The state of North Carolina
offers two types of handicap placards: one for temporary disabilities and one for permanent disabilities. But you must have a severe mobility impairment to qualify for either one. Driving can be difficult for people with disabilities, and parking can pose huge challenges. To ensure public spaces, buildings, and services are accessible to people with disabilities, every state offers placards and license plates that allow disabled people to park in accessible areas. But every state has its own rules for what qualifies drivers for handicap placards, so it’s important to read up on eligibility requirements before you apply,
Understanding whether or not you qualify for a handicap placard in North Carolina can be tricky. That’s why we have compiled this guide with everything you need to know about handicap placards in North Carolina.
4.717k Ratings 5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged
How to get a disabled parking placard or plate in North Carolina
Disabled parking in North Carolina is reserved for people with medical problems that prevent them from easily moving without assistance. That said, you’ll need medical certification of one of the following to get a disabled parking placard in North Carolina:
Inability to walk without assistance
Health-related mobility impairment
Medical certification of either of these problems can qualify you for a disabled parking placard in North Carolina. Of course, the type of certification dictates whether you qualify for temporary or permanent disabled parking. For example, a broken leg may qualify you for temporary parking, but severe arthritis in your knee could justify a permanent placard.
Who’s eligible for a disabled parking placard?
Only people with certified disabilities are eligible for disabled parking placards in North Carolina. But there are many physical impairments that can qualify you for a placard.
Here are some of the physical impairments that can qualify you for a handicap parking placard:
While any of the above conditions could qualify you for handicap parking, whether you get a permanent or temporary placard depends on your condition. Injuries like a sprained or broken leg may qualify you for a temporary placard, but only people with long-lasting injuries or chronic conditions are eligible for permanent placards.
How to apply
Disabled parking and accessibility are important parts of public infrastructure, so the application is relatively easy.
To apply for a handicap placard:
To apply for a disability license plate:
Once you’ve collected the required documents, applying is as easy as turning everything into the DMV. To officially submit your application, you can either:
Mail the form to the address on your application, or
Submit your form in person at your local DMV
If you’re new to North Carolina and need a handicap placard/plate for your car, you’ll need to register your vehicle before you can get started.
Renewing a disabled parking placard
Temporary handicap placards are only valid for 6 months and permanent placards expire after 5 years. Luckily, renewing your placard in North Carolina is a fairly easy and straightforward process. All you need to do is submit a new application form and pay the $5 placard fee.
Unfortunately, you can’t renew a temporary disabled parking placard. So if you still need access to disabled parking after 6 months are up, you’ll need to reapply after it expires.
Key Takeaway Anyone with a physical impairment limiting their ability to walk can apply for a handicap placard in North Carolina. And all you need is a completed application form, a $5 payment, and a state-issued ID to apply.
Guidelines for veterans with disabilities
North Carolina offers a specialty license plate for Disabled Veterans who were injured in the line of duty. The license plate is free for any qualifying veterans.
While some DMV applications and veteran services can be difficult to understand and navigate, veterans with disabilities should have an easy time applying for a placard or plate.
Follow these steps to apply for veteran disabled parking:
Submit the form to your local DMV
And that’s all there is to it! Part of completing the Registration form is having it signed by a North Carolina Veteran Service Officer or North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Officer, so you should call your local office ahead of time and schedule accordingly.
Key Takeaway Disabled veterans can easily get access to a disabled parking plate by filling out the Veteran’s Registration Plate Application and submitting it to a local DMV.
How to find savings on car insurance in North Carolina
Driving and parking with a disability can be tricky, but it doesn’t need to be expensive. With Jerry
, users save an average of over $800 a year on car insurance
—and it only takes a minute to sign up. Just download the app, answer a few questions, and let Jerry send a list of competitive car insurance quotes straight to your phone. A licensed broker, Jerry helps users compare personalized quotes collected from over 50 top providers like Progressive, Nationwide, and Allstate for free.
When you find a quote you like, Jerry can help you switch plans and even help cancel your old policy—no phone calls, paperwork, or headaches required.
Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.
Start earning nowFAQs