To get an Indiana handicap placard, you have a licensed healthcare provider certify a qualifying condition on State Form 42070 and submit the completed application to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Permanent placards are free and do not expire on a set schedule. Temporary placards cost $5 and last up to one year. The program is governed by Indiana Code 9-18.5-8.
Who Qualifies
Indiana does not require a visible mobility problem. You may qualify if a licensed provider certifies one of the following:
- A physical disability that requires a wheelchair, walker, braces, or crutches.
- Loss of use of one or both legs.
- A lung or heart condition, arthritis, or an orthopedic or neurological impairment that seriously limits mobility.
- Blindness or visual impairment, certified by an Indiana-licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Disability Parking Placards and Plates
Many qualifying conditions are invisible from the outside. Chronic pain, heart disease, neurological disorders, and severe lung conditions all count. A valid displayed placard entitles you to use an accessible space regardless of how you look walking into a store.
Who Can Sign the Medical Certification
For mobility-related conditions, the certifier can be a physician with an unlimited license to practice medicine, a commissioned medical officer of the U.S. armed forces or Public Health Service, a medical officer of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a licensed chiropractor, or a licensed podiatrist. For blindness or visual impairment, only a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist can certify.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 9, Article 18.5, Chapter 8, Section 9-18.5-8-5
The Three Types of Placards
Permanent
Issued for a disability that is not expected to improve. There is no fee, and the placard does not expire on a schedule. It stays valid until a healthcare provider notifies the BMV’s Registrations Department in Indianapolis that the disability is no longer permanent, at which point the BMV deactivates it.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Disability Parking Placards and Plates
Temporary
For a disability expected to improve, such as recovery from surgery or a broken leg. The fee is $5. The placard expires on the earlier of two dates: the end date your provider writes on the application, or one year from the date the BMV issues it. The provider must include an expected end date on the certification.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 9, Article 18.5, Chapter 8, Section 9-18.5-8-5
Company
Businesses and organizations authorized by the state or a local government to operate programs or facilities for people with disabilities, including entities that transport people with disabilities, can obtain a company placard. Corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and associations all qualify. There is no fee. A company placard expires on January 1 of the fourth year after the year of issue, and it becomes invalid immediately if the organization ceases operations.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Disability Parking Placards and Plates
How to Apply
You apply on State Form 42070, “Application for Disability License Plate or Parking Placard.” Download it from the BMV website or pick one up at any BMV branch. Use the current version; the BMV will not accept prior versions.3Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Application for Disability License Plate or Parking Placard State Form 42070
You complete the personal information section. Your healthcare provider fills in and signs the medical certification section, confirming which qualifying condition applies. For a temporary placard, the provider also enters an expected end date.
Submit the completed form in person at any BMV branch, or mail it to the address on the application. The BMV posts a mail-in checklist with step-by-step instructions and a list of everything to include. There is no online submission option.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Disability Parking Placards and Plates
Fees: permanent placards free, company placards free, temporary placards $5.4IN.gov. BMV Fee Chart
Displaying and Using the Placard
When you park in an accessible space, hang the placard from the rearview mirror with the expiration date and identification number facing forward, visible from outside the vehicle. Take it down before you drive. It can obstruct your view and is not meant to be displayed in motion.
The placard belongs to the individual, not the vehicle. It grants parking privileges only when the person it was issued to is either driving the vehicle or riding in it. Lending the placard to someone else who is parking without you is a violation of Indiana law, as is using a deceased person’s placard or one that has been reported lost or stolen.
Traveling to Other States
Federal regulations require every state to recognize disability parking placards and plates issued by other states, so your Indiana placard is valid throughout the United States.5eCFR. Part 1235 Uniform System for Parking for Persons with Disabilities Local parking rules differ, though. Some cities give free metered parking to placard holders and some do not, and time limits on accessible spaces vary. Check the rules at your destination before you rely on an exemption.
Replacing a Lost or Stolen Placard
Use the same State Form 42070 and check the box for a duplicate. There is no fee to replace a permanent placard. Replacing a temporary placard costs $5, the same as the original.3Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Application for Disability License Plate or Parking Placard State Form 42070 If the placard was stolen, filing a police report is a good idea even where the BMV does not require it. The report creates a record if someone uses the stolen placard fraudulently and helps law enforcement flag the old number.
Penalties for Misuse
Parking in an accessible space without a valid disability placard or plate is a Class C infraction. The minimum civil judgment is $100, and a judge can set it higher.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 5, Section 5-16-9-5
Fraudulently claiming to qualify for a placard or plate is addressed separately in Indiana Code 9-18.5-8-3 and is treated more seriously than a parking ticket. If a placard is revoked for misuse, the parking privilege is lost entirely, and getting one later can be difficult even if a legitimate qualifying condition develops.
Disability License Plates as an Alternative
Indiana also issues disability license plates, and the eligibility rules track those for a permanent placard: the condition must be permanent, not temporary. The plate itself signals the parking privilege, so nothing has to be hung on the mirror. You can hold both a permanent placard and a disability plate, which helps if you sometimes ride in other people’s vehicles and want the portable option available.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Disability Parking Placards and Plates
Disability plates can go on passenger vehicles, trucks with a declared gross weight under 11,000 pounds, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles. Someone who regularly transports a person with a qualifying disability can also obtain a disability plate for that vehicle, even if the registered owner is not the disabled individual. The application is the same State Form 42070.