How to Get a Temporary Handicap Placard in Maryland

To get a temporary handicap placard in Maryland, have a licensed medical provider certify your mobility limitation on MDOT MVA Form VR-210, then submit the form to the Motor Vehicle Administration online, by mail, or in person. The red placard is free, valid for one to six months based on your provider’s estimate of your recovery, and available the same day if you apply in person at a full-service MVA office.

Who Qualifies

A temporary placard is for a mobility disability your provider expects to improve. Maryland uses the same medical standards as for permanent placards, with the certifying provider marking the condition as temporary. Under Maryland Transportation Code Section 13-616, you qualify if any of the following apply:1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 13-616 – Special Disability Registration

  • 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.
  • Your forced expiratory volume (FEV1) is less than one liter, or your arterial oxygen tension is below 60 mm/Hg at rest on room air.
  • Your cardiovascular condition is classified as Class III or Class IV under standards accepted by the American Heart Association.

Common qualifying situations include recovery from knee or hip replacement, foot surgery, serious fractures, and complications during late-stage pregnancy. If your provider expects the impairment to last beyond six months or to be permanent, you’d apply for a blue permanent placard instead.

Which Providers Can Sign the Form

You don’t have to see your primary care doctor for the certification. Maryland accepts it from a physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, chiropractor, optometrist, podiatrist, or physical therapist.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 13-616 – Special Disability Registration The podiatrist treating your foot surgery or the physical therapist running your rehab can complete the medical portion directly.

How to Submit Form VR-210

The application is MDOT MVA Form VR-210. You complete Section A with your personal information, and your provider completes Section C, including how long the temporary disability is expected to last (up to six months).2Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Application for Maryland Parking Placards/License Plates

You have four ways to submit it:3Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Disability Parking

  • Online. Your physician submits their certification through the MVA’s online portal, and you complete your section online. No paper.
  • Electronic upload. Complete the paper VR-210 with your provider, then upload it through MDOT MVA’s online services.
  • Mail. Send the completed form to the MVA Disability Unit, Room 202, 6601 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21062.
  • In person. Visit any full-service MVA office except Oakland by appointment to receive your placard the same day. The MVA will also accept a fax of the certified form if it comes directly from your provider’s office to the MVA location.

There is no fee for a temporary placard.4Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Motorists With Disabilities Your only out-of-pocket cost is whatever your provider charges for the visit to complete the certification.

How Long It Lasts and How to Extend It

The red temporary placard is valid for the period your provider recommends, up to six months. If your recovery takes longer, you can apply for one additional six-month extension, but your provider must submit a new certification confirming the disability continues.2Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Application for Maryland Parking Placards/License Plates That means resubmitting Form VR-210 with an updated Section C. If the condition turns out to be permanent, your provider makes that determination and you apply for the blue permanent placard, which remains valid until the holder’s death.

Rules for Using the Placard

Hang the placard from your inside rearview mirror when parked in a designated disability space, and remove it before driving. Maryland law prohibits driving with a placard hanging from the mirror because it blocks your view.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 13-616.1 – Parking Permit for a Person With a Disability

The placard belongs to you, not to your vehicle. It can be used only when you are driving or riding as a passenger. Lending it to a family member running an errand on your behalf is illegal.

Within Maryland, placard holders are exempt from paying parking meter fees at meters that don’t meet ADA accessibility requirements. At accessible meters, you can park for up to twice the posted maximum, though the total cannot exceed four hours.4Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Motorists With Disabilities These exemptions apply only in Maryland; Washington, D.C., and neighboring states set their own meter rules.

Penalties for Misuse

Fraud or misrepresentation in applying for or using a disability parking placard carries a fine of up to $500, and the MVA can revoke the placard entirely.4Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Motorists With Disabilities That covers using someone else’s placard, falsifying medical information, and continuing to use an expired temporary placard.

Parking violations in accessible spaces carry their own fines under the state traffic fine schedule: $140 for parking in a disability space without a valid placard or plates, $58 for blocking a curb ramp, and $70 for parking in or in front of a designated passenger loading zone.6Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule The fines are prepayable, but enforcement investigators also check whether the placard holder is actually in the vehicle.