How to Get Your Oklahoma Disabled Parking Permit

In Oklahoma, people who are suffering from documented disabilities can enjoy the use of an Oklahoma disabled parking permit to park in spaces that are significantly closer to the entrances of businesses and buildings. This can make running errands in your day to day life much easier, as you can put together your days without having to worry about significant commutes which might make your condition worse.

However, before you can begin to enjoy the privileges associated with this permit, such as the placards which you can use to legally park in those parking spots, you need to go through multiple steps to successfully apply, first!

The application for Oklahoma disabled parking permits is simple, but there are several different contacts, forms, and steps involved. Read on for a complete guide to the application process for disabled parking permits in the state of Oklahoma.

Make Sure You’re Eligible

As disabled parking spots are usually those closest to the entrance of a building, they are necessarily very limited in number. Because of this, the state of Oklahoma has a process put together to ensure that only those people who are in need of these spaces are able to use them.

The disabled parking permit program in Oklahoma is one of the more generous in terms of which conditions they consider eligible for this service. However, you must make sure that you meet at least one of them, or your application will be rejected.

In order to confirm eligibility for the disabled parking permit, you need to speak with a licensed doctor or other medical professional, and get a statement from them to confirm your disability. This statement will be included as part of your application package. The application form contains a section expressly for this purpose.

There are currently two ways to obtain this statement. If you have a personal physician or if your condition makes it possible for you to make a visit over to a local doctor, bring the application form (downloadable from the Oklahoma state website) with you, and your doctor will help you go through the form to confirm your eligibility.

However, if this does not sound like a tenable solution due to your condition or life circumstances, there is a more technologically updated way to meet with a medical professional. Video chatting with a doctor online can help you get this process completed in a time efficient way; not only will your information be kept completely secure, your application form will be emailed to its destination immediately after your call.

Decide Which Type of Disabled Parking Permit You Need

Your doctor may be able to help you decide which type of permit your condition will require. There are two different kinds of disabled parking permits in the state of Oklahoma:

  • A temporary placard. Temporary placards are good for any amount of time from issuance to six months after that date. You will select the expiration date. If you are requesting a disabled parking permit due to medical conditions relating to pregnancy, note your due date and document the reason why in the space provided.
  • A permanent placard. Permanent placards should only be requested if your medical condition is likely to be permanent as well. However, permanent placards are technically only issued for five years. At that point in time you will have to follow the steps for renewal.

Fill Out the Form

The official application form for the Oklahoma disabled parking permit can be found on the Department of Public Safety website. Download the Physical Disability Parking Placard Application, print it out, and fill in the first section of the application in full.

You’ll need to know the following information to fill out the top section: Your full name, your date of birth, your mailing address, your phone number, and your state identification number from your driver’s (or non-driver’s) license.

It is very important to note that the Department of Public Safety reviews all applications for disabled parking permits and reviews driving records to ensure that everyone on the road should be on the road. By submitting your application for a disabled parking permit, you are assenting to your ability to drive being under review.

Gather Your Materials

When you are ready to submit your application, make sure that you have all of your documents! If your application is received without any of the critical components, it will be returned to you rejected and you will have to begin all over again, so think carefully before you submit!

The documents and associated materials that you will need to successfully apply are:

  1. The original application form. This must be the original form that you downloaded and filled out from the Department of Public Safety website. No photocopies will be accepted.
  2. Approval from a medical professional. This can be supplied either by your doctor filling out the form in the application, or by a note from a qualifying institution.
  3. Any associated fees. There is no fee associated with a disabled parking permit and placards; however, if you are requesting disabled plates, there will be a fee.

Mail In Your Application

The address to which you should mail your completed application is listed at the bottom of the application form. It is noted there as well that the Department of Public Safety does require about twenty business days (or four weeks) to process all application forms. Make sure that you wait for your placards to arrive before enjoying the benefits associated with your disabled parking permit!

An Oklahoma disabled parking permit can assist you if you have a disability which significantly impairs your mobility. However, the application process does have a lot of moving pieces! Whenever you need to apply for an Oklahoma disabled parking permit, request disabled plates or renewed placards, or report a lost permit, please refer to this page for a detailed guide to all of the steps required for a successful application for an Oklahoma disabled parking permit.

