Disabled Person Parking Placard

It is hard when someone you care about is struggling with medical situations. Is your first instinct to make life a little easier for them? For me, the answer is yes. So when a relative was recently in a rehabilitation facility after a fall, I was very thankful when a friend offered me this bit of wisdom.

A disabled person's parking placard wasn't on my list of ways to help my relative, but I realized it would be greatly needed.

These are the steps my friend laid out for me.

Please Note: Each state has different rules around the placard. AAA does not offer this option in every state. Please contact your state's AAA, or your state's Department of Motor Vehicles, or your state's local county motor vehicles office, or your state's county tax office for the steps to receive a placard in your state. Also, depending upon the state, some placards may be free or may come with a fee. Please speak to an agent at the applicable office for additional information. The steps below outline what was required for my state.

• Print the disabled parking placard paperwork. In my state, it is located on the Department of Motor Vehicles website.

• Complete the paperwork and have the applicable person sign the paperwork.

• Get a doctor's signature on the form.

  (For my loved one in the rehabilitation facility, I provide the completed forms to the nursing staff. You can also provide it to the case manager. They will obtain the doctor's signature and contact you when the paperwork is ready for pickup. If your person is not in a rehabilitation facility, contact their doctor.)

• Visit the local AAA office with the paperwork and the relative's driver's license.

  Note: My family member did not have to be present at AAA. I was able to pick it up for her. Each state has different rules around this.

The placard is tied to the person, not the vehicle. The placard is not a disabled person's license plate. The official paperwork offers you an option to choose a placard and/or the license plate.