Guides · Disabled parking
Handicap placard application forms: the doctor’s part, state by state
- Every state has its own placard application, and every one asks a clinician to certify the disability.
- Most of the conditions are the same from state to state, such as the 200-foot walk, an assistive device, lung disease, portable oxygen, a Class III or IV cardiac condition, and vision.
- Who may sign, how long a temporary placard lasts, and where the patient takes it are what differ.
- The guides below cover five states field by field.
When a patient asks you to sign the form for a disabled parking placard, you are the person the state relies on to say the patient qualifies. The form is the patient’s application, but there is a section only you can complete, and each state words it differently.
What the states have in common
From the five states I have written up, a few things repeat.
- The conditions are similar. Texas, New York, Illinois and New Jersey all list being unable to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, needing an assistive device or another person to walk, lung disease measured by spirometry, portable oxygen, a Class III or IV cardiac condition by American Heart Association standards, and a severe limitation from an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition. California shares the lung, cardiac, assistive device and vision items, and words the rest around mobility, the legs and the hands.
- Who may sign differs. Physicians always can. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners can in all five, although Texas has its own rules for them. Podiatrists and optometrists are usually limited to the foot and to vision, and chiropractors are named in some states and not in others.
- Temporary placards are short. Six months or less in all five.
- The patient submits it, not your office. Usually to the DMV or a county, city or town office, and each form says where.
- A false certification has consequences. Several forms say so on the clinician’s part of the page, from a fine to a criminal charge or action against your license.
The one thing I would always do is read the definition on the form in front of you before you sign, because the wording is what you are certifying.
State guides
- Texas, Form VTR-214, including the notary step.
- New York, Form MV-664.1, and the nine permanent conditions.
- Illinois, form VSD 62, including meter-exempt parking.
- New Jersey, Form SP-41, and the practitioner’s letter that goes with it.
- California, REG 195, and the Section 6A description.
For the other states and DC, the disabled parking list on the coverage page shows which forms PatientPapers completes today.
FAQ
Who signs a handicap placard application?
The patient signs their own part, and a clinician certifies the disability. Which clinicians may certify depends on the state. Physicians always can, and most states also accept physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
How long does a temporary handicap placard last?
In the five states covered here, six months or less. Texas, New York, Illinois and New Jersey say six months, and California says up to 180 days or the date the clinician gives, whichever is shorter.
Disclaimer: This article is general information for medical practices, not legal advice. States change their forms and rules, so the current form and the state's own page are what count. References: each state guide lists its own statutes, regulations and forms, as read on October 1, 2026.
Finish placard forms faster.
I built PatientPapers to make this paperwork faster and easier. It is my own product, so weigh this accordingly. It completes the clinician’s part of state placard applications, and each state guide above says what it does for that state’s form. The coverage page lists every state it handles. It keeps your details on file and fills in the form for you to review and sign. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere. $250 per year or $25 per month, per certifying provider.