Florida Disability Parking Permit: Types, Application, and Rules

A Florida disability parking permit is issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) to residents with qualifying mobility impairments or legal blindness. The state offers three types: a permanent blue placard good for up to four years, a temporary red placard for up to six months, and a lifetime permit for people with permanent amputations or dismemberment. You apply by completing HSMV Form 83039 with a medical certification from a licensed provider and submitting it at your county tax collector’s office.

Who Qualifies

Florida law requires that you be unable to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, caused by one of the following conditions:

You need a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, or another person’s help to walk.
You rely on a wheelchair for daily mobility.
You have lung disease with forced expiratory volume less than one liter per second, or arterial oxygen below 60 mm/Hg at rest.
You use portable oxygen while moving.
You have a cardiac condition rated Class III or IV under American Heart Association standards.
You have an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition that severely limits walking.

Legal blindness qualifies you regardless of walking ability.¹ You only need to meet one criterion, and the condition must be certified by a qualifying medical professional.

The Three Permit Types

Permanent Permit

The blue placard is issued for long-term qualifying conditions. It lasts up to four years, expires on your birthday, and carries no fee.² Renewal requires a fresh medical certification.

Temporary Permit

The red placard covers injuries, surgeries, or illnesses lasting six months or less and costs $15.¹ If your condition hasn’t resolved when it expires, your doctor can certify a new application. You won’t owe another fee if the second permit issues within 12 months of the first.

Lifetime Permit

As of July 2025, Florida issues a lifetime permit for residents who are permanently disabled due to amputation or dismemberment and need a parking permit because of that condition. It is valid from issue until the holder’s death and never requires renewal.¹

Disabled Veteran License Plates

Veterans with a 100-percent service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an honorable discharge, and Florida residency can receive a free license plate showing the international accessibility symbol. It carries the same parking privileges as a placard, including meter exemptions.³

How to Apply

Download HSMV Form 83039 from the FLHSMV website, or pick one up at your county tax collector’s office.⁴ You’ll fill in your personal information and driver’s license or state ID number. Your healthcare provider completes the medical certification, identifies the qualifying condition, and marks the disability as permanent or temporary.

The provider’s signature must be dated within 12 months of when you submit the application. An older signature will be rejected.² Any of the following can sign:

Medical doctors (MDs) and osteopathic physicians (DOs)
Chiropractors
Podiatrists
Optometrists (for legal blindness)
Advanced practice registered nurses working under a physician’s protocol
Physician assistants

An out-of-state physician can also certify the form if they provide proof of license and confirm familiarity with Florida’s eligibility guidelines.¹

Submit the completed form in person at any county tax collector’s office or authorized license plate agency. In-person visits typically result in same-day issuance. Mail submissions take several business days. Permanent permits are free; temporary permits cost $15 at submission.¹

Renewal and Replacement

Permanent permits expire on your birthday every four years. To renew, submit HSMV Form 83039 again with a provider’s signature dated within the past 12 months. Renewal itself is free.² Don’t wait past expiration to start. An expired permit offers no legal protection if you’re parked in a designated space.

If your permit is lost or stolen, file two forms: HSMV 83039 with a current medical certification, and HSMV 83146 (Application for Replacement License Plate, Validation Decal or Parking Permit).² A common surprise: a new medical certification is required for the replacement even if the original hasn’t expired.

Display and Usage Rules

The placard is designed to be visible from the front and rear of the vehicle. One side shows your driver’s license or state ID number along with a warning that you must carry that identification whenever you use the permit.¹ Most people hang it from the rearview mirror while parked. Remove it while driving, since a hanging placard can obstruct your view.

The permit belongs to you, not to a vehicle, so you can move it between cars. The critical rule: you must be in the vehicle as driver or passenger when it’s parked in a designated space. A family member cannot use your placard to grab a close spot while you stay home.⁵

A law enforcement officer or parking enforcement specialist can ask to see both your permit and your ID when checking whether a space is being used properly. Refusing can result in a charge of resisting an officer without violence.⁵

Access Aisles

The cross-hatched areas next to accessible spaces are access aisles. They exist so wheelchair users and people with lifts can get in and out of their vehicles. Parking in or blocking one is treated the same as illegally parking in the accessible space itself, and the vehicle can be towed at the owner’s expense.⁵

Parking Meter Exemptions

Florida exempts vehicles displaying a valid disability permit from paying metered parking fees on public streets, as long as the permit holder is in the vehicle. For timed on-street meters, the maximum free parking period is four hours, though local governments can extend it by ordinance.⁶

The exemption is narrower than most people assume. Parking lots and garages that charge timed fees can still charge you unless your vehicle has specialized adaptive equipment such as ramps, lifts, or hand controls, or unless you display a disabled veteran plate.⁶ A standard vehicle with a hanging placard gets free on-street metered parking but may still owe fees in a paid garage.

Out-of-State Permits in Florida

Florida recognizes disability permits and plates from other states and foreign countries if the permit shows the international symbol of accessibility and the issuing jurisdiction extends the same recognition to Florida residents.⁷ Visitors can use designated spaces under the same rules that apply to Florida permit holders. Meter exemptions and time limits vary locally, so check the signage at paid lots.

Penalties for Misuse

Parking in a designated space without a valid permit is a noncriminal traffic infraction. Your vehicle can be towed immediately, and you’re responsible for the fine plus towing and storage costs.⁵

Lying on an application is a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Using someone else’s permit while they’re not in the vehicle, or displaying a counterfeit permit, is a second-degree misdemeanor. In either case, law enforcement can confiscate the placard on the spot.¹

A second conviction for fraudulent use triggers a four-year ban on applying for any new disability parking permit. That penalty applies to the registered permit holder, so lending your placard to someone who gets caught doesn’t just affect the borrower.¹

1
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 320.0848 – Persons Who Have Disabilities; Issuance of Disabled Parking Permits
2
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Disabled Person Parking Permits
3
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 320.084 – Free Motor Vehicle License Plates for Certain Disabled Veterans
4
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Disabled Person Parking Permit
5
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.1955 – Enforcement of Parking Requirements for Persons Who Have Disabilities
6
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.1964 – Exemption of Vehicles Transporting Certain Persons Who Have Disabilities From Payment of Parking Fees and Penalties
7
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.1958 – Out-of-State Vehicles Bearing Identification of Issuance to Persons Who Have Disabilities