Indiana State Form 42070 is the Bureau of Motor Vehicles application for a disability parking placard or a disability license plate. You fill out the sections that apply to what you’re requesting, have a licensed healthcare provider certify your qualifying condition in Section 4, and submit the packet at any BMV branch or by mail to the Winchester Mail Processing Center at PO Box 100, Winchester, IN 47394. Permanent placards are free, temporary placards cost $5, and converting a standard plate to a disability plate costs $9.50.
Confirm You Qualify Before You Start
Indiana lists the qualifying conditions in IC 9-18.5-8-4 for permanent placards and IC 9-18.5-8-5 for temporary ones. A licensed healthcare provider has to certify that you fit one of these categories:
- You depend on a wheelchair, walker, braces, or crutches.
- You have lost the use of one or both legs, permanently or temporarily.
- You have a pulmonary or cardiovascular condition, arthritis, or an orthopedic or neurological impairment that severely limits your movement.
- You are blind or visually impaired, certified by an Indiana-licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- You have been issued or are eligible for a Disabled Hoosier Veteran license plate under IC 9-18.5-5.
The same categories cover both permanent and temporary placards. The difference is whether the condition is expected to resolve. For a temporary placard, the provider has to write an end date on the certification.
How to Fill Out Each Section
The form has four sections. You don’t need to complete all of them. Which ones you fill out depends on whether you’re asking for a placard, a plate, or both.
Section 1: Applicant Information
Everyone completes Section 1. It asks for your full legal name, Social Security number (or Federal Identification Number if a company is applying), date of birth, and mailing address. First-time applicants with the BMV should also provide gender per the BMV’s application checklist. The address you enter here is where the placard or plate will be mailed, so make sure it’s current.
Section 2: Disability License Plate
Skip this section if you only want a placard. If you want a plate, check the box that shows why you’re eligible. For most individuals that means either already holding a permanent placard issued by the BMV or having a provider certify a permanent disability in Section 4 of the same form. Organizations that transport people with disabilities can also apply here.
If the vehicle isn’t in your name, the owner has to sign Section 2 confirming the vehicle regularly transports you, and provide their name, Social Security number, and address. For every vehicle you want converted, include the current plate number and the last five digits of the VIN.
Section 3: Parking Placard
Fill out Section 3 if you want a placard. Mark whether the application is new, a renewal, or a duplicate, and whether the disability is permanent or temporary. You sign under penalty of perjury. A false statement to obtain a placard is a Class C misdemeanor.
Section 4: Healthcare Provider’s Certification
Your provider fills out this section, not you. They certify your qualifying condition, mark permanent or temporary, and if temporary, write the expected end date. The form needs their signature, printed name, phone number, license number, and address.
Indiana lets a range of professionals sign: licensed physicians (including military and VA medical officers), chiropractors under IC 25-10-1, podiatrists under IC 25-29-1, advanced practice registered nurses under IC 25-23, physician assistants under IC 25-27.5, and master’s-level licensed professionals under IC 25-23.6. Blindness or visual impairment certifications must come from a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist.
You don’t need Section 4 filled in at all if you’re a company applicant, you’re requesting a duplicate replacement, or you already hold a Disabled Hoosier Veteran plate.
What to Put in the Envelope
The BMV returns the entire application if anything is missing, so check the packet before you seal it:
- The completed Form 42070. The BMV won’t accept older versions.
- State Form 56163 (Collection of Payment Information) if you owe a fee. That means temporary placards ($5) and disability plates ($9.50 per plate). Permanent placards are free, so no payment form is needed.
- Plate number and last five digits of the VIN for every vehicle being converted to a disability plate.
- Authorization documents if someone else signs on the applicant’s behalf. Print your role next to the signature (parent, guardian, power of attorney, or institutional representative) and include a copy of your state-issued driver’s license or ID.
Where to Submit It
You can drop the completed packet at any Indiana BMV branch, or mail it to:
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Winchester Mail Processing Center
PO Box 100
Winchester, IN 47394
If you mail it, pay by check or money order made out to the BMV. Once the application clears review, the BMV mails the placard or plate to the address in Section 1. Any missing, altered, or incomplete field sends the whole application back to you, so double-check every line.
Fees at a Glance
- Permanent parking placard, including duplicates: free.
- Temporary parking placard, including duplicates: $5.
- Disability license plate: $9.50 per plate to swap from a standard plate.
These are set by IC 9-18.5-8-7 and IC 9-18.1-11-10.
How Long the Placard or Plate Lasts
A permanent placard has no fixed expiration. It stays valid unless a healthcare provider or licensed eye doctor certifies your disability is no longer permanent. There’s no periodic medical recertification to keep it active.
A temporary placard expires on whichever comes first: the end date your provider wrote on the certification, or one year after the BMV issued it. When it expires, you file a brand-new Form 42070 with a fresh certification. There’s no shortcut renewal for temporary placards.
A disability license plate rides on the standard annual registration cycle. You renew it online at myBMV.com, at a kiosk, by phone using the access code on your renewal notice, by mail, or at a branch. You don’t need a new medical certification at renewal.
Replacing a Lost or Stolen Placard
If your placard is lost, stolen, or unreadable, submit a new Form 42070 with the “Duplicate” box checked in Section 3. You don’t need a new provider certification. A duplicate permanent placard is free; a duplicate temporary placard is $5.
Penalties for Misuse
Under IC 5-16-9-5, parking in a disability space without a valid placard or plate is a Class C infraction with a minimum $100 civil judgment. Using someone else’s placard when you aren’t transporting the person it was issued to carries the same minimum fine. Displaying a fraudulent or unauthorized placard or plate is a Class C misdemeanor, which can carry up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.