Here’s what IL law says about who can use handicap parking placards, plates
If you have a temporary or permanent disability in Illinois, how can you obtain a placard or license plate to lawfully use accessible parking spaces?
Illinois offers temporary parking placards for people with temporary disabilities, as well as permanent placards and plates for people with qualifying permanent disabilities. The Illinois Secretary of State’s office has a form for applicants and their medical professionals to fill out and certify.
There are several categories of disability that qualify an Illinois resident for handicap accessible parking, including lung disease that meets certain specifications, use of a portable oxygen device, specific cardiac conditions, a need for another person or a mobility aid to walk, being severely limited in walking ability due to an arthritic, neurological, oncological or orthopedic condition, or an inability to walk 200 feet without stopping due to any of these conditions.
Other qualifying disabilities include extremity amputation, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, quadriplegia or paraplegia, cerebral palsy, arthritis, osteoarthritis, chronic pain, being legally blind with limited mobility and third-trimester pregnancy (which qualifies someone for a maximum of 90 days).
For Illinois residents with another type of disability that necessitates handicap accessible parking, a physician can specify what medical condition the applicant has been diagnosed with that limits their mobility.
How can you get a handicap parking tag in Illinois?
Only the Springfield office of the Illinois Secretary of State can issue permanent parking placards or licensed plates for people with qualifying disabilities, according to the state agency’s website.
While the request can only be processed in Springfield, you can apply by mail by sending the proper documentation to the Secretary of State at 501 S. 2nd St., Howlett Building, Room 541, Springfield, IL 62756.
“Illinois residents are eligible for disability parking placards if they have a qualifying disability, and this is one that would severely limit their ability to walk, either permanently or temporarily,” Teri Ross, executive director of Illinois Legal Aid Online, said in an Aug. 8 interview with the News-Democrat.
The disability license plate or placard may only be used when the person to whom it was issued is present, Ross continued.
The Secretary of State’s office issues four kinds of handicap parking placards, including:
- Temporary placards, which are issued to people who have a temporary disability and are valid for the length of time indicated by the certifying physician. The period cannot exceed 6 months if issued by the state or 90 days if issued by a municipality. The temporary placard does not exempt the user from parking meter fees and time limitations.
- Non-meter-exempt permanent placards: These are issued to people with permanent disabilities who are able to access the parking meter. This placard authorizes the user to park in designated accessible parking spaces for those with disabilities but does not exempt the holder from parking meter fees or time limitations.
- Meter-exempt permanent placards are issued to people with permanent disabilities who have “significant impairments that cause difficulty in accessing a parking meter.” This placard authorizes the holder to park in designated accessible parking spaces for people with disabilities and exempts them from parking meter fees and time limitations at parking meters that exceed a 30-minute time limit. To be eligible for the meter-exempt permanent placard, one must have a valid Illinois driver’s license and have their physician certify they meet the criteria on the certification form.
The fourth type is an organizational placard, issued to organizations that transport people with disabilities. The Illinois Secretary of State’s website says these placards expired April 30, 2018. The BND has contacted the office to confirm whether organizational placards are still issued.
Disability parking placards are free to eligible Illinois residents. Disability license plates carry a $29 transfer fee and a $151 annual renewal fee. It can take 45 to 60 days of processing time to receive a permanent disability parking placard.
A new Illinois law will add licensed physical therapists to the list of medical professionals who can certify a statement of disability on an application for a placard. The provision also requires recertification every five years for permanent disability placards and license plates.
Can I use someone else’s disability tag in Illinois?
Illinois state law says those who misuse license plates or parking placards may be charged with a Class A misdemeanor on first offense for the following violations:
- Using a deceased person’s disability license plates or parking placard
- Altering a parking placard
- Possessing a fake, fraudulent, lost or stolen placard
- Duplicating or manufacturing a placard
- Selling or otherwise distributing a fraudulent placard
- Obtaining a placard or plate under false pretenses
On first offense, these violations can carry up to a $2,500 fine, a one-year driver’s license suspension and possible confiscation and revocation of the disability parking placard or license plate, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
On second offense, someone who violates one of these provisions may be charged with a Class 4 felony which can result in up to $25,000 in fines and potential imprisonment between one and three years.
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