SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 21, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles' own pages on in.gov, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.

About this guide

Indiana offers temporary and permanent disability placards as well as disability license plates. The application, medical certification, vehicle record, and expiration rules differ, particularly when a caregiver or organization applies.

In this guide: Choose the parking credential that fits the situation, Use the latest state application, Ask the health care provider to certify the qualifying condition, Track temporary, permanent, and company expiration differently, Document authority when someone signs for the applicant, Calculate placard and plate charges separately, Mail the application to the address for this transaction, Supply vehicle details for a disability plate, Keep plate renewal separate from medical certification, Distinguish disabled-veteran eligibility from other military plates, Use accessible spaces without blocking their access features, Frequently Asked Questions

Choose the parking credential that fits the situation

The BMV disability parking program offers placards and license plates, with different eligibility and duration rules. A placard concerns the qualifying person's parking access, while a plate is issued through a vehicle registration record. Decide whether the application concerns a temporary condition, a permanent disability, a regularly used transport vehicle, or an authorized organization. Those are not interchangeable selections on the form. For a household arranging transportation with several caregivers, identify the person whose qualifying condition supports the application and which vehicle, if any, is being designated for a plate. That keeps the parking credential connected to the intended eligibility rather than simply to the person completing the paperwork.

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Use the latest state application

Indiana requires State Form 42070 and expressly states that prior versions will not be accepted. Download the current version from the BMV link rather than reusing an old form kept in a medical office or obtained from a commercial form site. The mail-in checklist explains supporting documents and warns that missing, altered, or incomplete information can cause the application to be returned. Review both the applicant and certification portions before submission. Where the form asks for a specific choice or date, a general medical note may not answer that field. A complete current form is more useful than a large packet of unrelated records that does not establish the required information.

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Ask the health care provider to certify the qualifying condition

The BMV describes qualifying mobility, limb-use, vision, and specified autism-spectrum conditions. Temporary and permanent placards do not require exactly the same permanence determination as disability plates. Ask the provider to complete the certification for the actual category requested, including the relevant duration where applicable. The application should establish eligibility under Indiana's program rather than merely state that the applicant has a diagnosis. A caregiver can help organize the documents without deciding medical eligibility on the provider's behalf. Keep a copy of the completed application for reference, especially when several offices are assisting and an unanswered field might otherwise lead to conflicting versions being submitted.

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Track temporary, permanent, and company expiration differently

A temporary placard ends on the provider's stated date or one year after issuance, whichever occurs first. A permanent placard does not expire unless a provider certifies that the condition is no longer permanent. Company placards follow a different scheduled expiration and become invalid if the company stops operating (read October 21, 2026). Record the date and category shown on the issued credential rather than importing another state's renewal cycle. If a condition changes, use the BMV's stated process instead of altering the placard. A permanent parking credential also should not be confused with a permanently valid vehicle registration, which has its own renewal obligation.

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Document authority when someone signs for the applicant

The mail-in checklist requires a person signing on another applicant's behalf to provide the document authorizing that signature, identify the position of authority, and include the signer's state-issued license or identification copy. The examples include a parent, guardian, power-of-attorney holder, or institutional representative. Being the person who drives to appointments does not automatically answer the legal-signature question. Check the authority before completing the signature field and retain the supporting document with the application copy. For an applicant new to BMV business, the checklist requests additional identifying information. The Indiana identification-card guidance can be useful when the household also needs to establish a separate identification credential.

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Calculate placard and plate charges separately

The BMV fee schedule and disability mail checklist show a $5 temporary-placard charge and no charge for a permanent placard. The checklist lists $9.50 to change a current plate to a disability plate, multiplied by the number of requested plates (read October 21, 2026). Those amounts do not mean every future vehicle registration or tax becomes free. Review registration fees and taxes for the vehicle itself and the accepted payment guidance for the chosen transaction channel. When mailing, include the payment-information form only as required for the requested transaction. Separating the placard charge from the vehicle charges helps prevent an incomplete payment or an incorrect expectation of a registration exemption.

