How to Get a Handicap Parking Permit in Texas

To get a handicap parking permit in Texas, have a licensed physician certify your qualifying condition on Form VTR-214, then submit the completed application to your county tax assessor-collector’s office. A permanent blue placard is free and good for four years; a temporary red placard costs $5 and lasts up to six months.¹ Many county offices issue the placard the same day you walk in with the paperwork.

Do You Qualify?

Texas law covers more conditions than the word “disability” suggests. You qualify if you have a mobility impairment that substantially limits your ability to walk, or if you are legally blind (visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less).²

The mobility standard is met if any of the following describe you:

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 use portable oxygen.
Your forced expiratory volume is less than one liter, or your arterial oxygen tension is below 60 mm Hg on room air at rest.
You have a cardiac condition classified as Class III or IV by American Heart Association standards.
You are severely limited in walking because of an orthopedic, neurological, or arthritic condition.
A podiatrist determines a foot disorder limits your ability to walk.
A licensed physician determines another debilitating condition limits your ability to walk.

That last line is a catch-all. A condition not spelled out in the statute can still qualify if a physician is willing to certify that it substantially impairs your ability to get around.²

Which Permit You Should Request

Three options exist, and the form lets you check whichever fits.

Blue Placard, Permanent

The blue placard is for people whose disability is permanent. It is valid for four years and renewable, and there is no fee.³¹

Red Placard, Temporary

The red placard covers conditions expected to resolve. It expires in six months or less and costs $5.³¹ If your condition ends up lasting longer, you would need a fresh medical certification to switch to a permanent blue one.

Disability License Plates

If your disability is permanent, you can request license plates bearing the International Symbol of Access, either instead of or in addition to a hanging placard. The plates carry the same parking privileges and remove the step of hanging and stowing a tag. Either the person with the disability or someone who regularly drives them can apply.⁴

How to Apply Step by Step

The entire process runs on Form VTR-214, the Application for Persons with Disabilities Parking Placard and/or License Plate. Download it from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles website or pick one up at your county tax assessor-collector’s office.¹

Fill Out the Applicant Section

You complete the top portion yourself: legal name, residential address, and your Texas driver’s license or state ID number.¹ Decide which permit you want, and check whether this is a first-time request, a renewal, or a replacement.

Get the Disability Statement Signed

A licensed medical professional has to complete the Disability Statement on the form. For most conditions that means a physician licensed in Texas or in a state next to Texas. A podiatrist can sign if the qualifying condition is a foot disorder, and an optometrist can sign for a vision-based claim.⁵ Physician assistants and other medical professionals working under a physician’s delegation can also complete the certification. The professional must enter their license number and sign in original ink.¹

Falsifying any information on this application is a third-degree felony under Texas law. The form says so plainly.¹

Submit to Your County Tax Assessor-Collector

Bring the completed form, your payment if you are requesting a temporary placard, and ID to the county tax assessor-collector’s office where you live or where you are receiving medical treatment.⁵ Going in person is the fastest route because many offices hand you the placard across the counter. Mail works too, but it adds processing time.

Keep a copy of the completed VTR-214 before you hand over the original. You will need it later for renewal and for a replacement if the placard is ever lost.

Renewing Your Placard

A permanent blue placard expires every four years. Renewal does not require a new doctor’s visit. You complete the affidavit portion of a new VTR-214 (not the Disability Statement) and submit it with a copy of your original application to your county tax assessor-collector’s office. If you no longer have the original paperwork, you can submit your expiring placard in its place.⁶

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Placard

Take a copy of your original VTR-214 to your county tax assessor-collector’s office. If the office can verify that the placard was issued to you, they can process the replacement. If verification is not possible and you do not have a copy of the form, you will have to start over with a fresh application, including a new medical certification.³

How to Display and Use It

Hang the placard from the rearview mirror or lay it on the dashboard when the vehicle is parked. Take it down while driving so it does not block your view. The placard is tied to the person it was issued to, not to a specific vehicle, so you can use it in any car you ride in, whether you are driving or riding as a passenger.³

The person named on the placard must be in the vehicle every time it is used. A family member cannot borrow it to run an errand alone. Misuse carries a fine starting at $500 and climbing from there for repeat offenses, along with mandatory community service.⁷

If You Are a Disabled Veteran

Veterans with a service-connected disability rated at 50 percent or higher by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or 40 percent or higher due to amputation of a lower extremity, use a separate application: Form VTR-615. The first set of Disabled Veteran license plates costs $3, and veterans with a permanent disability can also receive up to two parking placards at no cost. Applications still go to the county tax assessor-collector’s office.⁸

1
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Persons with Disabilities Parking Placard and/or License Plate
2
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 681.001 – Definitions
3
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Disabled Parking, Placards and Plates
4
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Persons with Disabilities License Plates and Placards
5
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 681.003 – Parking Placard Application
6
Travis County Tax Office. Disabled Parking Placards and Plates, Permanent Disability
7
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 681.011 – Offenses; Presumption
8
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Disabled Veteran License Plates and/or Parking Placards