Wisconsin Disabled Parking Permit: Eligibility, Application, and Renewal

A Wisconsin disabled parking permit is issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to drivers and passengers whose medical condition limits their ability to walk. Permanent permits are free and valid for four years; temporary permits cost $6 and last up to six months. You apply by completing a WisDOT form that includes a medical certification from your health care provider, then mailing it to the Special Plates Unit in Madison.

Who Qualifies

Wisconsin’s definition covers more than mobility impairments. You qualify if any one of the following is true:¹

You cannot walk 200 feet or more without stopping to rest.
You cannot walk without help from another person or without a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, or wheelchair.
You have lung disease with a forced expiratory volume in one second (by spirometry) under one liter, or arterial oxygen tension under 60 mm Hg on room air at rest.
You use portable oxygen.
Your heart condition is Class III or Class IV under American Heart Association standards.
You have an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition that severely limits walking.
You have a disability under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act that limits or impairs walking.

You do not have to be unable to walk at all. Significant difficulty is enough, and your health care provider makes the call.

Which Permit Fits Your Situation

Pick the form before you ask your provider for anything, because the forms differ.

Temporary permit. If your condition is expected to improve, you get a red permit valid up to six months, and you can apply for another six-month permit if you still need it.² Use Form MV2933.³

Permanent permit. Valid for four years, renewable with fresh medical certification.⁴ Use Form MV2548.⁵

Disabled parking license plates. With a permanent disability, you can get plates carrying the international symbol of access instead of (or along with) a hanging permit. Same parking privileges.⁶

Disabled veteran plates. For veterans whose walking impairment is permanent and service-connected. A VA health care specialist has to certify both facts. Use Form MV2172.⁷ If the qualifying disability is not service-connected, apply for standard disabled plates or a permit instead.

How to Apply

Every form has two parts: your section and the medical certification.

Fill in your legal name, current home address, and Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID number. Then your health care provider completes the eligibility section. Authorized providers are physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, advanced practice nurse prescribers, and physician assistants. They have to describe the disability, mark it permanent or temporary, give an expected duration if temporary, and sign with their medical license number and contact information.⁴

Before you send anything, check every field on the provider’s half. Incomplete applications come back, and that round trip adds weeks.

Mail the finished form to:

WisDOT Special Plates Unit – DIS ID
P.O. Box 7306
Madison, WI 53707-7306

You can also apply in person at a DMV customer service center that handles disabled permits, but a $3 counter service fee applies there on top of any permit cost.⁶⁸

Permanent permits are free to get, renew, and replace.⁵ Temporary permits are $6.² Paper applications take roughly seven to ten business days. If your provider submits the eligibility certification through WisDOT’s online option, renewal stickers come back in three to four business days.

Renewing or Replacing a Permit

A permanent permit expires every four years. To renew, get fresh medical certification from an authorized provider; the renewal itself costs nothing.⁵ Do not let it lapse before you file. Using an expired permit can get you cited, even if nothing about your condition has changed.

If your permanent permit is lost, stolen, or damaged, request a replacement at no charge. Download a new MV2548, fill in your section, and note that it’s a replacement. You do not need a new medical certification as long as your current permit has not expired, because WisDOT already has the certification on file.⁶ Mail it to the same Special Plates Unit address, and keep a copy with you in the meantime in case an officer asks.

Using the Permit

Hang the permit from your interior rearview mirror when you park in an accessible space, and take it down before you drive. Driving with it dangling counts as a windshield obstruction and carries a fine of up to $100.⁹

A vehicle displaying a permit or disabled plates is exempt from any parking time limit of 30 minutes or more on public streets, in municipal lots, and on University of Wisconsin campuses, and no meter payment is required at a metered stall with a time limit of 30 minutes or more.¹⁰ First- and second-class cities such as Milwaukee and Madison may cap accessible-space parking at three hours by local ordinance, so read the posted signs.⁹

Your Wisconsin permit is valid for accessible parking in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, and Wisconsin honors valid permits from other states.⁹⁶ Local perks like free metered parking may not travel with you, so check at your destination.

Misuse is treated seriously. Lending or selling a permit to someone not authorized to use it carries a fine of up to $300 and can lead to confiscation. Fraudulently obtaining, forging, or duplicating a permit carries a fine of up to $500.⁹ WisDOT can also cancel a permit issued through fraud, error, or improper use. If someone borrows your permit to grab a closer spot while you stay home, the borrower can be cited and your permit can be revoked.

Permits for Care Facilities and Other Organizations

Nursing homes, care facilities, and other organizations that regularly transport people with qualifying disabilities apply through a separate track. The permit attaches to the organization’s vehicle and lets it park in accessible spaces while transporting eligible riders.⁶ Contact the WisDOT Special Plates Unit for the organizational application form and instructions.

1
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 340.01(43g)
2
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Disabled Parking Identification Permit (Temporary Disability)
3
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Temporary Disabled Parking Identification Permit Information and Application
4
Wisconsin State Legislature. Chapter Trans 130
5
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Permanent Disabled Parking Identification Permit Information and Application
6
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Disabled Parking Identification Permit (Permanent Disability)
7
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Disabled Veteran Parking License Plates
8
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. DMV Fees
9
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Important Information for Use of Disabled Plates, Disabled Veteran Plates, or Disabled Parking Identification Permits
10
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 346.50