SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 21, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from PennDOT's own Driver and Vehicle Services pages on pa.gov, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.

About this guide

Pennsylvania issues parking placards for qualifying people and special registration plates for qualifying vehicles. The placard can travel with the eligible person between vehicles; the plate stays on its registered vehicle. Choose the correct product, obtain the required certification and follow the parking rules wherever it is used.

In this guide: Check the qualifying condition, Choose a placard or a registration plate, Complete the original placard application, Use an authorized certifier, Submit through the applicable channel, Understand permanent and temporary expiration, Ask whether a participating facility can issue a temporary placard, Renew or replace the correct credential, Apply separately for a disability plate, Check the veteran product carefully, Display and use the placard for the eligible person, Contact the municipality about a residential space, Frequently Asked Questions

Check the qualifying condition

PennDOT's eligibility guidance lists the qualifying conditions. They include blindness, loss of full use of an arm, inability to walk 200 feet without resting, specified walking-assistance needs, portable oxygen use and qualifying lung, cardiac or mobility limitations. Eligibility depends on the listed criteria and required certification, not simply on age, a difficult commute or a preference for a shorter walk.

Review the criteria with the appropriate certifier before submitting the application. The form uses reason codes tied to the listed conditions and asks for additional information for particular codes. A general note that parking would be helpful does not necessarily complete those fields. Parents, qualifying caregivers and spouses have specified signing arrangements, but the record must still identify the person whose condition establishes eligibility.

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Choose a placard or a registration plate

The placard service explains the portable product used when transporting the qualifying person. That person need not be the driver. The placard can be used in a vehicle carrying the eligible person, subject to the program rules. It does not permanently attach the person's parking eligibility to every driver who uses that vehicle.

The special registration plate service concerns a plate assigned to the vehicle and has ownership and vehicle-type requirements. Check those requirements if the car belongs to a spouse, parent, organization or another person. PennDOT permits the combinations described by its rules, including two permanent placards or one permanent placard and one qualifying disability plate. Choose the arrangement that fits actual transportation needs.

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Complete the original placard application

Use the current MV-145A application. Select the original permanent, severely disabled veteran or temporary request as appropriate. Enter the qualifying person's information, complete the applicable certification section and obtain the required applicant or authorized representative signature. A renewal or replacement selection is not a substitute for the original certification process.

Follow the form's section instructions carefully. If a parent, person in loco parentis or spouse signs under an allowed arrangement, include the required relationship information. The current form also requires MV-8 when listing an out-of-state address. Check the entire form before mailing, particularly names, address, reason code, provider signature and the requested product. Missing certification can delay issuance even when the underlying condition would qualify.

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Use an authorized certifier

The application permits specified health care providers licensed or certified in Pennsylvania or a contiguous state to certify within their professional scope. It also has limited law-enforcement and veteran-certification routes for the circumstances described by PennDOT. Those alternatives do not allow every official to certify every condition. Temporary placards require certification by a licensed health care provider.

A provider must complete the requested functional information accurately. For example, the current form asks for visual-acuity information with the blindness code and the type of assistance device with the specified walking-assistance code. Do not alter a provider's completed certification to change the duration or qualifying condition. Have the certifier correct missing or inaccurate information before submission so the agency receives a consistent application.

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Submit through the applicable channel

The placard service identifies mail submission and in-person service at PennDOT's Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg. For a mailed MV-145A, use the address printed on the current form: PennDOT, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 68268, Harrisburg, PA 17106-8268. There is no PennDOT fee for the parking placard itself. A medical appointment or other separately provided service is a different expense.

The ordinary placard online system supports the renewal, replacement and address-change transactions identified by PennDOT. Do not assume that those functions replace the original certification application. When counter service provides a placard with temporary identification, keep the temporary document until the permanent wallet identification arrives as directed. A placard and its associated identification card serve different purposes.

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Understand permanent and temporary expiration

PennDOT's placard FAQ states that permanent and severely disabled-veteran placards are valid for five years. A temporary placard can be issued for up to six months. Read the actual expiration printed on the issued credential; a temporary product is not necessarily valid for a full six months from the day you first use it.

A temporary placard cannot be extended through ordinary permanent-placard renewal. If more time is needed, complete a new application with new health care certification and include the previous placard number. Replacement of a lost temporary placard covers the remaining time on the original term; it does not restart a six-month period. Plan a follow-up application before expiration if the qualifying condition continues.

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Ask whether a participating facility can issue a temporary placard

PennDOT's temporary placard issuance guide allows approved health care facilities to issue temporary placards directly to qualifying patients. The facility must be enrolled in the program and follow its certification and record procedures. A provider who can certify a condition is not necessarily an enrolled facility authorized to issue the physical placard.

