To get a Louisiana handicap placard, have a qualifying medical professional complete Form DPSMV 1966 (Physician’s Certification of Mobility Impairment), then bring the signed form and $7.50 to any local Office of Motor Vehicles. Permanent hang tags last four years; temporary tags last up to one year. Special license plates are available instead of, or in addition to, a hang tag.
Who Qualifies
Louisiana law recognizes six categories of mobility impairment that make you eligible for a hang tag or special plate:1Justia. Louisiana Code 47:463.4 – Special License Plates or Hang Tags for Persons With Mobility Impairments
- You cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
- You need another person’s help, or you use a walker, cane, crutches, braces, a prosthetic device, or a wheelchair.
- Your forced expiratory volume for one second (FEV1) measures below one liter on spirometry, or your arterial oxygen tension is below 60 mm/Hg at rest on room air.
- You use portable oxygen.
- Your cardiac condition is Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
- You have a diagnosed arthritic, neurological, orthopedic, or other condition that causes a severe mobility limitation.
The certification can be signed by a physician licensed in any U.S. state or territory, a licensed chiropractor, a licensed physical therapist, or an advanced practice registered nurse.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code 47:463.4 – Special License Plates or Hang Tags for Persons With Mobility Impairments You do not have to see a medical doctor if a chiropractor, physical therapist, or APRN already treats your condition.
Permanent Tag, Temporary Tag, or Plate
A permanent hang tag is for a condition from which little or no recovery can reasonably be expected. It is valid for four years before renewal.1Justia. Louisiana Code 47:463.4 – Special License Plates or Hang Tags for Persons With Mobility Impairments
A temporary tag is for a condition expected to last no more than one year, such as recovery from surgery or a serious fracture. The one-year period runs from your application date or from a later date your medical examiner specifies, whichever gives you more time.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code 47:463.4 – Special License Plates or Hang Tags for Persons With Mobility Impairments If you still need the tag when it expires, you can renew with a fresh certification.
Louisiana also issues special license plates bearing the international symbol of accessibility to people with permanent impairments. The medical process is the same.1Justia. Louisiana Code 47:463.4 – Special License Plates or Hang Tags for Persons With Mobility Impairments The practical difference is portability: a hang tag goes with you into any vehicle, while a plate stays on one. If several people drive you, the hang tag is usually the better choice.
How to Apply
Download Form DPSMV 1966 from the Louisiana OMV website, or pick one up at any OMV office.3Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Mobility Impaired Hang Tags and Plates Fill out your personal information, then take the form to your physician, chiropractor, physical therapist, or APRN. They complete the clinical portion, describe your impairment, and enter their state license number.
Bring the completed, signed form to any local OMV office and pay the $7.50 issuance fee.1Justia. Louisiana Code 47:463.4 – Special License Plates or Hang Tags for Persons With Mobility Impairments If your impairment is severe enough that you cannot visit an office in person, call your nearest OMV to arrange a remote application.3Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Mobility Impaired Hang Tags and Plates
Renewing or Replacing Your Placard
Both permanent and temporary renewals require a new medical certification, so see your provider before you go to the OMV.3Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Mobility Impaired Hang Tags and Plates Parking on an expired tag exposes you to the same fines as parking without one.
If your tag is lost, stolen, or damaged, file a sworn statement about the loss at your local OMV office and pay a $3.00 reissuance fee for a replacement.1Justia. Louisiana Code 47:463.4 – Special License Plates or Hang Tags for Persons With Mobility Impairments
Using the Placard Correctly
The hang tag belongs to you, not to a vehicle, and moves with you into any car you ride in. Hang it from the rearview mirror only while parked in a designated accessible space, and take it down before driving so it does not block your view.
Parking privileges apply only when the person the tag was issued to is actually present, either as the driver or as a passenger getting in or out of the vehicle. Letting a relative use your placard to grab a close spot while you stay home is illegal.4Justia. Louisiana Code RS 40:1742 – Parking Spaces for Certain Persons With Disabilities
Louisiana recognizes placards and plates issued by other states and countries, so visitors can use their home credentials here.4Justia. Louisiana Code RS 40:1742 – Parking Spaces for Certain Persons With Disabilities
Fines for Misuse
Fines for accessible parking violations are set by statute and cannot be reduced or suspended by a judge. Parking in an accessible space without a valid placard costs $275 for a first offense and $500 for any later offense, plus any towing and storage charges.4Justia. Louisiana Code RS 40:1742 – Parking Spaces for Certain Persons With Disabilities Parishes and municipalities with formal enforcement programs may add $25 per violation.5Justia. Louisiana Code RS 40:1742.1 – Additional Fine for Violation of Accessible Parking Regulations
Using a counterfeit or fraudulently obtained placard is a criminal offense. A first conviction brings a fine of $100 to $250, up to 30 days in jail, or both. A later conviction brings $250 to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.6FindLaw. Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit 47 463.4.3 – Counterfeit Accessible Parking Placards Those penalties stack on top of any parking fines.