How to Get a Handicap Placard in Georgia: MV-9D Form and Fees

To get a handicap placard in Georgia, you fill out one form (the MV-9D), have your healthcare provider certify a qualifying disability, get that certification notarized, and take the paperwork to your county tag office. The placard itself is free. It belongs to you, not to a car, so you can use it in any vehicle you drive or ride in.

Do You Qualify

Georgia law defines a “disabled person” as someone whose mobility is significantly limited by a medical condition. A doctor or other authorized healthcare provider decides whether you meet one of the qualifying categories; you do not self-certify.¹

The statute covers four situations:

You cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, or you cannot walk without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or another person’s help.
You have severe cardiac or lung disease serious enough that your forced expiratory volume or arterial oxygen levels meet clinical thresholds restricting your mobility.
Your visual acuity is 20/200 or worse in the better eye with corrective lenses, or your field of vision is 20 degrees or less.
You rely on a wheelchair or similar mobility device.

Your provider picks the correct reason code from the list printed on the back of the MV-9D and signs the certification.

Which Placard You’ll Receive

Georgia issues three placards, and which one you get depends on your condition.

Red (Temporary)

A red placard is for a disability expected to last no more than 180 days. It expires on the date your doctor specifies as the likely end of the disability, which cannot be more than six months out. Only a licensed physician can certify a temporary disability; nurse practitioners and physician assistants cannot.²

Blue (Permanent)

A blue placard is for a disability expected to last longer than 180 days, and it is valid for four years. A wider range of providers can sign the certification: physicians, osteopaths, podiatrists, optometrists, chiropractors, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants.²

Gold (Special Permanent)

A gold placard is reserved for people who are nonambulatory, meaning they have lost the use of one or both legs and depend on crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair. It is also valid for four years. Gold placard holders can use both standard accessible spaces and the more restrictive spaces marked “nonambulatory persons only.”³

Filling Out the MV-9D

The whole application is a single form, officially titled the “Person with Disability Parking Placard/License Plate Application.” You can download it from the Georgia Department of Revenue website or pick up a paper copy at your county tag office.⁴

Your Sections

Enter your name, address, and date of birth, and check the box for the placard type you want (temporary, permanent, or special permanent). If you also want a disabled person’s license plate, you indicate that on the same form.

Your Doctor’s Section

Your healthcare provider completes Section D, entering the reason code that matches your qualifying condition and signing the certification.

The Notary Step People Miss

Section D must be notarized for new applications. A signature from your provider alone is not enough; the certification has to be sworn before a notary public, who signs the form and applies a seal. Many doctors’ offices keep a notary on staff, so ask when you schedule the visit. Banks, UPS stores, and county courthouses also handle notary work. An application that arrives without notarization gets sent back.⁴

What It Costs

The placard is free. If you’re also requesting a disabled person’s license plate, the plate is $20 plus any applicable taxes. Whatever your doctor charges for the visit is separate and depends on your provider and insurance.⁴

Where to Turn It In

Take the completed, notarized MV-9D to your local county tag office, or mail it there. Every county tag office in Georgia handles placard issuance; the Department of Driver Services does not process these applications. Addresses are listed on the Georgia Department of Revenue website.⁴

If you apply in person, some offices will issue the placard the same day. If you mail it in, the placard is mailed back to the address on the form, and how long that takes depends on the county.

Placard or Disabled License Plate

The MV-9D covers both, so it’s worth knowing the difference before you check a box. A placard hangs from the rearview mirror or sits on the dashboard and moves with you between vehicles. A disabled person’s license plate is bolted to one specific vehicle and stays with that vehicle’s registration. The plate costs $20; the placard is free. If you always drive the same car, the plate is more convenient. If you ride in more than one vehicle or carpool, the placard makes more sense. You can hold both.⁴

Renewing Your Placard

Permanent and special permanent placards expire after four years. Renewal is simpler than the original application: bring your expiring placard and a valid Georgia driver’s license or state ID to your county tag office, and they issue a new one. You do not need a fresh MV-9D, a new medical certification, or a notary.⁵

Temporary red placards cannot be renewed. If your condition lasts longer than the doctor originally expected, you start over with a new MV-9D, a new certification, and notarization. If the condition has become permanent, your provider can certify you for a blue placard on that new form.

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Placard

Fill out a new MV-9D, check the “Replacement” box, note whether the placard was lost or stolen, and write in your previous placard number. A replacement only requires Sections A, B, and F, so no new medical certification or notarization is needed. There is no fee. If the placard was stolen, filing a police report is worth doing so a misused placard doesn’t get traced back to you.⁴

Displaying and Using the Placard

Georgia law requires you to hang the placard from the rearview mirror or place it on the driver’s side of the dashboard, visible from outside the vehicle. Only display it while you’re parked in an accessible space. Take it off the mirror before driving; it obstructs your view and can draw a stop for an obstructed windshield.¹

The person the placard was issued to must be in the vehicle whenever it’s parked in an accessible space. Lending it to a friend or relative is one of the most common misuses and puts your placard at risk of confiscation. Parking in an accessible space without a valid placard, or misusing one, carries a fine of $100 to $500, and fraudulent use is charged as a misdemeanor. Your vehicle can also be towed at your expense from any accessible space marked as a tow-away zone.¹

Traveling Out of State

Your Georgia placard is honored in other states, and Georgia honors placards issued elsewhere. Specific privileges attached to a placard, such as free metered parking or extended time limits, vary by city, so check the local rules where you’re going rather than assuming they match Georgia’s.⁶

1
Justia. Georgia Code 40-6-226 – Offenses and Penalties
2
Justia. Georgia Code 40-2-74.1 – Temporary, Permanent, and Special Permanent Parking Permits for Persons With Disabilities
3
Justia. Georgia Code 40-6-225 – Parking Places for Persons With Disabilities for the Nonambulatory
4
Georgia Department of Revenue. MV-9D Disabled Persons Parking Affidavit
5
Department of Revenue. Disabled Person’s License Plates and Parking Permits
6
Justia. Georgia Code 40-6-224 – Out-of-State Handicapped or Persons With Disabilities License Plates or Permits