Chapter 3 · Lesson 3 of 3
Parking placards
4 min read · Indicators, Watercraft, and Parking Placards
Explanation
A parking placard lets the holder use parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities. It’s available to people with a permanent or temporary disability, anyone eligible for a Disabled Hoosier Veteran (DHV) license plate, and companies authorized to run disability-related transportation or facility programs.
To apply, a health care provider — a physician, chiropractor, podiatrist, advanced practice registered nurse, physician’s assistant, optometrist, or ophthalmologist — completes State Form 42070 to certify eligibility. That certification isn’t needed if the applicant already qualifies for a DHV plate.
Expiration depends on the type: a permanent-disability placard doesn’t expire unless the provider or the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs says otherwise, and it’s free. A temporary placard expires on the provider’s stated date or one year after issuance, whichever comes first, and carries a fee. A company’s placard expires January 1 of the fourth year after the year in which it was issued, or when the company stops running the program, whichever comes first. Using an expired placard can lead to a fine, and even a valid placard never permits parking in the diagonally striped space next to a reserved spot.
Example
A driver with a permanent mobility disability gets a placard certified by her physician on Form 42070. It never expires unless her doctor later certifies the disability is no longer permanent.
Common mistake
Parking in the diagonally striped buffer space next to a reserved spot because a valid placard is displayed. The manual prohibits this at all times, regardless of the placard’s validity.
What the manual says
Parking in the diagonally striped space next to a reserved parking space is prohibited at all times, even with a valid placard.
Use of an expired placard could result in a fine.
Sources
- Manual p. 18
“A parking placard allows the holder to use parking spaces designated for individuals with disabilities.”
- Manual p. 18
“The placard is available for individuals with a permanent or temporary disability as well as a person who has been issued or is otherwise eligible to receive a Disabled Hoosier Veteran (DHV) license plate.”
- Manual p. 18
“Also, any company empowered by the state or a political subdivision to operate programs, including the provision of transportation or facilities for persons with physical disabilities, may apply for a placard.”
- Manual p. 18
“To apply for a parking placard, you must have a health care provider (e.g., a physician, chiropractor, podiatrist, advanced practice registered nurse, physician's assistant, optometrist or ophthalmologist) complete the Application for Disability Parking Placard or Disability Plate – State Form 42070 affirming that you qualify for a parking placard.”
- Manual p. 18
“Certification by a health care provider is not required when the person has received or is eligible to receive a Disabled Hoosier Veteran license plate.”
- Manual p. 18
“If you have a permanent disability, your parking placard does not expire unless your health care provider certifies that the disability is no longer considered permanent or the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs (IDVA) certifies that you are no longer a Disabled Hoosier Veteran. There is no fee for a permanent parking placard.”
- Manual p. 18
“If you have a temporary disability, your parking placard expires on the date indicated by the health care provider or one year after the date of issuance, whichever occurs first. There is a fee for a temporary parking placard.”
- Manual p. 18
“A placard issued to a company expires on the January 1 of the fourth year after the year in which the placard is issued, or the date the company ceases to operate programs or facilities for persons with disabilities, whichever occurs first.”
- Manual p. 18
“Use of an expired placard could result in a fine.”
- Manual p. 18
“Parking in the diagonally striped space next to a reserved parking space is prohibited at all times, even with a valid placard.”
Check your understanding
Question 1 of 3