motor vehicle agency along with the SP-41A Instructional Checklist.

Check That You Qualify First

New Jersey limits eligibility to six specific conditions. If yours does not fit one of them, the application will not be approved.

Loss of use of one or more limbs from paralysis, amputation, or another permanent disability.
Inability to walk without a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device.
Lung disease with forced expiratory volume in one second under one liter, arterial oxygen tension under 60 mm/hg on room air at rest, or use of portable oxygen.
Cardiac condition classified as Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
An arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition that severely and permanently limits walking, or prevents walking 200 feet without stopping to rest.
Permanent visual impairment in both eyes, certified by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. This qualifies you for a placard only, not plates.

Your medical practitioner identifies which numbered condition applies on the form, so confirm your condition fits before booking the appointment.²

Filling Out the Form Section by Section

The form uses lettered sections. Complete only the ones that apply to your request.

Section A: Applicant Information

This is about the person with the disability, not the driver or vehicle owner. Enter your full name, street address, city, state, and zip code, along with your driver license number and its expiration date, date of birth, sex, eye color, height, weight, and a daytime phone number. If you are recertifying an existing placard or plates, add the current plate or placard number in the designated fields.³

If you do not have a New Jersey driver license or non-driver ID, you will need to satisfy the MVC’s 6 Points of ID verification when applying in person.⁴

Section B: Wheelchair Symbol Plates

Complete Section B only if you want plates. Plates can be issued for a vehicle registered to you or to a family member who provides you with transportation. Enter the registered owner’s name, plate number, driver license number and expiration, address, and their relationship to you. Include a copy of the vehicle registration with your application. Plates cannot be issued for vehicles owned by or leased to companies, organizations, or groups. The vehicle must be registered to an individual.¹

Section C: Replacements

Use Section C only if you are replacing lost, stolen, or damaged plates, a placard, or an identification card. Enter the number and expiration date of the item you are replacing.

Section E: Medical Practitioner Certification

Your medical practitioner completes Section E. They fill in their name, phone number, address, and the patient’s name, then select the numbered condition from the eligibility list that matches your disability and sign. Do not fill this out yourself.³

Getting the Medical Certification Right

The medical certification is where most applications stall. Beyond Section E on the form itself, your practitioner must provide a separate prescription certifying the qualifying condition. If the practitioner is not authorized to write prescriptions, a letter with the same information is acceptable, but it must be on official letterhead. Only originals are accepted. Photocopies will be rejected.

The certification must include the practitioner’s National Provider Identification (NPI) number and taxonomy code. Missing either is a common cause of delay.⁵

The certifying practitioner must be a physician, podiatrist, chiropractic physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner licensed in New Jersey or a bordering state. A physician stationed at a military or naval installation in New Jersey and licensed in any state also qualifies. The certification must be dated within 60 days of the day you submit your application; anything older will be rejected.¹

Submitting the Application

You can file the SP-41 in person at any MVC agency or by mail. Either way, there is no fee.¹

For in-person filing, bring the completed SP-41, your original medical certification, your driver license or non-driver ID (or 6 Points of ID documents), and a copy of your vehicle registration if you are requesting plates. The agency processes it while you are there.

For mail, send the completed application, the original medical certification, and any supporting documents to:

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
Special Plate Unit
225 East State Street
PO Box 015
Trenton, NJ 08666-0015

If you want a blank application mailed to you, call 609-292-6500 and the MVC will send one with the instruction checklist.

What You Receive

Qualified applicants receive a Persons with a Disability Identification Card, a placard, or both, depending on the request. If you applied for wheelchair symbol plates, you receive one set for the vehicle listed in Section B, along with the identification card. The placard is portable between vehicles; the plates stay on the registered vehicle.

Carry the identification card whenever you use disability parking privileges. It is non-transferable, and you must be in the vehicle or with the driver whenever the placard or plates are in use.¹

Renewal Every Three Years

Disability parking privileges in New Jersey expire every three years. You cannot renew by paying a fee or clicking a button; you must submit a new SP-41 with a fresh medical certification confirming the disability still exists, and the 60-day dating rule applies to the new certification.⁶

The MVC mails renewal notices before privileges expire. If you got one, follow its instructions. If you did not, mail the completed recertification to the Special Plate Unit address above, or handle it in person at any MVC agency.¹

Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Placard

Replacements are free. Visit an MVC agency with your original identification card, your driver license or non-driver ID, the placard if you still have it, and a completed SP-41.

If both the identification card and the placard are gone, bring a notarized statement confirming the loss, or write and sign the statement in front of an MVC employee at the agency. If the placard was stolen, bring a police report as well.

Replacements by mail go to the same Special Plate Unit address. If the placard owner cannot visit an agency, they can authorize someone else to go on their behalf with a notarized authorization letter or a power of attorney.¹

One Warning Before You Sign

Under N.J.S.A. 2C:21-4(a), a false statement or misinformation on an SP-41 application is a fourth-degree crime, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and up to 18 months of imprisonment. Lending a placard, or using it when the qualifying person is not present, results in immediate revocation of the identification card, placard, and plates without warning.¹

1
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Wheelchair Symbol Plates and Persons With a Disability Placards
2
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Wheelchair Symbol Plates and Persons With a Disability Placards
3
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Application for Vehicle License Plates and/or Placard for Persons with a Disability
4
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. New Jersey Standard License and Non-Driver ID Requirements
5
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Instructional Checklist – Application for Vehicle License Plates and/or Placard for Persons with a Disability
6
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Wheelchair Symbol Plates and Persons With a Disability Placards – FAQ