Living with a disability can have its challenges. You may find that it’s difficult to get around in certain spaces, and walking long distances can affect your health and pain levels. If you have a disability, you may want to consider getting a handicap permit. You can use the permit to park in a handicap space in most public locations.
If you’re a Kentucky resident, you’ll have to complete a process to get a handicap placard. Knowing what to expect can expedite the process and ensure that your placards and permits stay up to date.
Am I Eligible?
If you live in Kentucky, you are considered eligible for a handicap placard if you have severe audio, visual or physical impairments. These impairments include:
- Paralysis
- Amputation of the lower limbs
- Chronic heart condition
- Arthritis
- Emphysema
- Rheumatism
If you have any other condition that severely impedes your mobility or makes it hard to walk for long distances without experiencing pain or discomfort, you may qualify for a handicap placard.
How to Get a Handicap Permit In Kentucky
To receive your handicap permit, you’ll have to complete an Application for Disabled Person’s Special Parking Permit. The form has to be signed by a physician who is licensed to practice in Kentucky. Remember to sign and notarize your form as well before submitting the application to the County Clerk’s office closest to you.
If you run an agency or organization that transports disabled individuals, you’ll also have to fill out the form. The application should also come with a statement from your agency director verifying that you need parking placards. The statement must be on official letterhead. Remember to include the name of the agency requesting handicap parking permits. The statement must include how many vehicles from the organization will need accessible parking placards and the vehicle identification numbers for all applicable cars, trucks and vans. Vehicles must be agency-owned to qualify for handicap placards and permits.
Fees and Expiration Dates
In Kentucky, you don’t have to pay a fee for a placard, whether your disability is temporary or permanent.
Permanent disability placards are valid for two years from the date the placard is issued. Temporary disability placards last for three months.
License Plates and Permits for Handicapped Veterans
Disabled veterans in Kentucky can receive one license plate for free. You must be a resident of Kentucky or a non-resident who is stationed in the state. You must have a service-connected disability of no less than 50%. The Veterans Administration will provide this information in a letter, which you’ll submit to the Kentucky DMV. To receive your license plate, fill out the Application for Disabled Veterans Free Certificate of Registration and License Plates in its entirety and take the form to the local County Clerk’s office.
License Designation
Veterans who live in Kentucky can receive a veteran designation on their state ID or drivers license. This designation makes it easy to show your identification to organizations and agencies that offer discounts and benefits to veterans and disabled veterans. The ID designation also means you don’t have to take your discharge papers with you everywhere. If you want this license designation, you have to bring your discharge document, usually a DD 214 form, to the local Circuit Clerk.
Military License Plates
Kentucky citizens provide several distinguished military license plates to honor those who have served in the Armed Forces. To receive a specialized license plate, you should provide proof or your past or current military service and whether you were honorably discharged. You can also provide verification that you participate in a specific war or battle and give the Circuit Clerk to indicate any awards you’ve received for military service.
License plates are available for individuals in these categories:
- Air Force Academy
- Air Force Cross
- Air Force Veteran
- Army Cross
- Army Veteran
- Bronze Star with Valor Device
- Civil Air Patrol
- Coast Guard Academy
- Coast Guard Veteran
- Congressional Medal of Honor
- Gold Star (spouse, mother, father, sibling)
- Marine Veteran
- Merchant Marine Academy
- Military Academy
- National Guard
- Naval Academy
- Navy Cross
- Navy Veteran
- Pearl Harbor
- Prisoner of War
- Purple Heart
- Silver Star
In most cases, military license plates in Kentucky will require you to pay a $26 in addition to the standard registration fee for the state. This fee includes a $5 mandatory donation that goes to the Veterans Trust Fund. Most license plates can be renewed online.
Only members of the military who need to renew their drivers license while deployed overseas or out of state can renew their driver license by mail, according to Kentucky law. You can contact the Circuit Clerk’s office to get more information about mail renewal. If you’re out of state when your license expires, you can renew your license without having to retake the written or road test.
If your automobile is being stored on a military base in Kentucky while you’re deployed, you have one month from the time you return home to renew your registration. During the 30-day grace period, you won’t be penalized for driving a car with an expired registration. Just make sure you can provide proof that your vehicle was in storage during deployment.
Whether you’re a disabled vet or a current or former member of the Armed Forces, you may be able to renew your plates, licenses and permits online. This makes the process much simpler, especially if you’re stationed away from Kentucky.
Renewing Your Handicap Placards
You can renew your placards twice for a two-year period. The procedures for renewing your permits vary according to your Kentucky county of residence. It’s best to contact your nearest County Clerk’s office to make sure you’re adhering to all guidelines.
Replacing a Lost or Stolen Permit
If your disability placard is lost, stolen or damaged, you have to fill out an affidavit. The affidavit should state that your permit is not functioning properly or you have misplaced it. You’ll also be eligible for a second handicap parking placard if you’ve haven’t received or applied for a disability license plate.
Where to Hang Your Placard
When your automobile is parked, the disability placard should be hung from the rearview mirror on the front windshield. If there is no rearview mirror, the placard has to be placed on the dashboard.