The state of Connecticut made headlines a few years ago when it announced that it would no longer provide disability parking permits valid for the duration of the applicant’s life, with no expiration date. These “lifetime” permanent handicap parking permits allow the bearers to take advantage of the plentiful and convenient designated handicapped parking spaces throughout the state of Connecticut.
The 310,000 “lifetime” permits still in existence at the time of the announcement are also in the process of being cancelled, but the goal of the cancellation is to ensure that everyone who possesses a handicap parking permit truly deserves that permit and the right to park in a handicapped space that it confers.
Despite the fact that Connecticut is getting rid of those “lifetime” permanent parking permits, the state still has a relatively generous parking permit policy and a remarkably flexible procedure for obtaining those permits. If you are in Connecticut and you are in need of a disabled parking permit, read on to discover all the particulars of receiving one.
How Does Connecticut Define a Disability?
The following criteria taken from Form B-225P constitute Connecticut’s definition of permanent disability and thus dictate who may receive a permanent disabled parking permit:
- The applicant is blind
- The applicant has a disability that limits or impairs their ability to walk
- The applicant cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest
- The applicant cannot walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other device
- The applicant is restricted by lung disease to such an extent that the person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg on room air at rest
- The applicant uses portable oxygen
- The applicant has a cardiac condition to the extent that their functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to standards set by the American Heart Association
- The applicant is severely limited in the ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition
- The applicant is a veteran with PTSD and a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk
Connecticut is one of the few states that has a separate form for applying for a temporary disabled parking permit, Form B-225T. The criteria for disability listed on this form are identical to the criteria from the form for permanent disability.
One way in which Connecticut differs from other states when it comes to its disabled parking permit regulations is the fact that it specifically lists blindness as a criterion for receiving the permit. This is significant because it allows optometrists and other eye doctors to be included as part of the group of people who are qualified to determine whether or not you are disabled.
Who Is Allowed to Certify Your Disability in Connecticut?
As was mentioned earlier, the most significant difference between Connecticut and many other states is that the first criterion for disability is being legally blind (several other states do not specifically mention blindness in their list of criteria). Thus, the list of people who can certify that you are legally blind includes licensed optometrists, licensed ophthalmologists, and even the Board of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB).
Also, unlike some states which will only accept the certification from a licensed physician, Connecticut also allows a number of medical professionals other than physicians to certify that you are disabled. For instance, a licensed physician assistant or Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) may also certify your disability and is qualified to fill out Forms B-225P and B-225T.
Furthermore, the form may also be filled out by a licensed psychiatrist who works for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs if the applicant is a disabled veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and a disability that limits or impairs his or her ability to walk.
Such a wide range of individuals qualified to certify you as a person who has a disability is just one of the ways Connecticut’s handicap parking procedure remains one of the most generous and flexible procedures in the United States, regardless of the lack of a lifetime permit.
How Can You Submit Your Permit Application in Connecticut?
Application forms and documents for disabled parking permits can be submitted to the Connecticut DMV in a staggering number of ways. You can, of course, submit the application in person at any DMV office in Connecticut. And, as is the case with all other states, you are able to submit the application by mailing it to the following address:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Disabled Parking Permit Unit
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
But, most extraordinarily, Connecticut provides two additional ways to submit your application for a handicap parking permit. You can fax your application to the following fax number:
860- 263-5556.
You can even email your application! The email address to which you may send your application is:
This level of flexibility in submitting your disabled parking permit application is nearly unheard of. The Connecticut legislature has made great strides in updating its handicap parking laws and procedures to make them as accessible and achievable as possible to those who need to use them.
How Long Do Permits Last and How Do You Replace Them?
Temporary placards have a $5 application fee and are valid for up to six months. Permanent permits have no application fee and are good for up to six years (they bear the same expiration date as your Connecticut driver’s license or state ID card, one of which is necessary to complete your permit application). Six years may not be a lifetime, but it is still a generous time frame when compared to many other states.
Renewing or replacing your disabled parking permit will require a recertification by a licensed medical professional, and the application form can be submitted in the same methods as for a new application. Furthermore, Connecticut requires medical professionals to supply their medical license numbers on the application form so that it can monitor the number of permits a medical professional has issued and watch for signs of misuse or abuse.
Conclusion
Although Connecticut has tightened its laws regarding permanent disability permits, its procedures and regulations still remain some of the most flexible and generous in the US. Furthermore, the laws are designed to maximize and expedite availability of the permits to those who most need them. If you live in Connecticut and need a disabled parking permit, do not hesitate to apply straightaway.