Use the participating-facility list and ask the provider whether that service is available for your visit. The program can combine certification and temporary issuance, but the printed expiration and subsequent identification-card process still apply. Keep the copy of the completed patient documentation supplied by the facility, and follow its instructions if an additional certified period is needed.

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Renew or replace the correct credential

PennDOT normally sends a permanent-placard renewal notice about 60 days before expiration. If it does not arrive, use the supported online service or the renewal selection on MV-145A. Permanent renewal uses the sections identified on the form; it is not the same as applying for a new temporary period. Keep the placard mailing address current so the renewal notice and new credential reach the right place.

For a lost, stolen, defaced or missing placard or identification card, select the correct replacement reason and identify the previous placard. The FAQ says that an old placard later found after replacement must be returned because it is no longer valid. Do not use both the old and replacement numbers. A plate replacement is handled separately through MV-44, with the applicable plate-replacement requirements.

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Apply separately for a disability plate

The MV-145 plate application covers the applicable disability, hearing-impaired and motorcycle plate requests. Review the exact selection, vehicle eligibility, ownership and certification requirements. A hearing-related plate category should not be assumed to provide the same disability parking privilege without checking the product's rules.

The plate transaction can require a fee even though the placard is free. Use PennDOT's vehicle fee schedule and the current application for the amount applicable to the requested plate, personalization or replacement. The vehicle also needs valid ordinary registration and insurance. Receiving a special plate does not resolve an expired registration or create insurance coverage for the vehicle.

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Check the veteran product carefully

The disabled-veteran plate and motorcycle-decal application distinguishes its products and certification requirements. PennDOT also permits qualifying severely disabled-veteran placard applications under MV-145A. Review the service-connected condition, required certification and accepted award-letter evidence for the selected product instead of relying on a general veteran designation.

The placard FAQ expressly states that an ordinary disabled-veteran registration plate has no special parking privileges. A qualifying severely disabled-veteran or other disability parking product is different. Check the actual credential before entering a reserved space. Military service, a veteran marking on a driver's license or an ordinary veteran recognition plate alone does not establish disability parking eligibility.

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Display and use the placard for the eligible person

Display the placard from the rearview mirror while using the reserved parking privilege and remove it before driving so it does not obstruct the view. Carry the accompanying placard identification as instructed. The privilege applies when the vehicle is used to transport the person for whom the placard was issued. Leaving that person at home while borrowing the placard for unrelated errands is not authorized use.

PennDOT describes permission to use designated disability spaces and an additional 60 minutes beyond certain local parking time limits, subject to the stated traffic-related exceptions. The credential does not authorize parking where parking is prohibited. Read signs, payment instructions and access-aisle markings. A time allowance should not be interpreted as a blanket exemption from every meter charge, loading restriction, fire lane or no-parking rule.

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Contact the municipality about a residential space

PennDOT issues the state credential but does not approve a reserved space in front of a home. Its FAQ directs requests for those spaces to the local municipality, which controls the signs and local process. Possessing a placard therefore does not authorize an owner or tenant to install a private reserved-parking sign on a public street.

When traveling, take the valid credential and check the destination's parking rules. PennDOT states that Pennsylvania disability placards and plates are recognized in other states, but recognition does not make every local parking rule identical. Use the credential only for the eligible person's transportation, retain the identification and check the specific restrictions at the place where you park.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Pennsylvania disability parking placard free?
Yes. PennDOT does not charge for the placard. Disability plates and separate services can involve fees.

Can a passenger receive a placard?
A qualifying person does not have to be the driver. The placard may be used when the vehicle transports that person under the program rules.

How long are permanent and temporary placards valid?
Permanent and severely disabled-veteran placards are generally valid for five years. Temporary placards are valid for up to six months; follow the printed expiration.

Can I renew a temporary placard online for another six months?
No. Additional temporary eligibility requires a new application and health care certification. A replacement of a lost placard only covers the remaining original term.

Does an ordinary disabled-veteran plate permit disability parking?
PennDOT's FAQ says it does not. Use a qualifying disability parking or severely disabled-veteran product that carries the applicable privilege.

Does PennDOT reserve a parking space outside my home?
No. Contact the municipality for its residential-space process. A state placard does not itself approve or create a reserved public-street space.

About this page

Written by SearchSystems.net from the PennDOT pages linked in each section, on pa.gov and placard.penndot.pa.gov, read on October 21, 2026.

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More Pennsylvania DMV guides

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