A Michigan handicap placard is a free disability parking permit issued by the Secretary of State to residents whose mobility is significantly limited by a qualifying medical condition certified by a licensed healthcare provider. The state issues three types, color-coded by duration and use: a blue permanent placard good for four years, a red temporary placard good for up to six months, and a green organizational placard for groups that transport people with disabilities.
Who Qualifies
You need at least one qualifying condition, and a Michigan-licensed physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or physical therapist must certify it on your application. The qualifying conditions are:1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.675
- You cannot walk more than 200 feet without stopping to rest.
- You cannot use one or both legs or feet and need a wheelchair, walker, crutch, brace, prosthetic, or similar device.
- You have lung disease with a forced expiratory volume in one second under one liter by spirometry, or an arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm/Hg at rest on room air.
- You have a cardiovascular condition rated class 3 or 4 on the New York Heart Association scale, or you cannot meet the minimum cardiovascular standard set by the American Heart Association and approved by Michigan’s department of public health.
- You use portable oxygen.
- You have been determined legally blind by an optometrist, physician, or physician assistant.
The provider signing the form attests to both the nature of the condition and how long it is expected to last, which determines which placard you get.
The Three Placard Types
Blue Placard
The blue placard is the permanent version, issued for conditions that are long-term or lifelong. It is valid for up to four years and can be renewed. It is also the only placard eligible for the yellow free parking sticker described below.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.675
Red Placard
The red placard covers short-term disabilities like recovery from surgery or a broken bone. It is valid for up to six months and cannot be renewed. If your condition lasts longer than expected, you have to submit a new application with fresh medical certification rather than extend the one you have.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.675
Green Placard
The green placard is for organizations that transport people with disabilities. Organizations apply on Form BFS-109, are limited to one placard per vehicle used to transport clients, and must attach a written justification if requesting more than 20. Green placards expire every four years, and an organization that stops providing transportation must return the placards to the Secretary of State for cancellation.2State of Michigan. BFS-109 Organization Disability Parking Placard Application
Disability License Plates
Michigan also offers disability license plates for passenger vehicles, pickups, vans, and motor homes owned or leased by someone with a permanent ambulatory disability, or by someone living in the same household. Plates are renewed annually on the owner’s birthday. Most carry an embossed wheelchair symbol; some specialty plates use a red disability emblem instead. Plates alone do not include free metered parking, which requires the blue placard with the yellow sticker.3State of Michigan. Disability Parking
How to Apply
Individuals apply through the Secretary of State on Form BFS-108. The steps are straightforward:
- Download Form BFS-108 from the Secretary of State’s website, or pick one up at any branch office.
- Complete your section with your name, address, and driver’s license or state ID number.
- Have your physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or physical therapist fill out the medical certification, confirming your qualifying condition and its expected duration.
- Turn the completed form in at any Secretary of State branch office, or mail it in.
Your first placard is issued at no charge. If you mail your application, allow for processing and delivery time.4State of Michigan. Disability Parking Placard
Fees, Renewals, and Replacements
The state keeps costs low. First-time issuance is free. Renewals are free. A damaged placard is replaced free. The only fee is $10 to replace a lost or stolen placard, plus a card processing fee if you pay online.4State of Michigan. Disability Parking Placard
Permanent blue placards renew every four years. The Secretary of State sends a notice before yours expires, and you complete a new application. Updated medical certification may be required depending on the circumstances.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.675
Red placards do not renew. If you still need one after six months, you submit a fresh BFS-108 with a current medical statement. To replace a lost, stolen, or damaged placard, submit a new BFS-108 with proof of identity.
How to Use the Placard
The placard belongs to you, not to a vehicle. You can use it in any car you are riding in. Hang it from the rearview mirror only while the vehicle is parked, and remove it while driving.
Someone else may use your placard only when they are actually transporting you. A family member driving your car with your placard on the mirror while you stay home is committing a misdemeanor. The same is true of using a placard issued to a deceased relative, loaning yours to a friend, or continuing to use one after your qualifying condition has resolved.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.675
Your Michigan placard should be honored in other states, though local rules about metered parking and time limits vary. Canadian provinces also recognize U.S. disability parking permits when displayed visibly and paired with local bylaws. Recognition in European countries is less consistent, and checking with local authorities before you travel is worthwhile.
Free Metered Parking Sticker
A separate yellow sticker attaches to a permanent blue placard and lets you park for free at public meters and ramps. Eligibility is stricter than for the placard itself. You must hold a valid Michigan driver’s license, have a permanent blue placard, and meet at least one of the following:3State of Michigan. Disability Parking
- You cannot insert coins or tokens into a meter or take a ticket from a parking machine because you lack fine motor control of both hands.
- You cannot reach above your head to a height of 42 inches from the ground because of limited finger, hand, or upper extremity strength or mobility.
- You cannot approach a meter because you use a wheelchair or other ambulatory device.
- You cannot walk more than 20 feet because of an orthopedic, cardiovascular, or lung condition so severe that it almost completely prevents walking.
Disability plates by themselves do not include this benefit. You need the blue placard with the yellow sticker.
Penalties for Misuse
Michigan enforces placard rules through both civil and criminal penalties.
Parking in a disability space without a valid placard or plate is a civil infraction. The mandatory fine runs $100 to $250, plus up to $100 in court costs and a $40 assessment.5Michigan Courts. Civil Infraction Fines, Costs, and Assessments Table
More serious violations are misdemeanors punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both. These include making a false statement on the medical certification, forging or altering a placard, and using a placard to park in a disability space when you are not transporting the person it was issued to.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.675
The Secretary of State lists the conduct that most often triggers enforcement:3State of Michigan. Disability Parking
- Loaning your placard to someone else.
- Knowingly using a placard that has been canceled or replaced.
- Using a placard when the disability no longer exists.
- Using the placard or plate of a deceased family member.
- Copying, altering, or forging a placard.
A law enforcement officer who observes misuse can confiscate the placard on the spot, and a judge can order confiscation at sentencing. Once confiscated, the Secretary of State cancels and destroys it, and you cannot get a new one without submitting a fresh application with current medical certification. The Secretary of State can also independently cancel, revoke, or suspend a placard that was fraudulently issued, is being used unlawfully, or belongs to someone no longer eligible, including on notice of misuse from another state or country.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.675