Washington State Disabled Parking Permit Requirements

A Washington State disabled parking permit is issued free by the Department of Licensing (DOL) to people who meet one of the medical criteria in RCW 46.19.010, and it lets you park at any metered space in the state for free with no time limit.¹ You apply using Form 420-073, which you fill out yourself and your healthcare provider signs. As of October 1, 2025, the list of qualifying conditions is broader than it used to be, so if you were turned down before, it may be worth another look.²

Who Qualifies

You only need to meet one of the medical criteria in state law. The most common are an inability to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, or a severe walking limitation from an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition. You also qualify if you need a brace, cane, wheelchair, prosthetic device, or another person’s help to walk, or if you use portable oxygen.²

Several other conditions qualify:

Lung disease with a forced expiratory volume of less than one liter per second, or arterial oxygen tension below 60 mm/Hg at rest on room air.
Cardiovascular impairment classified as Class III or IV under American Heart Association standards.
Acute sensitivity to automobile emissions that limits walking, documented by your provider as comparable in severity to the other qualifying conditions.
Limited or no vision, even with corrective lenses, combined with limited mobility.
A progressive eye condition that may lead to blindness.
A form of porphyria where decreased light exposure would significantly help.
A veteran with a 70 percent or higher disability rating from the U.S. armed forces or Department of Veterans Affairs who uses a service animal.

The last three took effect October 1, 2025.² A physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant can certify the condition.

Permit Types and Cost

Permanent Placard

Free, valid for five years. You can get up to two at no charge if you regularly ride in more than one vehicle. Placards move with you, not the vehicle, so they work in any car you drive or ride in. The DOL sends a renewal notice before yours expires.³

Temporary Placard

Also free, valid for up to one year from the date your physician writes on the application. Only one is issued per application. There is no renewal for a temporary placard; you submit a new application with fresh medical certification each time.³

Disabled Plates and Tabs

If you own the vehicle you use most often, you can get disabled parking license plates, or a disabled parking tab that attaches to specialty or personalized plates. Plates and tabs are tied to one vehicle. The initial cost for disabled plates is approximately $117, plus annual renewal fees. Because plates aren’t portable, many people get a placard as well.³

How to Apply

The application is the Disabled Parking Application for Individuals (Form 420-073), available at any vehicle licensing office or from the DOL website, including in Spanish and Russian. You complete your section, and your healthcare provider completes the medical certification, marking whether the condition is permanent or temporary.³

Instead of filling out the form, your provider may submit an original signed prescription on letterhead or prescription paper, or an electronic authorization. Photocopied prescriptions are not accepted.² If you are applying for a dependent or minor child, you also fill out a Certificate of Fact form (Form 420-043) establishing your relationship to that person.

You can bring the completed form to any vehicle licensing office, or mail it to:

Special Plate Unit
Department of Licensing
PO Box 9043
Olympia, WA 98507

Once approved, the DOL mails your placard to the address on the form. Your “Individual with Disabilities Parking Privilege” ID card arrives separately, typically within two to three weeks.³ If you need the permit soon, applying in person at a licensing office is often faster than mailing.

How to Display and Use It

Hang the placard from the rearview mirror so the whole placard is visible through the windshield when you are parked. If the vehicle has no rearview mirror, place it on the dashboard. Take the placard down before driving; it must be removed while the vehicle is in motion.⁴

Keep your ID card with you whenever you use the parking privilege. Law enforcement can ask to see it to confirm you are the authorized holder. The person the permit was issued to must be either the driver or a passenger. You cannot use the placard to park in an accessible space while running errands for that person alone.⁵

Free Metered Parking

Under RCW 46.61.582, a vehicle displaying a valid disabled parking placard or plate can park at metered spaces free of charge, with no time limit.¹ The exceptions are zones where parking is prohibited outright, such as fire lanes or no-stopping zones, and spaces reserved for specific vehicle types. Ordinary metered street parking is free for as long as you need.

Using Your Permit Elsewhere

Your Washington placard is honored in every other U.S. state, and Washington honors valid permits issued by other states and countries. Local rules about meter fees and time limits vary by jurisdiction, so it is worth checking the specific rules where you are traveling.

Renewal and Replacement

Permanent placards renew every five years, and the DOL mails you a notice before yours expires. If your placard, ID card, or plate is lost, stolen, or damaged, request a replacement using the Disabled Parking Replacement form (Form 420-076). Submit it at any vehicle licensing office or mail it to the Olympia address above. If your parking privilege has already expired, no replacement will be issued; you have to start over with a new application and a new medical authorization.³

Penalties for Misuse

Each of the following is a separate infraction carrying a $450 fine:⁵

Using someone else’s placard, plate, or ID card.
Parking in a disabled space when the permit holder is not in the vehicle.
Using a disabled space without a visible placard or plate.
Parking in the striped access aisle next to an accessible space, even with a valid permit.
Obtaining a placard, plate, or ID card through fraud or any unauthorized method.

The $450 amount is a flat statutory fine, not a maximum. Borrowing a family member’s placard when they are not with you is exactly the kind of use that draws a citation.

A Note on Accessible Spaces

If you want to report a business whose accessible parking looks wrong, federal ADA standards require a standard car-accessible space to be at least 96 inches wide with an access aisle of at least 60 inches. Van-accessible spaces are wider and must provide at least 98 inches of vertical clearance.⁶ Missing signage, faded striping, or undersized spaces can be reported to the business or to your local code enforcement office.

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.61.582 – Free Parking for Persons With Disabilities
2
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.19.010 – Criteria for Natural Persons
3
Washington State Department of Licensing. Get or Renew Disabled Parking Permits
4
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.19.030 – Display and Design of Placards, License Plates, and Year Tabs
5
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.19.050 – Restrictions, Prohibitions, Violations, Penalties
6
ADA.gov. Accessible Parking Spaces