The process for obtaining a New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability can result in your enjoying many privileges. These rights will make day to day life with your condition much easier through the use of parking space much closer to your final destination. However, because these parking spaces are limited in number, the state requires a verification process to make sure that your condition requires the use of these spaces.
To complete your application for a New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability, therefore, you will need to work with a licensed physician to confirm your disability. There are currently two main ways of doing so.
Talk to a Doctor in Person
If your life circumstances and disability allow you to do so, one method of obtaining the required approval is simply to go speak with a local doctor in person. When you do so, bring a physical copy of the New Hampshire Application for Walking Disability Privileges. The second part of this form will help you and your physician determine your eligibility.
To determine your eligibility for a New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability, you and your physician will discuss your condition in light of the following requirements.
Conditions Eligible for a New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability
If you meet one of the following criteria, you will be eligible to receive a parking permit which allows you to park in disabled-only sections of parking lots.
- If you use any type of portable oxygen system;
- If you have any kind of debilitating cardiac condition which affects your life to such an extent that you meet the standards for Class III or Class IV heart failure as defined by the American Heart Association;
- As the name of the certificate implies, if you are unable to walk or if your ability to walk easily is significantly impaired due to any disabling, medical condition. Examples of such conditions may include arthritic, orthopedic, or neurological systemic issues; please discuss with your physician whether yours is eligible;
- If you have lung disease, and it restricts your breathing to such an extent that your expiratory volume or forced respiratory volume is less than one liter for one second when appropriately measured, or if the oxygen tension in your arteries is less than 60 mm/Hg while you are completely at rest without supplemental oxygen; or
- If you are completely unable to walk without constant assistance of any kind, including a cane, a walker, a staff, a wheelchair, or another person,
You may be eligible for receipt of a New Hampshire Certificate of Walking Disability.
Filling Out the Application With Your Doctor
If you have opted to discuss your application with a local or personal physician in person, you will have to go through the following questions in full.
First, you and your doctor will have to determine which type of Certificate of Walking Disability your condition deems necessary. There are two different types of Certificates of Walking Disability in the state of New Hampshire.
Types of Certificates of Walking Disability
- Temporary: A temporary disabled parking permit will allow you to use disabled only parking spaces in the state of New Hampshire for up to six months. If your condition will require use of these accommodations for longer than six months, consider applying for a permanent certificate.
- Permanent: A permanent disabled parking permit will allow you to use disabled only parking spaces on a more long-term basis. However, even permanent disabled parking permits do require periodic renewal. Please see the New Hampshire Department of Safety for more information on the renewal process.
If you are applying for a Certificate of Walking Disability due to pregnancy, please consider applying for a Temporary parking space, indicating your due date and your rationale in the space provided.
Your doctor will then have to mark whether he or she is a licensed physician, a podiatrist, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, or a Physician Assistant. if your doctor is otherwise certified, please provide more information in the space allowed on the form.
Your doctor will then simply have to indicate which of the conditions listed above make you eligible for a disabled parking permit. Please note that any falsification on this part of the form may be liable for disciplinary action.
At the bottom of this section, your doctor will have to provide his or her complete name, address, telephone number, and signature. It is possible that your doctor will be reached for more information in the case that this section is unclear during application processing.
Video Chat with a Doctor to Complete Your Application
If the above process is not possible because of your life circumstances or disability, there is another way to complete the tasks and submit your application promptly. By video chatting with your doctor online, you take the travel and much of the processing time out of the equation, making it overall a simpler and easier process.
After video chatting with a licensed physician, your medical records will be reviewed online and the application submitted by email to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. With the aid of modern technology, you can rest assured that all of your information regarding the process will be kept completely private and secure.
Wait To Receive your Materials in the Mail
After you have submitted all of your materials, whether online or by mail or in person, the Department of Public Safety will review your application and send you your materials. Please wait until you have received your placards, permit, and plates (if applicable) in the mail before you begin to park in handicap spaces.
Use Your Placards Properly
Always remember to place the placard on your rear-view mirror when you are fully parked in a parking space, and remove it when you begin to drive.
New Hampshire makes the process for qualifying for a disabled parking permit painless as long as you follow the instructions! Refer to this guide whenever you need to know who can qualify for a New Hampshire disabled parking permit.