Florida Handicap Parking Permit: Eligibility, Use, and Penalties

A Florida handicap parking permit is free for permanent disabilities and $15 for temporary ones, issued under Section 320.0848 after a licensed medical professional certifies you meet one of the qualifying conditions.¹ You apply in person at a motor vehicle service center, tax collector’s office, or license plate agency using Form HSMV 83039, and the placard lets you park in accessible spaces and skip the fee at public street meters.

Who Qualifies

Florida Statute 320.0848 lists the qualifying conditions. You meet the standard if any one of these applies:

You cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
You need a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, or wheelchair to walk.
You have severe lung disease with forced expiratory volume under one liter, or arterial oxygen below 60 mm/Hg on room air at rest.
You have a cardiac condition rated Class III or IV under American Heart Association standards.
You need portable oxygen.
You have been certified as legally blind.

The certifying professional confirms which category applies.¹

Veterans certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or a branch of the armed forces as permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability can submit USVA Form Letter 27-333, or its equivalent, in place of the physician’s certification. The letter must have been issued within the last 12 months.²

Who Can Sign the Certification

The medical professional signing your form must have examined you within the past 12 months and must hold one of these licenses:³

Physician (M.D.) or osteopathic physician (D.O.)
Podiatric physician
Chiropractor
Optometrist
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse or Physician Assistant practicing under a physician’s protocol

The signer also states how long the condition is expected to last, which determines whether you get a permanent or temporary placard.

Permanent or Temporary Placard

The permanent placard is for long-term or permanent mobility impairments. It is valid four years and costs nothing. You can hold up to two at a time, which helps if you switch between vehicles or ride with different drivers.⁴²

The temporary placard covers short-term impairments, lasts up to six months as specified by your certifying practitioner, and costs $15. If the condition continues, you can apply for another temporary permit. When the new application falls within 12 months of the original permit’s issuance, no additional fee is charged, but you still need current medical certification.⁵

If you have a permanent disability and want to skip the hanging placard, you can request a wheelchair license plate on a vehicle registered in your name. The plate is $28 plus applicable registration fees, renewed yearly, with disability re-certification every four years.⁴ A plate stays on one vehicle; a placard moves with you.

How to Apply

Every application uses Form HSMV 83039, which is available on the FLHSMV website. Your certifying medical professional completes the disability certification section, and you fill out the applicant section.⁶ There is no online filing option. Bring the completed form plus your Florida driver’s license or ID card to a motor vehicle service center, local tax collector’s office, or license plate agency.³

One detail causes most rejected applications: the certifying professional’s signature must be dated within 12 months of the day you submit the application. Get the form signed, then sit on it too long, and you will need a fresh signature before the counter will accept it.

Using Your Placard

The permit belongs to you, not to a car. Whoever is driving must either be you or be transporting you as a passenger. Handing your placard to a family member so they can park closer while you stay home is illegal, and officers look for exactly that.

When you park in a designated space, hang the placard from the rearview mirror with the permit number facing out through the windshield. Take it down before driving. A dangling placard can bring its own traffic citation for blocking your sightline.

Metered Parking

Florida law exempts vehicles displaying a valid disabled parking permit from paying at metered spaces on public streets. The exemption covers the fee, not the clock. If a meter also limits how long you can park, that time limit still applies.⁷

Traveling Out of State

All U.S. states and territories recognize valid disabled parking permits from other states, so your Florida placard works when you travel, and out-of-state visitors can use theirs here. Metered parking exemptions and other specific privileges vary by jurisdiction, so a rule you rely on in Florida may not carry over.

Renewal and Replacement

Permanent placards expire every four years, timed to your birthday, and you will receive a renewal notice ahead of the expiration date. Renewal is not automatic. You need a fresh Form HSMV 83039 signed by a certifying medical professional within the past 12 months.⁴ Book the medical appointment well before the expiration date so you are not driving around with a lapsed placard. Veterans renew with a USVA Form Letter 27-333 issued within the last 12 months.²

Temporary placards do not renew in the technical sense. If the condition persists past six months, you submit a new application with current medical certification. Within 12 months of the original issue date, no additional fee applies.⁵

For a lost, stolen, or damaged permanent placard, you need two forms: a signed HSMV 83039 and Form HSMV 83146 (Application for Replacement License Plate, Validation Decal or Parking Permit). Both go to a motor vehicle service center.³ Because the replacement still requires a signed 83039, the 12-month signature window applies again.

Penalties for Misuse

Using someone else’s placard when the permit holder is not in the vehicle, displaying an unauthorized replica, or using an expired placard is a second-degree misdemeanor. That carries up to 60 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both, and law enforcement can confiscate the placard on the spot.¹⁸

Knowingly giving false or misleading information on the application or the medical certification is a first-degree misdemeanor. The maximum penalty rises to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.⁹¹ Both the applicant and the certifying medical professional can be charged. A doctor who signs a form knowing the patient does not qualify faces the same exposure.

Parking in a designated accessible space without a valid permit is a separate violation under Florida Statute 316.1964, with fines set at the local level.⁷ Blocking the access aisle next to an accessible space triggers the same penalties, and it is one of the most common complaints from permit holders because it can leave a wheelchair user unable to load or unload.

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Justia. Florida Code 320.0848 – Disabled Parking Permits
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Online Sunshine. Florida Code 320.0848 – Disabled Parking Permits
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Disabled Person Parking Permits
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Permanent Disabled Person Parking Permits
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Temporary Disabled Person Parking Permits
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Disabled Person Parking Permit HSMV 83039
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Online Sunshine. Florida Code 316.1964 – Disabled Parking
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Online Sunshine. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties and Sentencing
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Online Sunshine. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines