To apply for a Nebraska handicap parking permit, you and a licensed medical provider complete a free one-page application from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Your provider can submit it electronically through the DMV’s Handicap Permits portal, or you can mail the paper form with a photocopy of your ID to the DMV’s Driver and Vehicle Records Division in Lincoln.1Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Handicapped Plate and Permit There is no fee for the permit itself.
Who Qualifies
A licensed medical professional has to certify that you have one of four qualifying conditions:
- A physical or visual impairment that keeps you from traveling more than 200 feet unassisted or without a wheelchair, crutch, walker, prosthetic, or other assistive device.
- A respiratory condition that limits your mobility.
- Heart disease classified as Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
- Permanent loss of all, or substantially all, use of one or more limbs.
If the condition is expected to improve, your provider certifies you for a temporary permit. If it is permanent, you get a permanent one. The provider decides which based on clinical judgment.
Filling Out Your Half of the Form
The top half of the application is yours. Check the box for New, Renewal (with your previous permit number), or Duplicate (with the original permit number), and mark whether you need a Permanent or Temporary permit.
Enter your full legal name (last, first, middle initial), date of birth, mailing address, gender, and phone number. These need to match your government-issued ID exactly, because the DMV compares them when processing your application. Sign and date the bottom of your section; the signature line includes an acknowledgment that you understand the rules and penalties for misusing a permit.
If you are mailing the paper application, include a photocopy of a valid driver’s license, state ID, birth certificate, or passport.2Douglas County Treasurer. Handicapped Parking Permits and Plates Forgetting the photocopy is a common reason applications get held up.
Your Provider’s Half of the Form
The bottom half is for the medical certification. On the paper form, a licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner must complete and sign it.1Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Handicapped Plate and Permit The provider does not have to be licensed in Nebraska specifically, as long as they are authorized to practice here.
Your provider checks the qualifying condition that applies and signs, prints their name, title, phone number, and office address. For a temporary permit, they also write in an expected date of recovery, which sets the expiration. An overly optimistic recovery date means the permit may lapse while you still need it.
The DMV’s online portal accepts a wider range of providers than the paper form does, including chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, and osteopathic physicians. If your provider is in one of those categories, submitting online is the practical route.
Submitting the Application
The faster option is having your provider file electronically through the DMV’s Handicap Permits portal. They log in with their profession type, medical license number, and date of birth, then enter your information and the certification directly.2Douglas County Treasurer. Handicapped Parking Permits and Plates This works for both new permits and renewals.
If your provider does not use the online system, mail the completed paper application and your ID photocopy to:
Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles
Driver and Vehicle Records Division
Attn: Handicapped Parking Permits
PO Box 94789
Lincoln, NE 68509-47891Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Handicapped Plate and Permit
Do not take the application to your County Treasurer’s office. That office handles handicapped license plates, not parking permits. The DMV mails the permit to your home once it is processed.1Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Handicapped Plate and Permit The DMV does not publish a processing timeline, so if you need the permit by a specific date, submit early.
How Long the Permit Lasts
A permanent permit is valid for six years and expires on the last day of your birth month in the sixth year after it is issued.3Nebraska Resource and Referral System. Handicap Parking Permit To renew, go through the same process: either your provider submits online or you mail a paper form with a fresh medical certification. Check the Renewal box and include your previous permit number.
A temporary permit lasts up to six months, with the expiration tied to the recovery date your provider wrote on the form. You can renew a temporary permit one time for another six months. After that, if your condition has not resolved, you would need to apply for a permanent permit.3Nebraska Resource and Referral System. Handicap Parking Permit
Replacing a Lost or Stolen Permit
If your permit was issued on or after May 7, 2012, you can request a replacement yourself through the DMV’s online portal with no new medical certification. For permits issued before that date, fill out a paper application, check the Duplicate box, and mail it to the Lincoln address above. Either way, no medical certification is required for a duplicate.1Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Handicapped Plate and Permit
You can only get two replacements. A third request is treated as a brand-new application, which means your medical provider has to complete the certification section again.1Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Handicapped Plate and Permit
Using the Permit Correctly
The permit is not transferable. Only the person it was issued to may use it, and only when that person is getting in or out of the vehicle parked in the designated space. Hang it from the rearview mirror so it is visible through the windshield, or place it on the dashboard if the vehicle has no mirror.4Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 60-3,113.06 – Handicapped or Disabled Parking Permit Use and Restrictions
Misuse is a handicapped parking infraction. Fines run up to $150 for a first offense, up to $300 for a second, and up to $500 for a third or later offense within a one-year period. A person found guilty of misusing a permit also faces a six-month suspension of the permit and an additional fine of up to $250, which a court may waive if all permits in the person’s possession are returned at sentencing.5Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 18-1741.02 – Handicapped Parking Infraction Penalties Local municipalities may add penalties by ordinance.