If you are suffering from a disability and you live in the state of New York, a disabled parking permit can be a tool that will make your life a lot easier. However, not everyone is eligible, and there are several steps to take before your application is approved. Read below for a detailed guide telling you exactly how you can get your New York disabled parking permit.
Make Sure You Are Eligible
As the number of disabled parking spots in the state of New York is necessarily limited, it is in everyone’s benefit that the state Department of Motor Vehicles ensures that your condition requires use of these parking spots.
To do this, you will need to speak with a licensed physician or other medical professional to confirm your condition, and to make sure it meets all of the criteria listed on the application form for a disabled parking permit. There are currently two options for obtaining medical approval.
Speak with a Doctor to Confirm your Condition
If you have a personal physician or if your condition allows you to go visit a local doctor in person, download the application form from the New York Department of Motor Vehicles website and bring it to your appointment. Your doctor will go over the questions with you, provide his signature, and you will be ready to mail in your application.
However, if that option is untenable due to your life circumstances or condition, there is a simpler option. Video chatting with a doctor online is a simple way to ensure that you can talk to a medical professional from the comfort and ease of your home. In addition, your information will be kept secure, and your application will be emailed straight your neighborhood’s local agency immediately after your call.
Qualifying Conditions for a Disabled Parking Permit
You may be eligible for a disabled parking permit if you are currently experiencing one of the following conditions.
- If you are using any form of portable oxygen;
- If you are experiencing any form of legally documented blindness;
- If one or both of your legs are permanently impaired such that you cannot use them for their original purpose;
- If, due to any reason, you find yourself consistently unable to walk two hundred feed without considerable issues;
- If you have any kind of neuromuscular dysfunction that impairs or limits your mobility in a severe or life-threatening way
- If you have a cardiac condition that meets the standards for Class III or Class IV heart failure according to the American Heart Association;
- If you have a neurological, arthritic, or orthopedic condition which makes it impossible for you to walk effectively for any comfortable distance;
- If you have lung diseased, defined by an expiratory volume of less than one liter for one second when measured by spirometry, or if your oxygen tension in your arteries is less than 60 mm/Hg on room air when you are resting; or
- If you have any other unlisted condition, whether physical or mental, that means that you have an impairment considered equal to any others on the list above.
If you have a medical condition which has resulted in your great difficulty getting around town, the state of New York will consider your application. The state of New York uses a larger list of conditions than most to determine eligibility, which means that if you have a relevant condition, it’s worth your while to see if you can receive a disabled parking permit.
Contact Your City Office
In New York, as opposed to many other states, the Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Public Safety do not issue disabled parking permits. Instead, this is handled individually by each city, town, and village. Contact your neighborhood’s official community clerk to learn more about your town’s process for application.
However, there are common procedures likely followed by most towns. Read on to learn about these commonalities.
Download and Fill Out Your Form
Most neighborhoods and towns in New York State accept a universal form for this application process. Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles website and download MV-664.1, then fill out the top part of the form yourself. Information you will need to complete this includes your telephone number, address, and a photocopy of your New York State identification.
Gather Your Materials
To apply for a disabled parking permit in the state of New York, you will need two things:
- Your completed application form. This will include a photocopy of your most relevant form of identification.
- A certificate or note from your physician. This requirement may be fulfilled by the medical portion of the application form, if signed by a doctor. However, some towns will accept a signed note from a hospital or doctor’s office as evidence.
In New York there is no fee required for this application process.
Mail In Your Form
Because the Department of Motor Vehicles does not process applications for disabled parking permits in the state of New York, there is no single, centralized address for submissions. Contact your city clerk to learn where the application packet should be submitted.
If you opted to chat with a medical professional online, however, your application will be submitted to the proper local for you via email in a secure and confidential manner.
Be sure to wait to receive your parking permit from the state of New York before you start utilizing handicap accommodations; simply going through the application process does not qualify you to use them. You will receive placards in the mail with your permit; please wait to receive those before parking.
Having a New York State parking permit can help you make your day to day life much easier! Going through the steps to receive one can seem like a hurdle. Whenever you need to apply for or renew a New York State disabled parking permit, please refer to this guide for all of the information you will need.