Each state has its own rules for disabled parking. The Americans with Disabilities Act lays out broad federal guidelines that the states must adhere to, but all of them have some leeway to add their own regulations and decide how to apply the federal law.
As you might expect, Oregon is both laid-back and fairly generous in its regulations for disabled parking. If you have applied for disabled parking permits in other states, you may find the regulations similar in Oregon, but actually qualifying for and obtaining the permit is often easier there. This guide will give an overview of the regulations in Oregon for disabled parking, including the different types of permits that are issued and what privileges each permit grants.
Types of permits
Oregon has several different disabled parking permits, and they are color coded to make it clear which one is being used.
Temporary
These are the dark red placards. They are only valid for up to six months, although your doctor can set the expiration date much earlier if they choose. Temporary permits are issued for temporary disabilities. Usually, these are given to people with injuries like a broken leg who need access to disabled parking for now, but will heal and recover fully from their injuries.
Renewable
Dark blue placards. These are probably the most commonly issued permits. Renewable permits are issued to people who have a disability which impairs their ability to walk or otherwise necessitates the use of handicapped parking, and who will not recover completely from their condition. These permits expire at the same time as your driver’s license. Renewing them requires filling out the same form your filled out for the first application, and another examination and certification by a physician.
Wheelchair
Oregon has a separate permit for those who are confined to a wheelchair. These are a light blue color. Like a renewable permit, these permits will expire when your driver’s license expires. The renewal process is the same; a physician will need to certify that you are still in need of a wheelchair permit.
Wounded Warrior
Wounded Warrior permits are renewable or wheelchair permits issued specifically to disabled veterans. Some of the privileges they grant are different, but otherwise they are much the same as the other two, and the renewal process is the same, too.
What each permit does
Temporary
Temporary permits allow parking in any public parking zone that has a limit higher than thirty minutes. They also allow parking in any spaces reserved for disabled persons, unless the parking space is designated as “wheelchair only.”
Renewable
Renewable permits grant the exact same privileges as temporary permits: parking in public zones for more than thirty minutes and use of parking spaces reserved for disabled persons, except for wheelchair only spaces. The only difference between renewable and temporary permits is that renewable permits last longer.
Wheelchair
Wheelchair permits allow you to park in public parking zones with a limit of over thirty minutes without having to pay the parking meter fees, and without having to pay the overtime fees. In other words, most public parking is free with a wheelchair permit. They also allow you to park in any parking space reserved for disabled persons, including those reserved for wheelchair-only use.
Wounded Warrior
Wounded Warrior permits allow you to park in public parking zones with a limit of over thirty minutes without paying the parking meter or overtime fees. Like the wheelchair permits, they make most public parking free. A Wounded Warrior permit alone does not grant the right to use spaces reserved for disabled persons; not all wounded warrior permits are disabled permits, and you will need a physician to certify that you have a disability before you are issued a permit that will allow you to use disabled parking spaces.
Who qualifies
To qualify for a physically disabled permit in Oregon, you must have at least one of the following conditions:
- severely limited mobility because of paralysis or the loss of use of some or all legs or arms;
- you are affected by loss of vision or substantial loss of visual acuity or visual field beyond correction
- anyone who has any other disability that prevents the person from walking without the use of an assistive device or that causes him or her to be unable to walk more than 200 feet, including but not necessarily limited to chronic heart condition, emphysema, arthritis, rheumatism, ulcerative colitis, or related chronic bowel disorder.
How to get a permit
Once you know that you qualify, you can begin filling out the paperwork. Oregon has four different permits to choose from. The most common are the dark blue renewable permit and the dark red temporary permit. There is also a wheelchair permit (medium blue), which means if you are confined to a wheelchair you will want to specifically apply for that one. Finally, there is the wounded warrior permit, which is for disabled veterans only. There are also separate applications for individuals and for families with more than one disabled member.
These forms can be obtained at your local DMV, or downloaded from the DMV website.
You will need to have a physician certify that you meet the criteria for a disabled parking permit. 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 renewable permit, because the same form is used for both. Once that’s done, you can complete and submit the form at your local DMV or mail it to the DMV Issuance office in Salem.
Conclusion
Following this guide should give you a good idea of the disabled parking regulations in Oregon. Remember to always display your permit clearly when parking and don’t forget to renew it. That shouldn’t be too difficult, since the permit will expire when your license does.