To get a temporary handicap placard in Massachusetts, mail a completed disability placard application, with the medical certification filled out and signed by your healthcare provider, to the Registry of Motor Vehicles Medical Affairs office in Boston. The placard is free, and processing takes at least 30 business days.1Mass.gov. Apply for a Disability Placard or License Plate Once issued, it gives you the same parking access as a permanent placard, including use of any designated accessible space and an exemption from parking meter fees statewide.
Who Qualifies
A temporary placard is for a mobility-limiting condition expected to last at least two months but no more than 24 months.2Mass.gov. Renew Your Temporary Disability Placard That window fits most post-surgical recoveries, healing fractures, and other conditions that will resolve. Your provider sets the specific end date within it.
The medical standards are the same ones used for disability plates. Qualifying conditions include an inability to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, Class III or IV cardiovascular disease under American Heart Association guidelines, and lung disease where forced expiratory volume is below one liter or the person needs portable oxygen.3General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 2 Your provider’s judgment on whether you meet the standard is what the RMV relies on.
How to Apply
Everything is done by mail. Download the application for disabled parking from the RMV website and fill in your personal information. Then take it to your healthcare provider, who completes and signs the medical certification section, describing your condition and certifying how long it is expected to last. An incomplete medical section or a missing provider signature will get the application rejected, so check both sides before you mail it.1Mass.gov. Apply for a Disability Placard or License Plate
There is no fee, whether it’s your first placard or a later one. Keep a copy of both sides of the completed form before sending the original to:
Registry of Motor Vehicles
Attn: Medical Affairs
PO Box 55889
Boston, MA 02205-5889
How Long It Takes
Plan on at least 30 business days, which is closer to six calendar weeks than four, and longer when application volume is high.1Mass.gov. Apply for a Disability Placard or License Plate The placard comes by standard mail to the address on the application. If you’re applying ahead of a scheduled surgery or procedure, submit as soon as your provider is willing to sign off, so the placard arrives when you need it rather than weeks after.
You can only hold one valid placard at a time. If yours is lost or stolen, contact the RMV Medical Affairs office directly rather than a local branch.
Using the Placard
The placard belongs to you, not to a particular car. You can use it in your own vehicle, a friend’s, a family member’s, or a rental, as long as you are the driver or a passenger when it’s parked in an accessible space.3General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 2
Hang it from the rearview mirror while parked so it’s visible from outside. Take it down before driving; leaving it hanging while the vehicle is in motion obstructs the view and can draw a traffic citation.
With the placard properly displayed, you don’t have to feed any parking meter in Massachusetts, not only at accessible spaces.4Mass.gov. Dos and Donts of Disabled Parking Meter rules vary in other states, so if you’re driving outside Massachusetts, check local policy before assuming the same exemption applies.
Renewing When It Expires
The placard expires on the date your provider specified, up to the 24-month maximum. There is no automatic renewal and no short extension. If your condition continues past that date, you submit a brand-new application with a fresh medical certification.2Mass.gov. Renew Your Temporary Disability Placard The RMV suggests sending it in four to six weeks before the current placard expires so you don’t lose coverage.
If the condition has become permanent, the same application can be used to switch from temporary to permanent status, provided your provider certifies that the condition is now long-term. The paperwork goes to the same Medical Affairs address.
Penalties for Misuse
It’s worth knowing the misuse rules before someone asks to borrow your placard. Lending it, displaying one that isn’t yours, or using one after it has expired all count as misuse.5Legal Information Institute. 540 CMR 17.05 – Misuse of Plate or Placard The penalties stack:
- A $500 fine for a first offense and $1,000 for a second or subsequent offense.6Mass.gov. Report Disability Parking Abuse
- License suspension of 30 days for a first offense, 90 days for a second, and one year for a third or subsequent offense.
- A 60-day placard suspension for a first offense, with later offenses leading to revocation and disqualification from getting a new placard.5Legal Information Institute. 540 CMR 17.05 – Misuse of Plate or Placard
A single lapse in judgment can mean a fine, a suspended license, and the loss of the placard itself.
Returning the Placard
If your condition improves before the expiration date, or if the placard holder dies, the placard should be sent back to the RMV. Mail it to the Medical Affairs PO Box with a brief note, or a copy of the death certificate when that applies.7Mass.gov. Return a Disability Placard of a Deceased Person to the RMV Hanging on to and using a placard you no longer need carries the same misuse penalties.