Mississippi, a state located in the southeast part of the United States, bears the nicknames “the Magnolia State” as well as “the Hospitality State.” The name of the state itself is derived from the Mississippi River, whose name in turn originates from Misi zipi, the rendering by the French of the Anishinaabe (Algonquin or Ojibwe) name for that river, Misi-ziibi, which in that language means “Great River.” Mississippi was the 20th state to gain admission to the Union, becoming admitted on December 10, 1817.

The state of Mississippi is bordered to the east by Alabama, to the north by Tennessee, to the south by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Arkansas, and to the southwest by Louisiana. The vast majority of the western border of the state of Mississippi is defined by the outline of the Mississippi River from which the state derives its name.

The capital city of Mississippi as well as the city with the largest population is Jackson. The metropolitan area which includes Jackson, known as Greater Jackson, had a population of around five hundred eighty thousand people in 2018 and is the ninety-fifth most populous metropolitan area in the United States.

The Gulf Coastal Plain, which extends around the Gulf of Mexico, contains nearly the entire state of Mississippi. Thus, the majority of Mississippi’s topography consists of low hills and lowland plains. The rest of the state of Mississippi, which lies to the northwest, is covered by the Mississippi Delta, which is a part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.

The highest point in the state of Mississippi is Woodall Mountain with a height of 807 feet or 246 meters above sea level. The lowest point in the state is the Gulf of Mexico. But no matter where you live in the state of Mississippi or in what part of Mississippi you may be travelling, one thing will always be available to you if you possess the proper qualifications: designated disabled parking spaces.

If you have a disability and you are wondering what is necessary to obtain a disabled parking permit for the state of Mississippi, look no further; we have the information you are looking for.

Qualifications for Disability

So what exactly are the proper qualifications necessary for receiving a disabled parking permit in Mississippi? According to the information on the Disabled Parking Application (Form 76-104), you must have one of the following conditions to qualify:

  • Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest; or Cannot walk without the use of an assistive device; or
  • Is restricted by lung disease to such an extent that the person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one (1) second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one (1) liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty (60) mm/hg on room air at rest; or
  • Use portable oxygen; or
  • Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the person’s functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to standards set by the American Heart Association; or
  • Is severely limited in his/her ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.

Your possession of one of the above qualifications needs to be certified by a licensed physician or a licensed nurse practitioner. Only a licensed physician or nurse practitioner can make this official determination of your disability.

Applying for a Permit

After your physician or nurse practitioner has determined that one of the above qualifications applies to you, he or she needs to complete and sign Section 1 of Form 76-104, so don’t forget to bring this form with you to the appointment!

In most cases, you will need to apply in person; take the signed form with you to your local branch of the Mississippi County Tax Collector’s office. An official at the office will guide you through completing the rest of your application, including paying the necessary fees.

The amount of the fee will depend on the type of permit for which you are applying. A temporary placard (which lasts for no more than 6 months) has no fee. A permanent placard (which lasts for no more than 5 years) also has no fee. A permanent disabled license plate (which lasts for no more than 5 years) carries the normal registration fee. And a Disabled Veterans license plate (which lasts for no more than 5 years and is available to veterans who suffered a disability through their service and have had that fact certified by Veterans’ Affairs) has a fee of $1.

Using Your Permit

Once you receive your permit, you must learn how to use it properly. License plates are permanent and must be affixed to the back bumper of your car. But temporary and permanent placards must be hung from your car’s rearview mirror when you are parked in a handicap space (unless your car has no rearview mirror, in which case the placard must be displayed prominently on the dashboard when you are parked).

Do not forget to remove the placard before you start driving again! It is illegal to have the placard hanging from the rearview mirror while the car is in motion. And don’t forget to hang the placard or make it visible when you park in a disabled parking spot, as you will be subject to fines or citations if you forget to do so.

Renew or replace your permit when it is time to do so by contacting your local Mississippi county tax collector’s office; they will tell you if you need to renew or replace your permit in person or are allowed to do so by mail. You don’t need to get medically recertified unless you are reapplying for a temporary placard.

Your disability need not be so great of an obstacle to your travelling around Mississippi and enjoying what it has to offer. Apply today for a disabled parking permit from Mississippi!