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Mail the application to the address for this transaction

The current disability mail checklist directs applications to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Winchester Processing Center, P.O. Box 100, Winchester, IN 47394. This is not the same address used for every medical or title submission. The BMV page also permits a branch application, and the branch map identifies available locations. Use the branch preparation page when coordinating assistance, documents, and a visit. Keep a copy of what was sent and the requested credential type. If the packet is returned, correct the identified deficiency on the current form rather than assuming that payment alone caused the parking privilege to be issued.

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Supply vehicle details for a disability plate

A plate request requires the vehicle and current plate information identified by the checklist. Indiana lists eligible vehicle types and also allows a qualifying designation for a vehicle regularly used to transport the person with the disability. The vehicle's ownership and registration must still be handled through the BMV registration system. A needed owner change may first require the title amendment process. Do not use a disability application to bypass an unresolved title issue or put a plate on an unrelated vehicle. The plate display requirements continue to matter after issuance, including keeping the registration markings visible rather than obscuring them with a decorative frame.

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Keep plate renewal separate from medical certification

The BMV allows disability plate renewal through specified online, kiosk, telephone, mail, and branch channels. Review myBMV services and BMV Connect options for the transaction available to the particular registration. The fact that a person has a permanent placard does not eliminate the plate's scheduled registration renewal. Check the mailing address and insurance information along with the renewal amount. Where a temporary condition continues beyond the existing placard's date, follow the current application instructions rather than treating a paid vehicle renewal as a placard extension. Keeping two reminders, one for parking eligibility and another for registration, avoids allowing the wrong record to expire unnoticed.

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Distinguish disabled-veteran eligibility from other military plates

The disability page recognizes qualifying Disabled Hoosier Veteran eligibility in its permanent-placard provisions. Review the Indiana military plate descriptions and the Department of Veterans Affairs resources for the specific veteran benefit or certification involved. A veteran designation or a different military-themed plate should not be assumed to convey the same disability parking eligibility. When several benefits may apply, assemble the evidence for each program rather than using one document as proof of every entitlement. A veteran's household may need both the parking application and a separate vehicle or benefit transaction, with the responsible agency determining the evidence it accepts for that particular purpose.

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Use accessible spaces without blocking their access features

The federal accessible parking guidance explains why the marked access aisle beside a space must remain available for wheelchair and mobility-device access. A parking credential is not permission to occupy that aisle or disregard unrelated restrictions at a destination. Read local signs and the facility's applicable rules rather than assuming free or unlimited parking everywhere. For access problems with BMV services themselves, the agency's Title VI and ADA information identifies its coordinator and complaint process. A parking application, a service-access request, and a complaint about an inaccessible lot are different matters, so direct each concern to the office responsible for resolving it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Indiana accept an older copy of the disability parking application?
The BMV states that prior versions of State Form 42070 are not accepted. Obtain the current form through the official program page before seeking certification.

When does an Indiana temporary disability placard stop being valid?
It expires on the health care provider's specified date or one year after issuance, whichever arrives first. Use the date on the issued credential when planning any further application.

Is a permanent Indiana disability placard subject to an ordinary annual renewal fee?
The BMV lists permanent placards as free and without an ordinary expiration unless the condition is certified as no longer permanent. Vehicle registration renewal remains a separate matter.

What must a representative include when signing a disability application for another person?
The mail checklist calls for signature-authority documentation, the representative's capacity, and a copy of the representative's state-issued license or identification.

Does changing to a disability plate make all Indiana registration taxes disappear?
The disability plate change and placard fees are separate from the vehicle's applicable registration fees and taxes. Review the vehicle calculation rather than assuming a universal exemption.

Can an accessible parking credential justify stopping in the striped access aisle?
The aisle serves the space needed for mobility-device access. Keep it available and follow the destination's parking restrictions rather than treating it as an additional parking stall.

About this page

Written by SearchSystems.net from the Indiana BMV pages linked in each section, on in.gov and forms.in.gov, ada.gov, read on October 21, 2026.

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More Indiana BMV guides

The other Indiana BMV guides, 52 of them: