Accessible Parking
Find information on key laws and resources for Texans with disabilities looking to apply for an accessible parking placard. This page provides information on both resources and contacts that can help when applying for an accessible parking placard in the state. Additionally, this page includes a summary of laws by topic that may impact an individual with an accessible placard. This section is not intended to be used for legal advice.
On This Page:
- Resources
- Accessible Parking Guidance for Residents of Multi Family Housing (PDF)
- State and Federal Law
- Accessible Parking Placard
- License Plates
- Disabled Veterans Parking Placards
- Exemption from Motor Vehicle Tax
Resources
Contact
- (512) 539-5669
- (800) 803-9202
- Email: techinfo@tdlr.texas.gov
- (512) 465-7611
- Disabled Veteran Plates Application
- Disabled Parking, Placards and Plates
- Location of the Tax Assessor Collector for All Counties
State and Federal Law
Accessible Parking (Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 681)
- The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) must provide for the issuance of a disabled parking placard to a person with a disability.
- A disabled parking placard must be two-sided and hooked and include on each side:
- the International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA), at least three inches in height, centered on the placard, and:
- white on a blue shield for one issued to a person with a permanent disability; or
- white on a red shield for one issued to a person with a temporary disability;
Parking Placard Application
- An owner of a motor vehicle regularly operated by or for the transportation of a person with a disability may apply for a disabled parking placard.
- An application for a disabled parking placard must be:
- on a form furnished by the DMV;
- submitted to the county assessor-collector located where the person with the disability:
- resides; or
- is seeking medical treatment; and
- accompanied by a fee of $5 if the application is for a temporary placard.
Applicant’s Identification
- The applicant must include on the application:
- Their driver's license number or the number of a personal identification card;
- military identification number; or
- driver's license number issued by another state or country if the applicant is not a resident of Texas and is seeking medical treatment here.
- the county number assigned by the comptroller to the county issuing the placard;
- the first four digits of the applicant's driver's license number, personal identification card number, or military identification number; and
- the applicant's initials.
Issuance of Disabled Parking Placards to Certain Institutions
- The DMV must provide for the issuance of disabled parking placards for a van or bus operated by an institution, facility, or residential retirement community for the elderly.
- The application for a disabled parking placard must be made in the manner outlined above, and be accompanied by a written statement signed by the administrator or manager of the institution, facility, or retirement community certifying that the institution, facility, or retirement community regularly transports, as a part of the services they provide, one or more persons with disabilities.
Expiration
- A person with a permanent disability may receive:
- two disabled parking placards, if the person does not receive a set of special license plates;
- one disabled parking placard, if the person receives a set of special license plates; or
- two disabled parking placards, if the person receives two sets of special license plates.
- is valid for:
- four years for a resident of Texas; and
- six months for a person who is not a resident of Texas; and
- information on laws governing parking for persons with disabilities; and
- instructions for reporting alleged violations.
Parking Privileges for Persons with Disabilities
- A vehicle may be parked for an unlimited period in a parking space or area that is designated for persons with physical disabilities if:
- the vehicle is being operated by or for the transportation of a person with a disability; and
- there are:
- displayed on the vehicle special license plates; or
- placed on the rearview mirror of the vehicle's front windshield a disabled parking placard.
- the vehicle is being operated by or for the transportation of a person with a disability; and
- there are:
- displayed on the vehicle special license plates; or
- placed on the rearview mirror of the vehicle's front windshield a disabled parking placard.
- imposed by a branch of the United States government; or
- imposed by a governmental unit for parking at a meter, in a parking garage or lot, or in a space located within the boundaries of a municipal airport.
Parking Privileges for Vehicles Displaying International Symbol of Access (ISA)
- A vehicle may be parked and is exempt from the payment of a fee or penalty in the same manner as a vehicle that has displayed special license plates or a disabled parking placard if displayed on the vehicle a license plate or placard that:
- bears the ISA; and
- is issued by a state or by a state or province of a foreign country to the owner or operator of the vehicle for the transportation of a person with a disability.
Parking Privileges for Certain Veterans and Military Award Recipients
- A vehicle may be parked for an unlimited period in a parking space or area that is designated for persons with physical disabilities if:
- the vehicle:
- displays specialty license plates; and
- is being operated by or for the transportation of the person to whom the plates were issued; or
- the person who registered the vehicle,
- the owner or operator of a vehicle displaying license plates described above.
Designation of Parking Spaces by Political Subdivision or Private Property Owner
- A political subdivision or a person who owns or controls property used for parking may designate one or more parking spaces or parking area for the exclusive use of vehicles transporting persons with disabilities.
- A political subdivision must designate a parking space or area by conforming to the standards and specifications adopted by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), relating to the identification and dimensions of parking spaces for persons with disabilities.
- A political subdivision may a private property owner or a person who controls property used for parking:
- to designate one or more parking spaces or a parking area for the exclusive use of vehicles transporting persons with disabilities; or
- to conform to the standards and specifications when designating a parking space or area for persons with disabilities.
Enforcement
- A peace officer or a person designated by a political subdivision to enforce parking regulations may file a charge against a person who commits an offense at a parking space or area described above.
- A security officer commissioned, and employed by the owner of private property may file a charge against a person who commits an offense at a parking space or area designated by the owner of the property.
Offenses
- A person commits an offense if:
- they park a vehicle displaying specialty license plates or disabled parking placard in a parking space or area designated for persons with disabilities, and
- the parking of the vehicle in that parking space or area is not authorized.
- a fine of $550 to $800; and
- 10 hours of community service.
