Pennsylvania Handicap Placard: Eligibility, Application, and Renewal

A Pennsylvania handicap placard, officially called a persons with disability parking placard, is issued for free by PennDOT to anyone whose mobility is limited by a qualifying condition under state law. You apply using Form MV-145A, get a licensed healthcare provider to certify your condition, and submit the form by mail or in person. Most permanent placards arrive within a few weeks and are valid for five years.

Who Qualifies

Pennsylvania law, at 75 Pa.C.S. § 1338, sets out specific physical conditions that make a person eligible.¹ You qualify if any one of these applies to you:

You are legally blind.
You do not have full use of one or both arms.
You cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
You cannot walk without a brace, cane, crutch, wheelchair, prosthetic device, or help from another person.
You have lung disease with a forced expiratory volume under one liter per second on spirometry, or arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm/Hg on room air at rest.
You use portable oxygen.
You have a Class III or Class IV cardiac condition under the American Heart Association classification.
A severe orthopedic, arthritic, or neurological condition severely limits your ability to walk.

You don’t have to be the person with the disability to apply. A parent, foster parent, adoptive parent, legal guardian, or spouse of someone who meets the criteria can apply and use the placard when transporting that person.¹

Who Can Certify Your Condition

A licensed healthcare provider must sign the medical section of your application. Pennsylvania accepts certification from a physician, chiropractor, optometrist, podiatrist, physician assistant, or certified registered nurse practitioner licensed in Pennsylvania or a neighboring state. Law enforcement officers and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office administrators can certify in certain situations.²

Veterans Rated 100% Service-Connected

Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can receive a severely disabled veteran parking placard by self-certifying. Instead of a provider signature, you submit a legible copy of your Letter of Promulgation, Awards Letter, Single Notification Letter, or Summary of Benefits Letter showing the 100% rating.² Veterans rated below 100% can still apply for a standard placard if they meet one of the qualifying conditions, but they go through the normal process with a healthcare provider’s certification.

Types of Placards

PennDOT issues permanent and temporary placards for individuals, plus a separate organizational placard for facilities that transport people with disabilities.

A permanent placard is for long-term or lifelong impairments. It’s not tied to a specific car, so you can move it between your vehicle, a family member’s, or a ride service. It’s valid for five years, and PennDOT mails a renewal notice about 60 days before expiration.² Store it out of direct sunlight when not in use; heat can warp the plastic.

A temporary placard covers short-term conditions like recovery from surgery or a broken bone. It’s valid for up to six months and cannot be renewed or extended. If you still need accessible parking after it expires, you have to submit a brand-new MV-145A with fresh medical certification.³ Using a temporary placard past its expiration date can result in a fine.

Placard or Disability Plate

Pennsylvania also issues disability registration plates, which attach permanently to one vehicle. The same qualifying conditions apply, and you use the same MV-145A form.¹ A plate stays on one car; a placard travels with the person. Plates carry a $14 registration fee, with an additional $68 for a personalized version.⁴ You can hold both, but each requires its own application. If someone else drives your plated vehicle without you in it, they cannot use accessible parking privileges.⁵

How to Apply

Every application uses Form MV-145A, the Persons with Disability Parking Placard Application. You fill in your name, address, date of birth, and driver’s license or photo ID number. Your healthcare provider completes the medical certification section.²

You have two ways to submit:

By mail to PennDOT Bureau of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 68268, Harrisburg, PA 17106-8268. Placards typically arrive within a few weeks.
In person at PennDOT’s Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg. You’ll leave with a permanent placard and a temporary ID card the same day.

There’s no fee for the placard itself.⁴ Your only likely cost is the office visit for the medical certification. Missing signatures or blank sections will delay or defeat the application, so review the whole form before you send it.

Displaying and Using It Correctly

Hang the placard from your rearview mirror only when the vehicle is parked in an accessible space. If the vehicle has no rearview mirror or the placard can’t hang from it, place it on the dashboard so it’s visible from front and rear. Take it down before you drive. A dangling placard blocks your view and can prompt a traffic stop.⁶

The placard may be used only when the person it was issued to is actually being transported in the vehicle. Parking in an accessible space while the placard holder is elsewhere is a violation, even for a quick errand. That’s the most common form of misuse, and parking enforcement recognizes it.

Extra Parking Time

Placard and disability plate holders get an extra 60 minutes beyond posted local time limits. A two-hour meter becomes three hours for you. The extension does not apply when local ordinances restrict parking for traffic flow, such as rush-hour no-parking zones.⁷ The placard does not automatically exempt you from paying meters. Some municipalities offer free or extended metered parking as a local benefit, so check with your local parking authority.

Renewal and Replacement

PennDOT mails a renewal form about 60 days before a five-year permanent placard expires. Renewal usually doesn’t require new medical certification, though PennDOT can request updated documentation.² If the notice never arrives, complete a new MV-145A, check the renewal box, and include your previous placard number.

Permanent placard holders can also renew, request a replacement, or update an address online through PennDOT’s placard portal at placard.penndot.pa.gov, using the placard number and date of birth to log in.³ For a lost, stolen, or damaged placard, submit an MV-145A or use the online portal. If yours was stolen, a police report is a good idea; PennDOT doesn’t require one, but if someone else uses your placard, you may be asked whether you handed it over knowingly.

Temporary placards cannot be renewed. When six months are up, the placard is finished. If you still need accessible parking, start over with a new MV-145A and fresh certification.³ At that point, your provider may recommend applying for a permanent placard instead.

Penalties for Misuse

Parking in an accessible space without a valid placard or plate: a summary offense with a fine of $50 to $200, plus a separate $50 surcharge.
Using a placard when the authorized person isn’t being transported: the same $50 to $200 range, plus the $50 surcharge.
Blocking an access aisle or curb ramp: a fine of $100 to $300.
If the parking space has no sign stating the penalty amount: the fine caps at $50, though enforcement still applies.

More serious conduct carries criminal exposure. Forging a medical certification, using a deceased person’s placard, or lying on an application can be charged as a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor of the third degree in Pennsylvania carries a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail. Law enforcement can confiscate an improperly used placard on the spot, and PennDOT may revoke placard privileges for repeat offenders.

Using a Pennsylvania Placard Out of State

A Pennsylvania disability placard is recognized in all other U.S. states, and Pennsylvania accepts out-of-state placards from visitors. You don’t need a separate permit when traveling domestically. Local parking rules still differ from place to place. Some municipalities give placard holders free metered parking; others don’t. Check the rules wherever you’re going. Canada also recognizes U.S. disability placards, displayed the same way you would at home.⁸

1
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 75 Pa.C.S. 1338 – Handicapped Plate and Placard
2
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for or Renew a Persons with Disability Parking Placard
3
PennDOT. Person with Disability Parking Placard
4
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees
5
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Persons with Disabilities Parking Placards and Registration Plates
6
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Placard FAQs
7
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 75 Pa.C.S. 3354 – Additional Parking Regulations
8
ITF. Reciprocal Recognition of Parking Badges