Handicap parking in North Carolina is not free — a disability placard costs $5, is valid for up to five years, and comes with medical certification and display rules that decide whether you can actually use it. A disability license plate is available at the standard vehicle registration fee with no extra charge for the disability designation.
What a Placard or Plate Costs
Every placard type carries the same $5 fee, and you can hold up to two placards at once.1North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Medical Certification for Application and Renewal of Disability Parking Placard MVR-37A The three options are:
- A standard disability placard, valid five years, renewable with fresh medical certification (people 80 or older at renewal are exempt from recertification).2North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Disability Placards and Plates
- A total and permanent disability placard, also valid five years, renewable without repeating the medical certification.
- A temporary placard, valid one to six months, not renewable — if you still need one after it expires, you file a new application with new medical certification.
A disability license plate is a full-size plate showing the International Symbol of Access and is renewed annually like any other registration. There is no surcharge for the disability version.2North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Disability Placards and Plates
Replacement pricing is straightforward. A lost or stolen placard costs $5 to replace. A damaged placard is replaced free if you bring the damaged one in.1North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Medical Certification for Application and Renewal of Disability Parking Placard MVR-37A
Who Qualifies
North Carolina law requires a licensed provider to certify that the applicant has a mobility-related impairment fitting at least one of these categories:3North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 20 – Motor Vehicles – Section 20-37.5 Definitions
- Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
- Cannot walk without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic, wheelchair, or the assistance of another person.
- Uses portable oxygen when moving around.
- Has a Class III or Class IV cardiac condition under American Heart Association classification.
- Has a lung disease with a forced expiratory volume or forced vital capacity that significantly restricts mobility.
- Is legally blind, as certified by the Division of Services for the Blind.
A general disability is not enough on its own. The impairment has to affect getting from a parking space to a building entrance.
How to Apply
The application runs through the NCDMV. Use Form MVR-37A for a placard and Form MVR-37 for a disability license plate.4North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Application for Disability License Plate MVR-37 Both forms have a section your medical provider must complete and sign. Certification can come from a licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner; from a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist for visual impairments; or from an authorized representative of the Division of Services for the Blind.1North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Medical Certification for Application and Renewal of Disability Parking Placard MVR-37A A disability determination from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can be used in place of a provider’s certification.2North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Disability Placards and Plates
Take the completed form to a local License Plate Agency for same-day service, or mail it in. Mailed applications typically take three to four weeks.
What the Placard Lets You Do
A vehicle displaying a valid disability placard or plate can use any space marked with the International Symbol of Access. The placard also grants unlimited time in zones with normal parking-time restrictions, so a posted two-hour meter does not bind you.1North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Medical Certification for Application and Renewal of Disability Parking Placard MVR-37A
Display the placard so it is visible — hung from the rearview mirror or laid on the dashboard when parked. The person the placard was issued to must be either driving or riding as a passenger. You cannot leave your placard in a car that someone else drives to the store without you.5North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 20 – Motor Vehicles – Section 20-37.6 Parking Privileges for Handicapped Drivers and Passengers
The striped access aisles next to disability spaces are treated the same as the spaces themselves. Every restriction and penalty that applies to the space applies to the aisle.
Out-of-State Placards
North Carolina honors valid disability placards and plates issued by other states and countries, so visitors can use accessible spaces here.6North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 20 – Motor Vehicles – Section 20-37.6A Parking Privileges for Out-of-State Handicapped Drivers and Passengers Other states likewise recognize North Carolina placards, so yours travels with you.2North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Disability Placards and Plates
Penalties for Misuse
Parking in a disability space or its access aisle without authorization is an infraction, not a misdemeanor, and carries a fine of $100 to $250. Law enforcement can also order the vehicle towed.2North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Disability Placards and Plates
Fraud is treated more seriously. Selling a placard is a Class 2 misdemeanor.5North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 20 – Motor Vehicles – Section 20-37.6 Parking Privileges for Handicapped Drivers and Passengers When a placard holder dies, the placard must be returned to the NCDMV within 30 days, and knowingly displaying a deceased person’s placard is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Using someone else’s placard when you do not qualify falls under the $100 to $250 infraction, and where prima facie evidence identifies the registered vehicle owner as the violator, that owner bears the legal responsibility.
State, county, and municipal authorities all enforce these rules within their jurisdictions.