Trying to get a disabled parking permit can be a challenge for people living in the United States because every state has different rules and regulations. In some states, the laws can even vary from city to another. If you live in Oklahoma and need a disabled parking permit, follow the steps in this guide to simplify the process.
Find out if you qualify
Like all states, Oklahoma has laid out clearly what qualifies a person to receive a handicapped placard for their car. You will need to qualify for a 5-year physically disabled placard before you can get a Physically Disabled License plate. To qualify for a physically disabled placard in Oklahoma, you must have at least one of the following conditions:
- Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest
- Cannot walk without the use of or assistance from a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistant device
- Is restricted to such an extent that the person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one (1) second, when measured by spirometry, is less than sixty (60) mm/hg on room air at rest, or
- Must use portable oxygen
- Has functional limitations which are classified in severity as class iii or class iv according to standards set by the American Heart Association
- Is severely limited in his or her ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition
- Is certified legally blind
- Is missing one or more limbs which impair mobility.
Have a physician sign your application
Once you know that you qualify, you can begin filling out the paperwork. You will to need to get a copy of the physically disabled placard application form. You can pick one up at your local Department of Public Safety office or download it from the DPS website. It’s called the Physical Disability Parking Placard Application.
You will need to have a physician certify that you meet the criteria for a physically disabled placard. They need to examine you and then fill out a section of the form, so you will need to make an appointment with a local physician. You will also need to specify whether you are seeking a temporary or 5-year placard, because the same form is used for both. Once that’s done, you can complete and submit the form.
Turn in the documents
Once the forms are completed and signed, you mail them to the DPS headquarters in Oklahoma City. The address of the specific department you need to send it to is on the form. There is no fee required to receive a disability placard.
Processing and mailing the placard takes 20 business days. If you are able to, you should turn in your application in person at the DPS office on Martin Luther King Avenue in Oklahoma City. If you do that, they can process your application immediately.
What to do if you receive the placard
Once you have received your placard, you need to use it correctly. First, be sure that you have the five-year placard, not the temporary one. The temporary placard is only good for six months, and is usually issued by doctors to people who’ve suffered a temporarily disabling injury, such as a broken leg. If you were issued a temporary permit but are in need of a five-year permit, contact the DPS and check with them; it may be that you have been issued a temporary permit while the permanent one is still being processed.
Once you have verified that you have a five-year permit, you must have it hanging from the rear view mirror while parked, and remove it when driving. Leaving it hanging counts as an obstruction. The placard has been issued to you, not the vehicle. That means that you can transfer the placard to any vehicle you are in, even if you are not driving.
How to renew a physically disabled parking placard
Be sure to renew your permit before it expires, as there is no grace period. Oklahoma allows you to renew the placard up to six months before it expires. Renewing the permit requires the exact same process as obtaining your first placard.
This means you will fill out the same form, and you will need a physician to examine you each time and certify that you are still in need of a disability placard. Renewals are not automatic, and you are responsible for knowing when your permit expires. If you switch physicians during that five-year period, you may want to double check how they filled out the form. Sometimes a new doctor will accidentally mark the application for a temporary permit instead of a permanent one.
What to do if you lost your placard
Just like a renewal, replacing a lost or stolen placard requires the same form as applying for the first placard. You will, again, need to be examined by a physician and have them fill out the relevant portions of the form.
Note that Oklahoma only allows for one replacement placard in the event of a lost or stolen placard during each five-year period. If you lose two, you will only be able to replace one. The replacement also does not reset the five-year expiration date.
Do I need a driver’s license to get a disabled parking permit in Oklahoma?
No, you do not. If you have no driver’s license, use your state ID card number on the application instead. You can use your permit in any car you are riding it, it is not necessary for your to be the driver.
Can I get a disabled parking license plate?
If you have already qualified for and received a five-year placard and you have modified your vehicle to accommodate your disability you obtain a specialty license plate.
Conclusion
By following this guide, you can get your disabled parking placard in Oklahoma. Once you have it, keep it visible at all times when parking, and don’t forget that you alone are responsible for renewing the placard before it expires.