How to Use Your Oklahoma Disabled Parking Permit

The state of Oklahoma values each of its citizens and seeks to make sure that everyone enjoys the accommodations which make their lives possible. This includes designating specific accommodations for those who are suffering disabilities which impact their mobility in such a way that they cannot walk far without assistance.

One of the most impactful accommodations which has been made is the reservation of specific disabled parking spaces which only those who have qualifying conditions can use. If you have a disabled parking permit, then you are entitled to those rights as well as a few others!

However, all rights come alongside responsibilities. If you are found not to be exercising the responsibilities associated with your permit, your right to enjoy the privileges may be taken away. Read on for a detailed guide to the rights and responsibilities that come with your Oklahoma disabled parking permit.

When to Use Your Oklahoma Disabled Parking Permit

If you’re looking for the single most important tip for successful usage of your parking permit, and the single easiest way to make sure that your rights are not taken away, read no further. The most important thing you can do to make sure that you are safely utilizing your permit in the correct way is simply in proper and timely placement.

The placard which came with your disabled parking permit is made to be hung on the rear-view mirror in the front of your vehicle. Please place the placard on the rear-view window when you have already parked in a disabled parking space.

When you are back in your car and preparing to leave your parking space, make sure that you take down the placard before you drive away. Potentially having a large dangling object swinging directly into your field of vision while your vehicle is in motion is not only extremely dangerous, it is highly illegal.

Please make a habit of putting your placard up only after the car has been completely parked, and taking your placard down before you start up your engine.

Who Can Use Your Oklahoma Disabled Parking Permit

It is important to note that in the state of Oklahoma, the disabled parking permit is issued to the person — i.e., you — and not to a specific car, as is the case with license plates. This means that you can take your parking placards with you from car to car to use as most benefits your specific situation.

There is one important caveat to this rule, however. If you are not the one driving the car in which you are riding, your vehicle can still utilize your Oklahoma disabled parking permit. This is only possible if you are in the car. If you are not using your car, and your permit is used, you may be liable for disciplinary action up to and including revocation of your disabled parking permit.

Your Parking Permit and Associated Access Aisles

If there is more than one disabled parking space in a specific location, then the spaces will be divided by and surrounded with a striped area. This striped area is referred to as an access aisle.

An access aisle is a strip of ground laid aside for the sole purpose of helping disabled persons enter and exit their cars. As many disabling conditions require the use of bulky equipment such as wheelchairs, motorized wheelchair ramps, canes, braces, walkers, or even just the assistance of multiple people, it is essential that there is room just outside the vehicle for this equipment to be deployed.

Whether you have a disabled parking permit or not, please do not park in a way that might obstruct this access aisle in any way. If you do, you may be subject to disciplinary action.

How to Renew Your Disabled Parking Permit

There are two types of disabled parking permits in the state of Oklahoma. Temporary permits are usable for up to six months, and permanent permits are usable for five years before they must be renewed.

When it comes time to renew your disabled parking permit, please use the same form that you used to apply for a permit in the first place. This form is available on the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety website, and it is called the Physical Disability Parking Placard application.

Download this form, and when you are completing the first section of it, you will be able to indicate whether you are requesting a permit for the first time, or if you are requesting a renewal or replacement. You can also request multiple placards (up to two).

It is recommended that you begin the steps for renewal one month prior to the expected expiration date for your parking permits.

What to Do if your Permit is Lost or Stolen

If you have mislaid your permit or disabled parking placards, please use the same form you used to apply for your permit in the first place to request a replacement.

If, however, you believe that your permit or parking placards were stolen, please call the police and file a report. Please include a copy of the police report with your application for a replacement parking placard. The Department of Public Safety requests that you remember that they expect all applications to take about twenty business days for them to process.

Please remember that you must wait to receive all of your materials (your permit and your placards) in the mail before you begin to enjoy the amenities associated with your Oklahoma disabled parking permit. You cannot park in a disabled parking space without a placard giving you the right to do so.

An Oklahoma disabled parking permit is a fantastic tool you can use to make your day to day life that much easier! However, you can only expect to keep it if you exercise all of the responsibilities that are associated with your rights. Refer to this guide whenever you need a refresher on the rights and responsibilities that come with your Oklahoma disabled parking permit.

