MN Handicap Parking Permit: Qualifications, Display, and Misuse

A Minnesota handicap parking permit — officially called a disability parking certificate — is issued free by the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) for permanent conditions. To get one, a licensed health professional certifies on the state application that you have a qualifying mobility-limiting condition, and you submit the form at a deputy registrar office or by mail. The certificate gives you access to designated disability spaces, free metered parking without time limits at most non-restricted meters, and exemptions from certain posted time limits statewide.¹

Who Qualifies

Minnesota Statute 169.345 lists the qualifying conditions. You only need to meet one:

You can’t walk 200 feet without stopping to rest because of a disability.
Walking is dangerous because of a significant risk of falling.
You need a walker, cane, crutches, braces, a prosthetic device, a wheelchair, or another person’s help to walk.
You have a respiratory disease that meets the statutory thresholds (measured by spirometry or arterial oxygen), or you use portable oxygen.
You have a cardiac condition classified as Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
You’ve lost an arm or a leg and either don’t have or can’t use a prosthetic.
Walking 200 feet under normal conditions would aggravate your disability to a life-threatening degree.
You are legally blind.

Pregnant individuals who experience any of these conditions also qualify for the duration of the condition.¹

Which Type of Certificate You Get

Minnesota issues five color-coded certificates. Which one you receive depends on how long your health professional expects the disability to last.

Six-year certificate (blue and white): for permanent disabilities. Valid six full years.
Long-term certificate (blue and white): for conditions expected to last more than a year but that may improve. Valid 13 to 71 months.
Short-term certificate: for conditions lasting more than six months but not longer than a year. Valid 7 to 12 months.
Temporary certificate (red and white): for surgery, injury, or short-duration recovery. Valid up to six months.
Organization certificate (green and white): for organizations that regularly transport people with disabilities. Valid three years, renewable.¹

When you submit your application, DVS issues a temporary 30-day permit on the spot so you can start using disability parking while the certificate is processed.¹

How to Apply

The application is a multi-page form on the DVS website. You fill out the personal information section — name, address, date of birth. A licensed health professional then completes the medical certification section, entering the diagnosis and marking which qualifying condition from the statute applies.

The statute defines “health professional” as a licensed physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, physical therapist, or chiropractor.¹ Their signature is what authorizes the certificate; a form submitted without it will be rejected.

Submit the completed form in person at any deputy registrar motor vehicle office, or mail it to DVS in St. Paul. In-person submissions are faster. Mailed applications take longer and will be returned if the fee is incorrect.²

Fees

Six-year certificates and long-term certificates are free. Temporary, short-term, and organization certificates each cost $5.³ Replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged temporary, short-term, or organization certificate also costs $5. DVS limits replacements to three duplicates within any six-year period; beyond that, you need approval from the Minnesota Council on Disability.¹

Disability License Plates as an Alternative

If your disability is permanent and you’d rather not hang a placard each time, Minnesota also issues disability license plates. They stay on the vehicle and grant the same parking privileges as a certificate. You must own the vehicle (or be its primary operator if a business owns it), be the custodial parent or guardian of a permanently disabled minor, or own a commercial rental vehicle modified exclusively for disabled use.²

The plate fee is $15.50 ($13.50 for motorcycles), and transferring plates to another vehicle you own costs $5. A second set for a different vehicle requires a questionnaire from the Minnesota Council on Disability. Motorcycles and mopeds as a second vehicle are approved automatically without the questionnaire.²

What the Permit Lets You Do

A vehicle displaying the certificate can park:

In any designated disability parking space.
At non-restricted metered spaces, without paying the meter and without any time limit, unless a sign specifically says otherwise.
In non-metered, time-limited passenger spaces, past the posted time restriction, unless otherwise posted.⁴

The certificate does not let you park in no-parking zones, spaces reserved for a specific purpose (like loading zones), fire lanes, or areas where parking is prohibited during rush hours to keep traffic moving.⁴ Some cities run their own long-term disability parking permit programs; in those cities, metered spaces designated for disability parking may have a four-hour maximum during enforcement hours.⁵

How to Display It

When parked in a designated space, the certificate must be visible from both the front and rear of the vehicle. Hang it from the rearview mirror. If your vehicle has no rearview mirror, or your disability prevents you from reaching it, place the certificate on the dashboard instead. Nothing can cover any part of it.¹

Take the certificate down before driving. Minnesota law treats a placard hanging from the mirror while the vehicle is moving as an obstruction to the driver’s view.⁶

Who Can Use It

Only the person with the disability benefits. Someone else can drive and park in a designated space, but only if they’re actually transporting you and the space is within a reasonable distance of your drop-off point.¹ A family member or caregiver cannot use your certificate to grab a good spot while running their own errands, even if you said it was fine.

Penalties for Misuse

Parking in a designated space without a valid certificate, plates, or permit is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of $100 to $200. Officers can ticket vehicles on both public and private property, including shopping center lots.⁵

Lending your certificate to someone who isn’t eligible costs you more than a fine: you lose your disability parking privileges for 12 months from the date of the violation.⁵

One defense worth knowing: if you were cited because your certificate had expired, you can avoid conviction by producing a current certificate in court, surrendering the expired one, and showing you were entitled to the certificate at the time of the ticket. This defense doesn’t apply if the certificate had been expired for more than 90 days.⁵

Renewal and Replacement

As your certificate nears expiration, submit a new application. A standard renewal doesn’t require a health professional’s signature, but DVS may randomly select your renewal for re-certification, in which case you’ll need the medical section filled out again.

If your health professional extends the duration of your disability beyond the original certificate period, you can get a new certificate at no charge. The provider signs the medical section and notes clearly that the form is an extension of a previously certified disability.⁴

To replace a lost or stolen certificate, you only complete the personal information section — no medical signature required. If it was stolen, DVS may ask for a copy of the police report. If it was lost, they may ask what steps you’ve taken to prevent losing the next one.⁴

Traveling With Your Permit

Your Minnesota certificate will generally be honored in other states, though local metered parking benefits and time-limit exemptions vary. Check the local rules before assuming everything works the same way.

Visitors coming to Minnesota can use their home state’s disability parking certificate here. If you’re temporarily residing in Minnesota and need a local certificate, you can apply for a temporary certificate valid for up to six months.⁴

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 169.345 – Parking Privilege for Physically Disabled
2
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Disability License Plates
3
Minnesota Council on Disability. Disability Parking
4
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Application for Disability Parking Certificate
5
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 169.346 – Disability Parking Violations
6
Minnesota State Council on Disability. Disability Parking Important Information on Using Disability Parking Certificates and Disability License Plates in Minnesota