Virginia Handicap Placard Form MED 10: Eligibility, Filing, and Use

To apply for a Virginia disabled parking placard, complete Form MED 10, the Disabled Parking Placard or License Plates Application, have an approved healthcare provider sign the medical certification, and submit it to the Virginia DMV. The form is free, both temporary and permanent placards are issued at no cost to Virginia residents, and you can download MED 10 from the Virginia DMV website or pick one up at any DMV customer service center or DMV Select office.¹

Who Qualifies

Virginia Code 46.2-1240 defines a qualifying disability as one that limits or impairs your ability to walk or creates a safety concern while walking. You meet the standard if any of the following applies:

You cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest
You need a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic, wheelchair, or other assistive device to walk
Your lung function is severely restricted (forced expiratory volume under one liter on spirometry, or arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm/hg at rest)
You use portable oxygen
You have a Class III or IV cardiac condition under American Heart Association standards
You have a severely limiting arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition²

Your healthcare provider decides whether you meet one of these criteria and marks the condition as permanent or temporary on the form. That choice determines which placard you receive.

Filling Out Form MED 10

Your Information

The top section asks for your full legal name, date of birth, and current residential address. You also need either the customer number printed on your Virginia driver’s license or your Social Security number so the DMV can match you to its records.³ Check these fields carefully. Mismatched information and unreadable handwriting are the most common reasons applications get held up.

Medical Certification

Your healthcare provider completes and signs the second part of the form. Under Virginia Code 46.2-1241, the following professionals are authorized to certify your condition: a licensed physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, podiatrist, or chiropractor.⁴ The provider checks the box for permanent or temporary and, if temporary, specifies how long the condition is expected to last, up to a maximum of 12 months. The provider’s signature, printed name, and license information all go in this section.

Placard or License Plates

The same MED 10 lets you request disabled parking license plates instead of, or in addition to, a placard. Plates are bolted to one vehicle. A placard moves between vehicles. If someone else regularly drives you in different cars, a placard is usually the better pick; if you always drive the same vehicle, plates mean nothing to hang. Parking privileges are identical either way.

Organizations such as nursing homes and transit services that routinely transport people with disabilities use a different form, MED 11, rather than the individual MED 10.¹

How to Submit the Application

Once your provider has signed the certification, you have three ways to get MED 10 to the DMV:

By mail to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 85815, Richmond, VA 23285-5815
In person at any DMV customer service center, where staff can confirm the form is complete before you leave the counter⁵
In person at a DMV Select office, which are local government offices and private businesses that handle certain DMV transactions, including original placard applications⁶

There is no fee. The MED 10 form states that no fees apply for a placard or a replacement placard ID card,³ and the DMV’s website confirms that both temporary and permanent placards are free for Virginia residents.¹

What Happens After You Apply

The DMV mails your placard within 15 days of receiving a completed application.⁷ It arrives at the address on your MED 10 along with a non-photo disabled parking ID card that you must keep with you whenever you use the placard.⁸

A permanent placard is valid for five years, with the expiration date printed on it. A temporary placard expires at the end of the period your provider specified, anywhere from a few weeks up to 12 months.⁷ Permanent placards can later be renewed without new medical certification; temporary placards cannot be renewed, so a condition that persists past the original term requires a fresh MED 10 with a new provider signature.⁹

Using the Placard Correctly

Hang the placard from your rearview mirror only while parked in a designated accessible space, with the identifying side facing the rear so it’s visible through the windshield. Take it down before you drive.⁷ The person the placard was issued to must be in the vehicle, either driving or as a passenger, every time it’s used. Carry your disabled parking ID card and show it to a law enforcement officer on request.¹⁰ Letting a family member borrow the placard to run an errand while you stay home is illegal, even if your own disability is genuine.

Parking in a disabled space without a valid placard or plate carries a fine of $100 to $500.¹¹ Using someone else’s placard when you aren’t transporting the person it belongs to is a Class 2 misdemeanor,¹² and the DMV can revoke your parking privileges and require you to surrender the placard.¹⁰

1
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Apply for a Disabled Parking Placard or License Plate
2
Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia Title 46.2 Chapter 12.1
3
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Disabled Parking Placard or License Plates Application
4
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-1241 – Issuance of Disabled Parking Placards
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Contact Us
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Select
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Description of Parking Placards and Plates
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Disabled Parking Placards, Identification Cards, Receipts – Replacement/Reissue
9
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew or Replace a Disabled Parking Placard or License Plate
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Parking Placards and Plates for Virginians with Disabilities
11
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-1242 – Parking in Spaces Reserved for Persons with Disabilities
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-1250 – Unauthorized Use of Disabled Parking License Plates or Placards