What You Didn’t Know About Your Oklahoma Disabled Parking Permit

An Oklahoma disabled parking permit is a valuable tool that only a few can qualify for. It enables the permit holder to park in any specifically designated disabled parking space free of charge as long as the placard is properly placed. However, there are a lot of specific details pertaining to your Oklahoma disabled parking permit which many people do not know!

Read on for a helpful and comprehensive guide containing all of the details regarding your Oklahoma disabled parking permit.

What’s the difference between permits, placards, and plates?

There are a lot of words thrown around when discussing disabled parking in the state of Oklahoma! Here’s a quick glossary defining each of these terms.

  • Your disabled parking permit. Your parking permit is a piece of paper which simply states that you have gone through the application process, been approved, and that you are the legal holder of all materials that came with your permit. This is a certificate which you should keep in a secure location.
  • Your parking placards. A parking placard is a sign made of a stiff material which is made to be hung around your rear-view window in the front of your car — only when your car is specifically not in motion. If you do not have a rear-view window, place this placard on the dashboard of your car when parked in a disabled parking spot.
  • Disabled parking plates. These are specific license plates made to be affixed to the front and / or back of your car which state that your car is qualified to park in disabled parking spaces in a more permanent fashion. It is recommended that you only request plates if your disability is a permanent one.

When you are requesting parking placards for the first time, you can request that you receive one or two placards. However, if you apply for specifically disabled parking plates, you cannot receive parking placards as well.

Difference between the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety and the Oklahoma Tax Commission

Unlike many other states, there are two specific and differing departments in Oklahoma which deal with the distribution of disabled parking passes. There is an easy way to tell which bureau you will need to apply to for your application.

The Oklahoma Tax Commission is the place to go if you are requesting American Veteran Disabled License plates. Their information can be found on their website, as well as the slightly different application that must be used in that case.

For all other purposes pertaining to disabled parking permits in the state of Oklahoma, please refer to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.

Medical Approval for Renewing Your Permit

When your parking permit, whether permanent or temporary, is about one month away from expiring, it is recommended that you begin the process of renewing your placards. To do this, please go to the Department of Public Safety and download the same form that you used to apply in the first place.

Please note that you will be required to speak with a doctor or licensed medical professional again in order to request a renewal. This is simply to ensure that the disability you have will still require usage of the limited accommodations made for disabled persons’ parking.

If your disability allows you to do so, print out your application and go meet with your doctor in person. If, however, you would rather complete the process from the comfort of your own home, a second option is available. Video-chatting with a doctor online not only ensures that this process takes as little time as possible, but your completed application form will be emailed to the Department of Public Safety immediately after your call is complete!

Completing Your Application if you Don’t Have an Identification Number

The first section of the application for a disabled parking permit requires that you enter several pieces of personal information including your name, date of birth, and the identification number from your driver’s license (or non-driver’s identification card) issued by the state of Oklahoma.

If you do not have an identification number, or if you are completing the application for someone who does not have one such as a minor child, simply leave that section of the form blank and provide any explanation necessary in the space provided.

Sharing Your Parking Placards

As the parking placards are issued to the person, rather than the vehicle, in the state of Oklahoma, no sharing is allowed — or necessary. Each person who has a disability should apply for and receive their own parking placards.

It is not necessary that the person with the disability be the one in the driver’s seat. Anyone can drive a car that parks in a disabled parking spot, as long as one of the persons in that car is a permit-carrying disabled person.

Travelling With Your Disabled Parking Permit

As long as your disabled parking permit is valid and un-expired, you should be able to use your Oklahoma placards in any other state to enjoy the same benefits associated with your permit when you are travelling.

Similarly, if you are someone with an out-of-state disabled parking permit, if your parking permit is non-expired, please use your parking placards in the state of Oklahoma just as you would in your home state.

Oklahoma state disabled parking permits, placards, and license plates are valuable tools that you can use to make your life significantly easier by reducing the amount of walking you will have to do in public places. However, it’s not as easy as applying and then parking; there are several steps you have to take!

Remember, first and foremost, to place your placards when you park, and to remove them before you begin to drive again. Make sure to remember your expiration date and renew your permit when it is necessary. Carefully following all of the rules associated with your permit will allow you to enjoy the benefits for a long time!