- a fine of between $550 to $800; and
- between 20 to 30 hours of community service.
- a fine of between $800 to $1,100; and
- 50 hours of community service.
- does not have a disability;
- is not transporting a person with a disability; and
- does not pay any applicable fee related to parking in the space or area imposed by a governmental unit or exceeds a limitation on the length of time for parking in the space or area.
Manufacture, Sale, Possession, or Use of Counterfeit or Altered Placard
- A person commits an offense if, without the DMV authorization, they:
- manufacture, sell, or possess a placard that is deceptively similar to a disabled parking placard; or
- alter a genuine disabled parking placard.
Seizure and Revocation of Placard
- A law enforcement officer who believes that an offense has occurred in their presence must seize any disabled parking placard involved in the offense. Not later than 48 hours after the seizure, the officer must determine whether probable cause existed to believe that the offense was committed. If the officer does not find that probable cause existed, the officer must promptly return each placard to the person from whom it was seized. If the officer finds that probable cause existed, they, not later than the fifth day after the date of the seizure, must destroy the placard and notify the DMV.
- A peace officer may seize a disabled parking placard from a person who operates a vehicle on which a disabled parking placard is displayed if they determine by inspecting the person's driver's license, personal identification certificate, or military identification that the disabled parking placard does not contain the first four digits of the driver's license number, personal identification certificate number, or military identification number and the initials of:
- the person operating the vehicle;
- the applicant on behalf of a person being transported by the vehicle; or
- a person being transported by the vehicle.
Dismissal of Charge
- dismiss a charge for an offense if:
- the vehicle displayed a disabled parking placard that was not valid as expired;
- the defendant remedies the defect by renewing the expired disabled parking placard within 20 working days from the date of the offense or before the defendant's first court appearance date, whichever is later; and
- the disabled parking placard has not been expired for more than 60 days; and
- assess a reimbursement fee not to exceed $20 when the charge has been remedied.
- The court may dismiss a charge of unlawfully parking a vehicle in a space designated specifically for persons with disabilities, if at the time of the offense the defendant's vehicle displays a disabled parking placard that has been expired for more than 60 days.
License Plates (Texas Transportation Code, Section 504.201)
- The DMV must issue specialty license plates for a motor vehicle that:
- has a gross vehicle weight of 18,000 pounds or less; and
- is regularly operated for noncommercial use by or for the transportation of a person with a permanent disability.
- the person with a disability:
- has had a limb, hand, or foot amputated; or
- must use a wheelchair; and
- one disabled parking placard if the person receives a set of license plates; or
- two disabled parking placards if the person does not receive a set of license plates.
- is designed to allow a person who has lost the use of one or both of their legs to operate the vehicle; and
- is not standard equipment on that type of vehicle for use by a person who has use of both legs.
Disabled Veterans Parking Placards (Texas Transportation Code, Section 504.202)
- A person entitled to specialty license plates may register, for the person's own use, one vehicle without payment of any fee paid for or at the time of registration except the fee for the license plates. Registration is valid for one year.
- A veteran of the United States armed forces is entitled to register, for the person's own use, motor vehicles if:
- the person has suffered, as a result of military service:
- at least a 50 percent service-connected disability; or
- a 40 percent service-connected disability because of the amputation of a lower extremity;
- is owned by the person; and
- has a gross vehicle weight of 18,000 pounds or less or is a motor home.
- the written statement, unless the applicant is an organization; and
- any other information required for an application.
- the vehicle is used exclusively to transport veterans of the United States armed forces who have a service-connected disability; and
- the veterans are not charged for the transportation.
- the letters "DV" on the plate if the plate is issued for a vehicle other than a motorcycle; and
- the words "Disabled Veteran" and "U.S. Armed Forces" at the bottom of each license plate.
- the emblem of the veteran's branch of service; or
- one emblem from another license plate to which the person is entitled.
- are embossed with an alphanumeric pattern;
- are of a plate design that was issued in the same year as the model year of the vehicle;
- are approved for use by the DMV.
Exemption from Motor Vehicle Tax (Texas Tax Code Section 152.086 (b-1) and (b-2))
- The taxes imposed do not apply to the sale or use of a motor vehicle that:
- has been or will be modified before the second anniversary of the date of purchase for operation by, or for the transportation of, an orthopedically disabled person; and
- is driven by or used for the transportation of an orthopedically disabled person.
- signs at the time of the purchase an exemption certificate that:
- is on a form designated by the comptroller; and
- contains all information the comptroller considers reasonable to establish qualification for the exemption at the time of sale; and
In This Section
Organization
- Committee on People with Disabilities
- About the Committee
- Texas Key Laws & Disability Resources
- ADA
- Access to Information
- Accessible Communications
- Accessible Microsoft Office Documents
- Accessible Parking
- Accessible & Assistive Technology Training
- Aging Texans
- Building and Physical Accessibility
- Communications Technology
- Disability History
- Driver's Licenses and Personal IDs
- Emergency Management
- Employment Protections
- Financial Assistance
- Genetic Testing
- Guardianship
- Health
- Health Care Directives
- Higher Education
- History and Awareness Month Factoids
- Housing
- Insurance
- Insurance: Health
- Intellectual Disabilities Protections
- Jurors, Witnesses, and Offenders
- Mental Health Resources and Protections
- Organ Donation
- Public Education
- Reasonable Accommodation
- Recreation
- Replacing DME and AT Lost in Disasters
- Safety and Protection
- Service Animals
- Tax Exemptions
- Texas Driving with Disability
- Testing Accommodations
- Travel
- Veterans
- Voting
- Workers' Compensation
