Maryland Handicap Parking Laws: Permits, Rules, and Penalties

A Maryland handicap parking permit is free, requires a healthcare provider’s certification on Form VR-210, and comes as either a permanent blue placard that lasts for the holder’s lifetime or a temporary red placard for short-term conditions. You can also choose disability license plates instead of, or in addition to, a placard.

Who Qualifies

Maryland Transportation Code § 13-616 lists nine qualifying disabilities. A licensed healthcare provider must certify that you meet at least one:

Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
Cannot walk without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, or another person’s help.
Require a wheelchair for mobility.
Have lost, or lost the use of, a foot, leg, hand, or arm.
Have Class III or Class IV cardiovascular disease under American Heart Association standards.
Have forced expiratory volume under one liter per second, or arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm/Hg at rest.
Have central visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the better eye with corrective lenses, or a visual field no wider than 20 degrees.
Have any other permanent condition that so severely limits walking that denying parking privileges would cause hardship or risk of injury.

Certifying providers include licensed physicians, physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners, chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, and physical therapists.¹

Skipping the Doctor’s Signature

If your qualifying disability is the loss of a hand, arm, foot, or leg, you can self-certify. Bring valid identification to any full-service MVA office and the MVA will record the disability code without a healthcare provider’s signature.²

How to Apply

The application is Form VR-210, available on the MVA website or at any full-service MVA office. It has three sections: Section A for your personal information, Section B if you want disability license plates, and Section C for your healthcare provider to certify your condition.³

A placard costs nothing. Disability license plates carry a $40 substitute/replacement tag fee, plus your standard registration fees going forward. Submit the completed form by mail or in person at a full-service MVA office.³

Choosing Between a Placard and Plates

Permanent Blue Placard

The blue placard hangs from your rearview mirror or sits on the dashboard when you park in a designated space. It moves with you between vehicles. It has no expiration date and requires no renewal or re-certification; it remains valid for the holder’s lifetime.⁴ The MVA can still review eligibility and revoke a placard if the holder no longer qualifies.⁵

Temporary Red Placard

Red placards cover short-term disabilities like surgical recovery or a serious injury. Your healthcare provider recommends the duration, which can run from one to six months. If you need more time, you can apply for a single extension of up to six additional months with a new certification.³

Disability License Plates

Plates display the international wheelchair symbol and are only available for vehicles titled in the name of the person with the disability. The application is the same VR-210 form.³

Disabled Veteran Plates

Veterans with a VA-rated service-connected disability follow a separate track. Those rated at 100% get free registration on all plate types, and one set of their disability plates per licensed driver can carry the wheelchair symbol; a veteran with more than one vehicle can pick one set of disability plates plus one placard, or two placards. Veterans rated 50% to 99% get free plates, but standard registration fees and surcharges still apply, and the plates read “Disabled Veteran” without the wheelchair symbol. Only 100%-rated plates work the same as standard disability plates for parking purposes.⁶

Rules for Using Your Permit

The Disabled Person Has to Be in the Car

You cannot use a family member’s placard to park closer when that person is not with you. Maryland law limits placard parking privileges to a driver who is disabled, or a driver accompanied by a dependent or someone who depends on the driver for transportation and meets the disability criteria.⁵

Parking Meters

Maryland placard and plate holders are exempt from parking meter fees. You can park at a metered space for up to twice the posted time limit, but no longer than four hours.

Out-of-State Visitors

All states must recognize disability placards and plates issued by other states for the purpose of reserved parking spaces, so an out-of-state placard will let you park in any disability-designated space in Maryland. The MVA notes, however, that out-of-state placard holders may not be entitled to free metered parking here.²

Penalties for Misuse

Under the Maryland traffic fine schedule effective October 2025:

Fraud or misrepresentation in certifying a disability, applying for, or using a placard: $140 fine under § 13-616.1(h)(1).
Using a placard without being disabled or accompanied by the disabled person: $140 fine under § 13-616.1(h)(2).
Parking in a disability space without a valid placard or plate: $140 fine under § 21-1006(b).
Unauthorized parking in a space restricted for disabled individuals: $58 fine under § 21-1003(u).
Blocking a curb ramp designed for individuals with disabilities: $58 fine under § 21-1003(dd).
Parking in a disability passenger loading zone: $70 fine under § 21-1003(ee).

The MVA can also revoke a placard obtained by misrepresentation or held by someone who no longer qualifies.⁵ Local jurisdictions may tow.

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Placard

Report the loss or theft to your local law enforcement agency and get a police report number. Then complete a new VR-210, include the report number and the jurisdiction that took the report, and submit it in person at a full-service MVA office or by mail to the MVA Disability Unit in Glen Burnie. Replacement disability plates carry a $20 fee.²

If Your Application Is Denied

You can challenge a denial. Maryland’s Administrative Procedure Act governs contested cases with state agencies, and you generally must exhaust any administrative hearing options first. At a hearing, you can present additional medical evidence, updated documentation from your provider, or testimony supporting your eligibility. If the MVA issues a final decision against you, you have 30 days from receiving it to file a petition for judicial review with the circuit court.⁷ A court appeal is more involved and typically benefits from legal representation.

1
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 13-616 – Special Registration for Vehicles Used by Persons With Disabilities
2
Maryland Department of Transportation. Maryland Motorists With Disabilities
3
Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Application for Parking Placards/License Plates (VR-210)
4
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 13-616.1 – Parking Placards
5
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 13-616.1 – Parking Placards
6
Maryland Department of Transportation. Military Related Plates
7
Maryland Courts. Administrative Appeals