Guides · Disabled parking

California handicap placard application (REG 195): the medical certification

By Kevin Lease, MD · Internal medicine · Published October 1, 2026

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California’s form is the Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates, REG 195, and the version I am describing is REV. 11/2023. Section 5 is your contact information, and Sections 6 and 6A are your certification. The blank is linked from the California DMV’s disabled person placards and plates page.

Who may certify

The form says, on page 1, A licensed physician, surgeon, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or certified nurse-midwife, may certify to items 2-8, a licensed chiropractor may certify to items 6-8 only, a licensed podiatrist may certify to a disability related to the foot or ankle, and a licensed physician or surgeon who specializes in diseases of the eye or a licensed optometrist may only certify to item 1. That follows Vehicle Code section 22511.55. In Section 6 you check which kind of license you hold.

The eight conditions

Section 6 starts with the sentence that the patient suffers from the condition or conditions below and, under Vehicle Code section 295.5, is eligible for the placard or plates. Then the conditions, in the form’s words.

1. Central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye, with corrective lenses, as measured by the Snellen test, or visual acuity that is greater than 20/200, but with a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle not greater than 20 degrees.
2. A cardiovascular disease to the extent that the person’s functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV based upon standards accepted by the American Heart Association.
3. A lung disease to the extent that forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second when measured by spirometry is less than one liter or arterial oxygen tension (pO2) is less than 60 mm/Hg on room air while the person is at rest.
4. A diagnosed disease or disorder which substantially impairs or interferes with mobility due to (complete Section 6A):
5. A severe disability in which the person is unable to move without the aid of an assistive device, which is due to (complete Section 6A):
6. A significant limitation in the use of lower extremities due to (complete Section 6A):
7. The loss, or loss of the use of one or more lower extremities. Loss of use due to (complete Section 6A):
8. The loss, or loss of the use of, both hands. Loss of use due to (complete Section 6A):

Section 6A, the description

This is the part I would slow down on. For items 4 to 8, Section 6A asks for a description of the illness or disability, not the symptoms. The form gives examples of what is acceptable, such as Parkinson’s Disease, arthritis of ankle and foot, congestive heart failure or diabetes mellitus with peripheral vascular disease, and says that trouble walking, back pain, weakness or an abbreviation such as R60.9 are not acceptable. It also says forms with incomplete or illegible information will be returned.

After that come your signature, your printed name or stamp, and the date. You sign under penalty of perjury that Sections 5, 6 and 6A are true and correct, and you also certify that you will keep enough information to back the certification up and make it available to your licensing board on the DMV’s request. The form also says the DMV may compare your signature with your licensing board’s records and may contact you about the application.

Permanent, temporary or travel

In Section 6 you check which placard the patient is eligible for.

• Permanent placard or license plates. The form says a permanent placard is valid for two years and expires on June 30 of every odd-numbered year, renews automatically twice, and after that the patient reapplies without a new certification. The DMV’s page says a permanent placard does not need re-certification by you.
• Temporary, with an end date. On the form it cannot exceed six months, and the placard is valid for up to 180 days or the date you give, whichever is shorter. It can be renewed no more than six times in a row.
• Travel, with an end date. On the form it cannot exceed 30 days for a California resident or 90 days for a non-resident.

Where the patient sends it

The form says it can be submitted in person at a DMV field office, online, or by mail, and prints the mailing address. In Section 2 it lists the fees. There is no fee for a permanent or travel placard or for the plates, and a $6 fee for a temporary placard.

For the other states, see disabled parking placard forms, state by state.

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