Who Can Get an Oklahoma Disabled Parking Permit

If you have a disability which impairs your mobility in a significant manner, then you know it’s one of the most frustrating things in the world when you have to walk all the way across a parking lot to get where you need to go! That may even be a deciding factor in your ability to carry out errands in your day to day life.

The state of Oklahoma wants to ensure that all of its residents are able to have successful, fulfilling lives — especially those who are suffering disabilities. In front of most buildings and businesses, there are parking spaces specifically set aside as accommodations for those with disabilities. These spaces are immediately in front of the entrance and usually provide a much easier way for those with handicaps to complete their errands.

However, these parking spaces, due to their proximity to the entrance, are necessarily very limited in number. It is in everyone’s best interest, therefore, the the state of Oklahoma has and enforces very strict criteria for qualification for an Oklahoma disabled parking permit. Read on for a comprehensive list of these criteria, and how to work with a medical professional to complete your application.

Working with a Medical Professional to Confirm Your Disability

In order to make sure that your disability qualifies you for use of one of these limited parking areas, the state of Oklahoma requires that a licensed medical professional verifies your disability. Please work with a doctor, whether in person or by video chat, to go through the following list of qualifying criteria to see if you are eligible.

In the state of Oklahoma, you may be eligible for a disabled parking permit if:

  • You have any kind of disability that impairs your mobility such that you are unable to walk a distance of two hundred feet without falling or stopping to rest;
  • You have a disability that requires you to use any form of portable oxygen;
  • You cannot walk any measurable distance without the use of an assisted device, including canes, braces, walkers, wheelchairs, prosthetic devices, carts, or the help of another person;
  • You have lung disease as defined by a forced or respiratory expiratory volume of less than one liter per second when measured by spirometry, or if your arterial oxygen tension while resting, while breathing room air, is less than 60 mm/Hg;
  • You have heart disease that meets the requirements for Class III or Class IV heart failure as determined by the American Heart Association;
  • You have any neurologic, arthritic, orthopedic, or pregnancy-related disorder which severely affects your ability to walk;
  • You are documented as suffering legal blindness; or
  • You are missing one or more of your limbs in such a way that it significantly impairs your mobility.

Once you have confirmed with your doctor that your medical condition meets one or more of these criteria, have your doctor sign the application form. The application form is downloadable from the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety website.

Your Disability and Your Ability to Drive

If you submit an application for a disabled parking permit, there is one thing of which you should definitely be aware. It is not unsurprising that the state of Oklahoma may believe that if you fall into one of the above scenarios, and you have a currently non-expired driver’s license, you may be a liability on the roads within the state.

Because of this, the state of Oklahoma reserves the right to review the driving record (including the status of your license) of everyone who submits an application for a disabled parking permit. Your driver’s license may be revoked, and you may be asked to apply for a non-driver’s license within the state, if it is deemed that you have a permanent condition which makes you unsafe on the road.

Veterans and Oklahoma Disabled Parking Permits

If you already have a disabled parking placard and you sustain injuries or medical conditions that are at least fifty percent related to your service in the United States military, you may be eligible for Disabled Veterans Plates. To request these, download the specific Application for a Disabled American Veteran License Plate from the Department of Public Safety.

There are fees associated with American veteran license plates. Along with your letter stating your eligibility and the application form, please send $6.50 as payment for the plates if you plan on picking them up in person, and $9.50 if you plan on asking for them to be mailed to your place of residence.

Video Chatting with a Medical Professional

If you decided to video chat with a licensed medical professional to expedite your medical confirmation and application process, then your application and medical form will be emailed to the Department of Public Safety immediately after your call is finished. However, if you decided to speak with a doctor in person, then you will be responsible for mailing the form and associated materials to the address at the base of the form.

Please be sure to wait for your disabled parking permit to arrive in the mail before you begin to enjoy the privileges associated with your permit! Your permit will arrive with placards you can use to legally park in disabled parking spaces. Please place these placards on your rear-view window when you are parking, and remove it before you start your car.

Having an Oklahoma disabled parking permit, placards, and/or plates can make your life much easier by allowing you to park in spaces specifically set aside for the use of those who have disabilities. If you have a disability which qualifies you for a permit, then you can use it as a tool to make running errands possible.

