To apply for a Kansas handicap placard, fill out Form TR-159, have a licensed healthcare provider certify your qualifying condition on the lower half, and submit the completed form to your County Treasurer’s motor vehicle office. There is no fee for the placard itself. You can turn the form in three ways: in person, by mail, or by email.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Disabled Parking Certificate The same form covers a placard, a disabled license plate, or a wheelchair emblem decal, and the same form is used to request a replacement.
Who Qualifies
Kansas law recognizes several mobility-related conditions for parking purposes, and your healthcare provider will check the one that applies. The qualifying categories on TR-159 track K.S.A. 8-1,125:
- You cannot walk 100 feet without stopping to rest.
- You need a brace, cane, crutch, or prosthetic device to walk.
- A severe lung condition restricts your forced expiratory volume to less than one liter per second.
- You have heart disease classified as functional Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
- You are legally blind as defined by Kansas law.
- You have permanent loss of use of one or both legs or feet.
- You have another condition that substantially limits mobility in a comparable way, as certified by the provider.2Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-1,125 – License Plates, Placards, Wheelchair Emblem Decals and Individual Identification Cards for Persons With Disability
A Kansas driver’s license is not required. Any Kansas resident who meets one of these conditions qualifies, and so does an organization or agency that regularly transports people who do.
Completing the Applicant Section
Download Form TR-159 from the Kansas Department of Revenue website or pick up a copy at your County Treasurer’s motor vehicle office.3Kansas Department of Revenue. Application for Disabled Placard, Plate, Decal The top portion is yours to complete:
- Full legal name of the disabled individual, or the business name if an organization is applying.
- A physical street address and, if different, a mailing address. If you submit by mail, the placard will be sent to the mailing address you list.
- Date of birth and sex (individual applicants only).
- A phone number so the County Treasurer’s office can reach you if anything is missing.
Under your personal details, check which item you want: a disabled identification placard, a disabled license plate, or a wheelchair emblem decal for an existing plate. Most individuals choose the placard because it transfers between vehicles. If you want the disabled license plate, add your current plate number and plate type.
Sign and date the form when your section is done. If an organization is applying on behalf of the people it transports, an authorized representative signs the separate business certification area at the bottom.
Medical Certification
Your healthcare provider fills out the lower half. Kansas accepts certification from a wider range of professionals than many people expect: an MD, DO, DC, DPM, licensed optometrist, licensed physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or a Christian Science practitioner listed in The Christian Science Journal.
The provider checks the qualifying condition, marks whether the disability is permanent or temporary, and, if temporary, writes the start and end dates. Six months is the maximum duration for a temporary placard. The provider also prints their name, signs, dates, and includes their medical title, phone number, and office address. By signing, they acknowledge that falsely certifying a disability is a Class C misdemeanor under K.S.A. 8-1,130.4Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-1,130 – Falsely Obtaining Accessible Parking Identification, Penalties Without a valid signature from one of the listed professionals, the County Treasurer’s office will reject the application.
Submitting the Form
Bring or send the completed TR-159 to the County Treasurer’s motor vehicle office in the county where you live. You have three options: in person, by mail, or by email. In-person visits are the fastest route, and many county offices can hand you the placard on the spot. If you mail or email the form, the placard will come back to you by mail.
There is no fee for a placard, whether permanent or temporary. If you apply for a disabled license plate instead, a 50-cent reflective plate fee applies when the plate is issued, and standard registration fees and personal property taxes still apply to the vehicle.
Approval for a permanent disability gets you a blue placard and an individual identification card. Keep the ID card. You will need its number for future replacements and renewals. Temporary placards are typically red and expire on the date the provider wrote, up to six months out.
Replacing a Lost or Damaged Placard
If your placard is lost, stolen, or damaged, use the same TR-159 and check the replacement box. You will need the ID card number from the identification card issued with your original placard. A replacement does not require a new medical certification. Submit it to your County Treasurer’s office the same way as a new application.
Renewing a Permanent Placard
Permanent blue placards and disabled license plates must be renewed every five years. Renewal uses a different form, TR-159A (the Kansas Disabled Parking Certificate), not the original TR-159. Kansas no longer requires a doctor’s statement to renew. Fill in your personal information on TR-159A and submit it to your County Treasurer’s office in person, by mail, or by email. There is no renewal fee for a placard.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Disabled Parking Certificate
Displaying the Placard and Avoiding Misuse
Hang the placard from your rearview mirror when you park in an accessible space so the permit number and expiration date face outward through the windshield. Remove it before you drive. Kansas law specifically prohibits the placard from hanging while the vehicle is in motion. Stow it in the glove box, console, or above the visor until you park again.
Misuse carries real penalties. Falsely obtaining a placard, whether by the applicant or the certifying provider, is a Class C misdemeanor. Using an expired or revoked placard is an unclassified misdemeanor with a fine between $100 and $300. Using someone else’s placard carries the same $100 to $300 fine unless you are actively transporting the person it was issued for. A family member’s placard is not a general household parking pass; you may use it only when the disabled person is in the vehicle or when you are on your way to pick them up.5Kansas Statutes. Kansas Code 8-1,130a – Falsely Obtaining Accessible Parking Identification, Penalties