How to Get a Handicap Placard in Arizona: Eligibility and Forms

To get a handicap placard in Arizona, complete the Individual Disability Plate/Placard Application (Form 96-0104), have a licensed healthcare provider fill out the medical certification section, and submit it to the Motor Vehicle Division by mail or in person. There is no fee, and the placard arrives by mail after processing.¹

Do You Qualify

Arizona recognizes six medical conditions that qualify a person for a disability placard. Meeting any one of them, as certified by a healthcare professional, is enough:

You cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
You cannot walk without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or assistance from another person.
You have a lung disease with a forced expiratory volume in one second below one liter, or an arterial oxygen tension below 60 mmHg on room air at rest.
You rely on portable oxygen.
You have a Class III or Class IV cardiac condition under American Heart Association standards.
You are severely limited in your ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.²

That last category is broader than it sounds. Severe arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and spinal injuries can qualify even when none of the other five categories fit cleanly.

Who Can Sign the Medical Certification

You don’t necessarily need an appointment with a physician. Arizona accepts certification from any of the following, as long as the provider is licensed to practice in the United States:

Physicians, including doctors of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, and chiropractic
Physician assistants
Registered nurse practitioners
Physical therapists
Hospital administrators

The certifying provider must indicate whether the condition is permanent or temporary and supply their license number and licensing state.³ If you’re already seeing a physical therapist for the underlying condition, they can complete the form.

Filling Out and Submitting the Application

The form is the Individual Disability Plate/Placard Application, Form 96-0104. Download it from the ADOT website or pick one up at any MVD office.¹

You complete the applicant section with your full legal name, residential address, and Arizona driver’s license or state ID number. Your healthcare provider then completes and signs the medical certification section. Check every field before you send it. Incomplete applications get returned, and that adds weeks.

Two ways to submit:

By mail to the Special Plates Unit, PO Box 2100, Phoenix, AZ 85001-2100.³
In person at any MVD office or authorized third-party provider.

There is no charge for a permanent or a temporary placard.¹ The placard arrives by mail. Plan on at least a couple of weeks, longer during high volume.

Permanent or Temporary

Arizona issues two kinds of placards, and the provider marks the choice on the certification.

A permanent placard is for long-term or lifelong disabilities. Under current law, permanent placards no longer expire. The former five-year renewal cycle has been eliminated, and your placard stays valid as long as you continue to qualify.⁴

A temporary placard covers conditions expected to improve, such as recovery from surgery or a broken leg. It’s valid for six months. If you still need one after that, there is no renewal option. Your healthcare provider must complete a new medical certification, and you submit a fresh application.⁵

Displaying the Placard

Hang the placard from your rearview mirror when you park in a designated disability space, so it’s visible through the windshield. Then take it down before you drive. Arizona law prohibits driving with an object on the windshield that obstructs the driver’s clear view, and a placard hanging from the mirror while the car is moving can qualify as an obstruction. A violation carries a civil penalty.⁶

One boundary worth knowing before you get the placard: it’s issued to you, not to a vehicle. A family member cannot use it to park in a disability space unless you are the driver or passenger in that vehicle at the time. Lending the placard, using someone else’s, or parking in a disability space without a valid placard are all violations under Arizona law, and a fraudulent placard can be confiscated on the spot.⁷¹

1
Department of Transportation. License Plates and Disability Placards
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-2409 – International Symbol of Access Special Plates; Placard; Update of Records; Invalid Placard or Plate; Definitions
3
Arizona Department of Transportation. Individual Disability – Deaf/Hard of Hearing Plate/Placard Application
4
Department of Transportation. No More Expiration Dates for Portable Permanent MVD Disability Placards
5
Department of Transportation. How Do I Renew a Disability Placard?
6
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28 – Section 28-959.01
7
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-884 – Parking Space for Persons With Physical Disabilities