NEW LAW GOVERNING SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES AND
PARKING ID PLACARDS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Dear Customer:
Senate Bill 151 was passed by the Delaware General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor on May 1, 2008. The legislation makes some significant changes that affect customers who have special license plates or parking ID placards for persons with disabilities. The following is a brief overview of the law.
This law eliminates the requirements for a person with a permanent disability to obtain a new physician’s certification in order to have his or her special license plate or parking ID placard renewed. The individual with a disability shall be required to submit a written certification that he or she continues to suffer from the disability, and that he or she continues to require the special license plate or parking ID placard for the reasons stated when it was initially issued. A PHYSICIAN’S SIGNATURE IS NOT NEEDED TO RENEW A PLATE OR PLACARD FOR A PERSON WITH A PERMANENT DISABILITY.
The initial application for a special license plate or parking ID placard will still need the application form certified with the physician’s signature.
Disabled placards are only valid for three (3) years.
To obtain a special plate or placard for the first time, customers must meet one of the following requirements:
- Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest; or
- Cannot walk safely without the use of or assistance from a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair or other assistive device; or
- Is restricted by lung disease to such an extent that the applicant’s or household member’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume, one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg. at room air or rest; or
- Uses portable oxygen; or
- Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the applicant’s or household member’s functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to the standards set by the American Heart Association; or
- Is severely limited in his or her ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition.
The special license plate or parking ID placard only applies to passenger cars, station wagons, pickup trucks, motorcycles, panel van trucks or other motor vehicles that have a gross registered weight that does not exceed 14,000 pounds.
Applicants may obtain one special license plate and one windshield placard. Only one placard may be issued to an applicant initially. However, upon written request, an additional placard may be issued to an applicant who does not also have a special license plate.
The person with the disability to whom the plate or placard was issued must be the driver of or passenger in the vehicle when the vehicle is parked in parking areas for persons with disabilities.
The placard must be removed from the rearview mirror when the vehicle is in motion.
The updated Division of Motor Vehicles Application for Special License or Special Parking ID Card for Persons with Disabilities may be obtained from any Division facility or by clicking here to obtain the form.
