Vermont is known for its beautiful forests, historic buildings, and maple syrup. What Vermont residents might not know is how to sign up for disabled parking in the Green Mountain State.

Under Vermont guidelines, you may be eligible for a disabled parking permit if you experience difficulty walking more than 200 feet unassisted, or if you need extra loading space for a walker or wheelchair.

. If you are seeking your disabled parking permit in the great state of Vermont, look no farther. We can get you closer to the door in no time flat, with these three steps.

  1. Verify your eligibility under Vermont guidelines
  2. Obtain a physician signed certificate verifying your disability
  3. File with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles

These steps are explained in detail below.

Vermont Guidelines for Eligibility for Disabled Parking

Disabled parking permit access is based on a person’s difficulty when walking more than 200 feet. This is a nebulous requirement intentionally, as all people are different. Not everyone reacts to the same conditions in the same ways, so there is no official list of conditions known to cause ambulatory difficulty.

That said, here are some of the things your medical provider will look for to determine if you have a legitimate need.

  • Partial or full amputation or paralysis
  • Use of a brace or prosthesis
  • Reliance on an ambulatory assistive device including wheelchair, walker or cane
  • Legal blindness
  • A class III or IV cardiac condition such as a history of heart attack or stroke
  • A severe and limiting respiratory disease such as a form of COPD
  • Reliance on supplemental oxygen
  • Conditions causing dizziness or affecting balance
  • Seizures or sudden and uncontrolled loss of muscle tone
  • Any other condition causing severe pain or difficulty walking more than 200 feet

If you feel you have a condition or disability that limits your mobility, talk to your doctor about your disabled parking permit eligibility.

If you have experienced a severe but temporary injury and you will have a hard time walking for more than three weeks, you may be eligible for a temporary placard. These temporary placards are issued along with the same guidelines but last for six months.

Vermont Providers of Physician Signed Certificate

If you believe you are eligible on either a temporary or permanent basis, you will need a physician signed certificate to file with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. Your primary care physician or other medical providers who work closely with them can sign for you. This very important legal document is ultimately what grants you eligibility.

Besides your primary care doctor and their team of nurses and physicians’ assistants, you might also be able to obtain your physician signed certificate from a specialist that you see. If you are treated by a specialist concerning your particular disability or condition, they will be able to verify that condition and provide you with a physician signed certificate. For example, blindness can be verified by an optometrist.

Lastly, if you do not have a regular care provider or want to skip waiting for your appointment, you can also receive your physician signed certificate through a virtual visit. This is the easiest and fastest way to obtain your physician signed certificate. Many of the best and brightest providers in Vermont are now available online for virtual visits. These visits take place at a time of your choice from the comfort of your home.

Vermont Filing Guide for Disabled Parking

Once you have obtained your physician signed certificate verifying your disability, it is time to file your paperwork with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. All paperwork can be filed either by mail or in-person from a local Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles office.

Temporary placards last six months. To apply for a temporary placard, file form TA-VL-38 along with your physician signed certificate.

Permanent placards must be renewed every four years. To apply for a permanent placard, file form TA-VD-119 along with your physician signed certificate.

If you qualify for a permanent placard, you have the option to obtain a disabled parking permit license plate. To do so, you must file form TA-VA-113 along with your physician signed certificate.

Lost or stolen placards can be replaced by reporting your old placard lost or stolen and re-submitting your forms. Temporary placards that are lost or stolen will require a new physician signed certificate. Permanent placards do not.

Vermont Parking Rules

Once you’ve gotten your disabled parking permit placard, make sure you understand the rules of disabled parking.

First off, you must be sure to always keep your disabled parking permit placard visible when you park. Failure to display your placard can land you with a ticket.

Make sure that you don’t hang your placard from your rearview while you drive, though. This is an obstruction of view and is also a cause for a ticket.

Remember that you can use your disabled parking permit placard in all fifty states, so take it with you wherever you go. Just be sure and read the signs and familiarize yourself with local parking laws.

If you see someone parked in a handicapped space, marked with the blue and white wheelchair symbol, check if they have their disabled parking permit placard on display, or if they are sporting a disabled parking permit license plate. If not, they are parking illegally. Illegal parking should always be reported, but especially when it has to do with disabled parking!

Lots of folks, like yourself, need those spaces to be safe and comfortable in their community. If you witness a violation, report it as soon as possible to local law enforcement. Be sure to tell them the time, place and license plate number that you witnessed. Your disabled neighbors and friends will thank you for keeping their community safe and accessible.

If you struggle to walk more than 200 feet without assistance or pain, or you rely on a device such as a wheelchair or a walker which requires extra loading and unloading room, talk to your doctor about a disabled parking permit.