What You Need to Do to Apply for Your Disabled Parking Permit in Rhode Island

You listen to far too many statistics about your health, your rights and your ability to do things about your life. You find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard spot when you don’t know where or how to begin finding an answer for your handicap accessible parking permits. Many of the laws surrounding disabled permits vary from state to state, within the United States. If you live in Rhode Island, pay attention to each step listed below, for your peace of mind.

Where You Begin the Application Process

Step 1:

Finding yourself answers to questions you didn’t even realize needed answers to will allow you to complete your application. In Rhode Island, the simple first step is to accumulate and put together your legal documentation and identification. You will also need an application for a new disability parking placard, which can be downloaded from the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles website.

  1. Review the entire application
  2. Submit page two, along with your person, to your medical physician (discussed in Step 2)
  3. Fill out your application to its entirety
  4. Review your appropriate documents to be submitted with your application

How Do You Know If You Qualify for a Disabled Parking Permit?

Step 2:

After receiving an application in person or online, you will know that page one is for you to fill and sign and page two is for your doctor. You will need your medical doctor to verify your disability and include the timeframe of your usage of your disabled parking permit. You qualify if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

  1. You cannot walk without help from another person, brace, wheelchair, cane, crutch, or a prosthetic device.
  2. You suffer from a severe lung disease that restricts your breathing in resting air
  3. You require an oxygen tank
  4. You are diagnosed with a serious Class III or Class IV cardiac condition
  5. You are legally blind

What Type of Handicap Parking Permits are Available?

Step 3:

As specified in Step 2, your medical doctor is the only authorized person to fill out the certification of page two of your application. There are four listed choices of the type of disability placard you may need. This is only dependent on what your doctor says, it is not your choice, so please read and understand your local guidelines for Rhode Island’s disability parking placards.

  1. Temporary Disability Placard- expected minimum of two months, disabled, up to six months
  2. Long-term Disability Placard- expected one to three years, disabled
  3. Permanent Disability Placard- more than three years disabled (your lifetime span)
  4. Disabled Veterans- 100% service-connected disabled (veterans only)

What are the Differences You Should Know?

Step 4:

It is important for you to stay knowledgeable with your selected disability parking placards. Each one is different and have certain rules of renewability and procedures. Be sure you follow the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles practices, otherwise you could face fines and other punishment by law. Here’s what you need to be versed in:

  1. Temporary parking placards are valid for up to six months, to renew you must submit a new application and new medical certification from your doctor.
  2. Long-term parking placards are valid one to three years, dependent upon your condition, and you must submit a new medical certification and application by the expiratory period.
  3. Permanent placards are valid if you need them, but disability conditions last longer than a three-year period. The Rhode Island DMV will send a renewal to your mailbox a few weeks before your expiration date, then a new expiration sticker for your placard.
  4. Disabled Veteran’s parking placards/plates must be disabled 100% connected to their service, submit a verified letter from the Veteran’s Administration, and complete the application specific to disabled veterans. If you apply for a DV parking placard, you can receive your DV license placard free.

The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles have a distinct plan if you need a replacement placard due to loss, theft, or damage. Always follow the law and processes that keep you and your parking permits safe. You may visit the DMV in person, or mail all your documents, as listed.

  • Lost Placard- you are required to fill out and submit an Affidavit for Lost Parking Placard
  • Damaged Placard- simply take your damaged placard to your local DMV office for replacement
  • Stolen Placard-
    • You must file a Stolen Disability Placard Incident Report with your local law enforcement agency.
    • You must present and submit the report along with your Driver’s License

What Actions Does Rhode Island Take for Exploitation of Parking Placards?

Step 5:

Throughout the nation, each state tries its hardest to protect Disabled Persons rights and parking accessibility. Rhode Island announced several years ago, that they are now a zero-tolerance state against disability parking fraud and have cracked down on the issuance of parking placards. If you are caught cheating or attempting to deceive the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles Disability Parking Permit application, you will be fined in excess of $1,000. Remember, this is a crime and you could face punishment beyond fines, including jail.

Where and How You Need to Use Your Placards

Step 6:

Keep in mind that after your application and other supporting documents are received, it will take about four weeks before you are approved. You will receive your disability parking placards through the mail, and you must not use them while any vehicle is in motion. Once you are in your designated handicap accessible space, you must hang your placard in your rearview mirror with the expiration date visible through your windshield.

What Address You Must Send Your Application to

Step 7:

Although Rhode Island is small, you are guaranteed a location closest to your residence. If you are submitting your application, don’t forget you must mail to:

Division of Motor Vehicles
Disability Parking Placards Office
600 New London Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920

Follow these seven simple steps to assist you through the application process. Be sure you check with all your state and local resources so that you are in compliance for your Rhode Island Disability Parking Placard.