If you’re currently suffering from a disability or any condition which makes it difficult for you to walk, you may be eligible to receive Walking Disability Privileges within the state of New Hampshire. These accommodations will likely make your day-to-day life easier, so it’s worth looking into! Please continue reading for a guide to assist you in obtaining this permit.
Make Sure You’re Eligible
To receive a New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability, you must meet two basic criteria:
- You must be a resident of the state of New Hampshire, and you must have a valid, official New Hampshire State Identification Card.
- You must be deemed medically eligible to receive these privileges. To confirm that these privileges are necessary because of your condition, you will be required to work with a licensed physician to complete your application package.
Gather Your Materials
The most time-consuming part of any application process is usually the preparation, but preparation is crucial. If any of your materials are missing or incomplete, your Certificate of Walking Disability will not be issued or will take a much longer time for you to receive.
The materials and information that you will require to successfully submit your application are:
- The original Application for Walking Disability Privileges, filled out by you and your doctor. This document can be downloaded from the State of New Hampshire Department of Safety website. Please be sure to carefully read both pages of this document.
- The appropriate fee. New Hampshire Certificates of Walking Disability come at no charge if you are only looking to receive one or two placards for use in your vehicle(s). If, however, you will require a set of Walking Disability license plates, the associated fee will be eight dollars.
- Physician approval: The Application for Walking Disability Privileges has a comprehensive section that must be filled out by a licensed physician. There are currently two methods for obtaining this approval.
Obtain a Physician’s Approval
As Certificates of Walking Disability do grant the holder certain rights and conveniences that are only available in very limited quantities, it is in everyone’s best interest that only those who are verified as requiring these rights and conveniences can access them. Therefore, to proceed with your application, you will need to speak with a doctor.
If you have a personal physician or if your condition allows you to make a trip to visit a local doctor in person, simply take the Application for Walking Disability Privileges along with you to an appointment. Your doctor will help you complete the form, which can then be submitted for approval.
If, however, this will present difficulties to you because of your life circumstances, there is an additional way that you can speak with a doctor. With a simple video chat online, you can discuss your options with a licensed physician. After your call, your application will be emailed to your registrar office — no printing or in-person appointments required.
Submit Your Materials
For Applications for Walking Disability Privileges in the state of New Hampshire, the form (once completed in full) should be mailed along with any associated fees to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. The correct address is available at the top of your application, which can be downloaded from the Department of Safety website.
However, if you video chat with a doctor online, immediately after your call, the form will be emailed to the Department of Safety for you.
Wait to Receive the Approval
As there is a large volume of applications received each month at the New Hampshire Department of Safety, it may take up to a few weeks before you receive your placards in the mail. The timeline will depend on whether your mailed your application in or if you emailed your application; however, either way, please note that you must wait to receive your placards before enjoying the benefits associated with your certificate.
Once You Receive Your New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability
Congratulations! Once you have received your materials in the mail, take a few minutes to place them in your vehicle. If you requested plates, please properly affix them to the front and back of your car. If you requested placards, know that New Hampshire issues them to you, and not to a specific vehicle, so you can take home with you regardless of which car you happen to be using.
Perhaps the most important rule to remember for proper utilization of your disabled parking materials is the timing and placement of your placards. Your disabled parking placards should be hung from the rear-view mirror in the front of your car, but only when the vehicle is stationary and already parked.
Please remember to remove the placard from your vehicle before you start to drive again. Having a large dangling object in your field of vision is both dangerous and illegal. For your safety and the safety of others, make a habit of removing it before you drive away.
Check the date posted on your New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability and associated materials. The Department of Public Safety recommends that you begin the renewal process, if you plan to do so, at least two weeks before the noted date of expiration.
Finally, remember to be a courteous steward of this privilege. Please refrain from parking in such a way as to take up multiple parking spaces or to obstruct the adjacent access aisles. Doing so repeatedly may make you liable for disciplinary action.
In New Hampshire, those drivers who are handicapped in such a way as to make walking difficult may be eligible to receive a Certificate of Walking Disability. This may entitle you to more easily accessible parking spaces, or even free parking spaces in the downtown area during certain windows. Whenever you need to apply for or renew your parking placards or plates, refer to this guide for the specific ways to do so.