The state of Virginia has taken great strides towards ensuring that there are plenty of accommodations for those living with disabilities so that if you have a condition that impairs your ability to walk, you can still go about your day to day life with ease.
One of these accommodations is the disabled parking space. In Virginia, the parking spaces closest to the entrance of most buildings and businesses are set aside for disabled access. If you have a disability, you may be eligible for a parking permit which will allow you to use those parking spaces.
However, since these parking spaces are by nature extremely limited in number, it is in everyone’s best interests to ensure that only those who need to use these spaces are able to use these spaces. In Virginia, there is a list of criteria you must review to see if you qualify for a disabled parking permit. Read on for a full guide detailing these criteria to see if you can apply!
First, Speak with a Licensed Medical Professional
The application form for a disabled parking permit, plate, and / or placards contains a section which must be filled out by a licensed medical professional. If you are able to go visit a personal physician or local doctor, print out the form and bring it to your appointment. The doctor will go over your medical records and the list of criteria to see your options, then provide a signature at the base of the form.
However, if (due to your life circumstances) you would rather not visit a local doctor in person, you do have the option to video chat with a licensed medical professional online. If you choose this option, know that your information will be kept secure. After you complete this task from the comfort of your home, your application form will be emailed to the Department of Motor Vehicles immediately after your call.
Criteria for Eligibility for a Disabled Parking Permit
Whether you speak with a doctor online or in person, they will go over the criteria with you to see if you qualify. Here’s a full list of qualifying conditions for your review.
You may be eligible for a Virginia disabled parking permit if:
- You are unable to walk a distance of two hundred feet without having to stop and rest, without falling, or without significant pain;
- You have a physical condition which requires you to use any form of portable oxygen;
- Your circumstances demand that you walk with an assistive device such as a walker, wheelchair, cane, brace, crutch, prosthetic, or with the assistance of a friend to avoid pain or a fall;
- You have heart failure that meets the standards listed for Class III or Class IV heart failure, as determined by the American Heart Association;
- You have a specific neurologic, orthopedic, or arthritic condition which severely impedes your ability to walk;
- You have lung disease as measured by an expiratory volume that is less than one liter per second per spirometry, or an arterial oxygen tension while you are breathing room temperature (and pressure) air while you are at rest that is less than 60 mm/Hg;
- You have a mental disorder or any kind of developmental amentia which affects your ability to perceive, make decisions, or understand your surroundings such as a condition on the autism spectrum;
- You have Alzheimer’s or any other condition which resembles dementia; or
- You have a condition which has resulted in either legal deafness or legal blindness.
Meeting any one of the above criteria may make you eligible for a Virginia disabled parking permit, but nothing is set in stone! Meet with your doctor to make sure that you can present the best case possible for your application.
If you are applying for a Virginia disabled parking permit for conditions relating to pregnancy, please apply for a temporary parking permit, note your due date as the expiration date, and mention that you are pregnant in the space provided.
Who Can Use a Disabled Parking Permit?
Please note that in the state of Virginia, the parking permit is issued to the person — e.g., you — and not to a specific vehicle. If you request and receive parking placards, then you will be able to use them in any car you happen to be using. (If you requested and received disabled parking plates, then those will apply to only the car to which they are affixed.)
As your disability may by its nature impede your ability to drive, please also note that you do not have to be the one driving in order to be able to park in a disabled parking space. Anyone can drive and anyone can be in the vehicle using your disabled parking plates or placards; however, you must be. If others are found to be using your disabled parking materials without your presence, then you may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including revocation of your disabled parking permit.
When you go to renew your disabled parking permit, you will be asked to go through the criteria again and have a doctor re-confirm your condition. The state of Virginia requires this as even permanent conditions do change, and they have a vested interest in ensuring that only those who need to use the parking spaces are able to do so.
If you have a disability which significantly impedes your ability to walk and you live in the state of Virginia, you might be able to apply for a disabled parking permit — a tool which will greatly increase your quality of life. Specific accommodations have been set aside for the disabled, and if you use a parking placard to enjoy them, you will be able to go about your errands in a much easier way.
However, you have to qualify for the service, first! Whenever you need to apply for or renew your disabled parking permit, refer to these criteria to see if your condition qualifies you to use these accommodations.