Handicapped Plates or Placards

Senate Bill 151 was passed by the Delaware General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor on May 1, 2008. The legislation makes some significant changes that affect customers who have special license plates or parking ID placards for persons with disabilities. The following is a brief overview of the law.

This law eliminates the requirements for a person with a permanent disability to obtain a new physician's certification in order to have his or her special license plate or parking ID placard renewed. The individual with a disability shall be required to submit a written certification that he or she continues to suffer from the disability, and that he or she continues to require the special license plate or parking ID placard for the reasons stated when it was initially issued.

A Physician's signature is not needed to renew a plate or placard for a person with a permanent disability.

The initial application for a special license plate or parking ID placard will still need the application form certified by a licensed physician, a physician assistant who is supervised by a licensed physician, or an advanced practice nurse who is employed by or who has a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician.

Disabled placards are only valid for three (3) years.

To obtain a special plate or placard for the first time, customers must meet one of the following requirements:

• Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest; or
• Cannot walk safely without the use of or assistance from a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistive device; or
• Is restricted by lung disease to such an extent that the applicant's or household member's forced (respiratory) expiratory volume, one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg. at room air or rest; or
• Uses portable oxygen; or
• Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the applicant's or household member's functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to the standards set by the American Heart Association; or
• Is severely limited in his or her ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition.

NOTE: Applicants 85 years of age and older need only show proof of their age to obtain a placard.

The special license plate or parking ID placard only applies to passenger cars, station wagons, pickup trucks, motorcycles, panel van trucks or other motor vehicles that have a gross registered weight that does not exceed 14,000 pounds.

The owner of a vehicle may obtain one special license plate per vehicle. Only 1 placard may be issued initially to an applicant; however, upon written request, the Department shall issue 1 additional placard to an applicant who does not also have a special license plate. An applicant or a household member who is eligible for a special license plate may also apply for 1 permanent parking placard.

The person with the disability to whom the plate or placard was issued must be the driver of or passenger in the vehicle when the vehicle is parked in parking areas for persons with disabilities.

The placard must be removed from the rearview mirror when the vehicle is in motion.

To request a new handicap placard:

The updated Division of Motor Vehicles Application for Special License or Special Parking ID Card for Persons with Disabilities may be downloaded  or obtained from any Division facility. Completed forms should be mailed to:

State of Delaware
Division of Motor Vehicles
PO Box 698
Dover DE 19903
Attn: Correspondence

Additionally, applicants 85 years of age or older may submit the application online.

To renew an existing handicap placard:

The Handicap Self-Certification Form MV2011 to renew a handicap tag or placard (Special License or Special Parking ID Card) for Persons with Permanent Disabilities may be submitted online, downloaded  or obtained from any Division facility.