According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, disability rates in the state of Mississippi are higher than the national average and are indeed among the highest in the United States. 25.6 percent of adults in the United States possess some kind of disability, but this is compared to the 33.5 percent of adults who are eighteen years of age or older in Mississippi who have some form of disability.

Furthermore, out of all the states, Mississippi has one of the lowest labor force participation rates, 56 percent, second only to that of West Virginia. This is coupled with the fact that approximately 10 percent (which comes to around 70,000 people) of the working age population of Mississippi is disabled.

17.5 percent of adults in Mississippi have a type of disability that affects their mobility, and 15.6 percent of adults in Mississippi have a disability related to their cognition.

In spite of the substantial progress that has been made over the years in removing the barriers to health care and improving access for disabled persons to routine preventative medical services, adults in Mississippi and throughout the United States who have disabilities continue to experience great differences in terms of their behaviors and health characteristics when compared to adults who do not have disabilities. For instance, adults with disabilities in Mississippi are more likely than adults without disabilities to smoke, to have high blood pressure, to be sedentary, and to be obese.

It may not be surprising, then, to learn that the costs of disability healthcare expenditures in the state of Mississippi total approximately $4.5 billion each year. This represents about 33 percent, or one third, of total expenditures for healthcare in the state of Mississippi.

As part of its quest to improve or ameliorate the lives of its residents with disabilities, Mississippi has, like all the other states, made designated disabled parking spaces available to its residents who meet the necessary qualifications. Like most states, Mississippi determines eligibility for its disabled parking spaces through a disabled parking permit system.

But how does one with a qualifying disability go about applying for a disabled parking permit in Mississippi? Here, you can be informed of the qualifications and the steps you will need to take if you are a disabled person who would like to apply for a disabled parking permit from the state of Mississippi.

What Is Considered a Disability?

A disability which qualifies you to receive a disabled parking permit and park in handicap parking spaces, according to the state of Mississippi, includes the following:

  • Not being able to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest
  • Not being able to walk without the use of an assistive device
  • Being restricted by lung disease to such an extent that your 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
  • Needing to use portable oxygen
  • Having a cardiac condition to the extent that your functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to standards set by the American Heart Association
  • Being severely limited in your ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition

These and certain other conditions, when properly certified, count as disabilities which make you eligible to receive a disabled parking permit.

Who Can Certify a Disability?

In order to apply for a disabled parking permit, you will need to get your disability certified by either a licensed physician or a licensed nurse practitioner. These are the only two kinds of medical professionals able to certify you as disabled enough to receive the disabled parking permit.

What Kinds of Permits Are Available?

Mississippi offers a few different kinds of disabled parking permits. A temporary disability placard is valid up to six months. A permanent disability placard is valid up to five years. A permanent disability license plate is valid up to five years. A special kind of disabled license plate is available for veterans, a Disabled Veteran license plate, and is valid up to five years.

Depending on how severe your disability is and how long it is expected to last, you may qualify for either a temporary disabled parking permit or a permanent disabled parking permit.

How Do You Apply?

To apply for a disabled parking permit in Mississippi, you will need a Disabled Parking Application (Form 76-104). Section 1 of this form will need to be completed and signed by your physician or nurse practitioner to certify that you are, in fact, disabled.

After getting the certification from the medical professional, bring the form to a nearby Mississippi county tax collector’s office to submit it in person. They will fill out the rest of the form for you and you will complete it by signing it. In some special cases, you may also be able to apply by mail.

You will also need to bring the appropriate fee for the permit. Placards are free to obtain, but license plates require the regular registration fees and Disabled Veteran license plates (which require a certification from Veteran Affairs that your disability is related to your military service) cost $1.

If you receive a placard, use the placard by hanging it on your rearview mirror when you park in a handicap space. Remove the placard before driving.

How Do You Renew or Replace Your Permit?

Contact your Mississippi Department of Revenue office to find out how best to renew or replace your disabled parking permit. They will inform you whether you need to renew in person or by mail. If you are renewing or replacing a temporary permit, you will need to be recertified by your physician or nurse practitioner.

If you are disabled, one of the ways in which the state of Mississippi seeks to improve your quality of life is to offer you designated handicap parking. If you believe you are qualified, apply today to take advantage of this benefit and make your life a little bit easier.