However, the state of Oklahoma does have processes in place to ensure that only those who need to use disabled accommodations are able to. Please work with a medical professional, either online or in person, to make sure that you qualify for your permit.

How to get your disabled parking permit in Oklahoma

Trying to get a disabled parking permit can be a challenge for people living in the United States because every state has different rules and regulations. In some states, the laws can even vary from city to another. If you live in Oklahoma and need a disabled parking permit, follow the steps in this guide to simplify the process.

Find out if you qualify

Like all states, Oklahoma has laid out clearly what qualifies a person to receive a handicapped placard for their car. You will need to qualify for a 5-year physically disabled placard before you can get a Physically Disabled License plate. To qualify for a physically disabled placard in Oklahoma, you must have at least one of the following conditions:

  • Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest
  • Cannot walk without the use of or assistance from a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistant device
  • Is restricted to such an extent that the person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one (1) second, when measured by spirometry, is less than sixty (60) mm/hg on room air at rest, or
  • Must use portable oxygen
  • Has functional limitations which are classified in severity as class iii or class iv according to standards set by the American Heart Association
  • Is severely limited in his or her ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition
  • Is certified legally blind
  • Is missing one or more limbs which impair mobility.

Have a physician sign your application

Once you know that you qualify, you can begin filling out the paperwork. You will to need to get a copy of the physically disabled placard application form. You can pick one up at your local Department of Public Safety office or download it from the DPS website. It’s called the Physical Disability Parking Placard Application.

You will need to have a physician certify that you meet the criteria for a physically disabled placard. They need to examine you and then fill out a section of the form, so you will need to make an appointment with a local physician. You will also need to specify whether you are seeking a temporary or 5-year placard, because the same form is used for both. Once that’s done, you can complete and submit the form.

Turn in the documents

Once the forms are completed and signed, you mail them to the DPS headquarters in Oklahoma City. The address of the specific department you need to send it to is on the form. There is no fee required to receive a disability placard.

Processing and mailing the placard takes 20 business days. If you are able to, you should turn in your application in person at the DPS office on Martin Luther King Avenue in Oklahoma City. If you do that, they can process your application immediately.

What to do if you receive the placard

Once you have received your placard, you need to use it correctly. First, be sure that you have the five-year placard, not the temporary one. The temporary placard is only good for six months, and is usually issued by doctors to people who’ve suffered a temporarily disabling injury, such as a broken leg. If you were issued a temporary permit but are in need of a five-year permit, contact the DPS and check with them; it may be that you have been issued a temporary permit while the permanent one is still being processed.

Once you have verified that you have a five-year permit, you must have it hanging from the rear view mirror while parked, and remove it when driving. Leaving it hanging counts as an obstruction. The placard has been issued to you, not the vehicle. That means that you can transfer the placard to any vehicle you are in, even if you are not driving.

How to renew a physically disabled parking placard

Be sure to renew your permit before it expires, as there is no grace period. Oklahoma allows you to renew the placard up to six months before it expires. Renewing the permit requires the exact same process as obtaining your first placard.

This means you will fill out the same form, and you will need a physician to examine you each time and certify that you are still in need of a disability placard. Renewals are not automatic, and you are responsible for knowing when your permit expires. If you switch physicians during that five-year period, you may want to double check how they filled out the form. Sometimes a new doctor will accidentally mark the application for a temporary permit instead of a permanent one.

What to do if you lost your placard

Just like a renewal, replacing a lost or stolen placard requires the same form as applying for the first placard. You will, again, need to be examined by a physician and have them fill out the relevant portions of the form.

Note that Oklahoma only allows for one replacement placard in the event of a lost or stolen placard during each five-year period. If you lose two, you will only be able to replace one. The replacement also does not reset the five-year expiration date.

Do I need a driver’s license to get a disabled parking permit in Oklahoma?

No, you do not. If you have no driver’s license, use your state ID card number on the application instead. You can use your permit in any car you are riding it, it is not necessary for your to be the driver.

Can I get a disabled parking license plate?

If you have already qualified for and received a five-year placard and you have modified your vehicle to accommodate your disability you obtain a specialty license plate.

Conclusion

By following this guide, you can get your disabled parking placard in Oklahoma. Once you have it, keep it visible at all times when parking, and don’t forget that you alone are responsible for renewing the placard before it expires.