Guides · Disabled parking
New York handicap parking permit (MV-664.1): the medical certification
- New York’s parking permit and its disability license plates use one application, the MV-664.1. Part 2, the medical certification, is yours.
- A physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, podiatrist (for the foot) or optometrist (for blindness) may certify.
- You check temporary or permanent. For permanent, you check which of nine conditions apply and explain how the disability limits mobility.
- The patient takes it to their city, town or village, not to the DMV, which does not issue parking permits.
The New York form is the MV-664.1, and the version I am describing is the 8/26 edition. It is a three-page packet. Pages 1 and 2 are instructions, and page 3 is the application, with Part 1 for the patient and Part 2, the medical certification, for you. The blank is on the New York DMV website (PDF).
Who may certify
The form says, on page 3, Disabilities must be certified by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, podiatrist (for disabilities related to the foot) or optometrist (for blindness).
That matches Vehicle and Traffic Law section 404-a, which also says a podiatrist or optometrist licensed in New York may certify only the conditions they treat in their own practice. For the last condition in the list below, the statute asks for a practitioner licensed in New York.
The conditions
For a permanent disability, Part 2 lists the conditions this way, and you check the ones that apply. A severely disabled
person, in the form’s words, is any person with one or more of these permanent impairments, disabilities or conditions, which limit mobility.
- Uses portable oxygen
- Legally blind
- Limited or no use of one or both legs
- Unable to walk 200 ft. without stopping
- Neuromuscular dysfunction that severely limits mobility
- Class III or IV cardiac condition. (American Heart Assoc. standards)
- Severely limited in ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition
- Restricted by lung disease to such an extent that forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg of room air at rest
- Has a physical or mental impairment or condition not listed above which constitutes an equal degree of disability, and which imposes unusual hardship in the use of public transportation and prevents the person from getting around without great difficulty.
For a temporary disability, the form says A person with a temporary disability is any person who is temporarily unable to ambulate without the aid of an assisting device.
It gives a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, another person, wheelchair or walker as examples.
Permanent or temporary
The form says temporary permits are issued for recovery periods up to six months, and section 1203-a of the Vehicle and Traffic Law says the same. The statute’s rule that a renewal needs no new medical certification applies to permanent permits and not to temporary ones, so a patient whose temporary permit runs out needs a new certification from you.
A permanent permit is different. The form says that someone renewing a permit for a permanent disability does not need another medical certification and completes only Part 1. Disability license plates are for a permanent disability only.
Part 2, field by field
- Temporary. The expected recovery date, the diagnosis, and what assistive device is needed.
- Permanent. The diagnosis, a check for each condition that applies, and then the form asks you to explain how the disability limits functional mobility. I would write that in plain clinical terms, such as how far the patient can walk and what they need to do it, rather than repeating the diagnosis.
- Your details. Your name, professional license number, address and telephone number, your signature, and the date.
Page 2 has a note addressed to medical professionals. It says that when you sign Part 2 you certify that the medical information is true and complete and that, in your opinion, the patient is medically qualified under the criteria in Part 2. It also says that a false statement on the application is a crime, and that a parking permit application can also bring a civil penalty of $250 to $1,000.
Where the patient takes it
The form is clear that it does not go to the DMV. It says to take the completed application to the city, town or village that issues parking permits where the patient lives, and that DMV DOES NOT ISSUE PARKING PERMITS.
In New York City it is mailed to the NYC Department of Transportation, and the form prints that address. License plates are a separate step at a DMV office.
For the other states, see disabled parking placard forms, state by state.
FAQ
Who can sign a New York handicap parking permit form?
The MV-664.1 says a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, podiatrist (for disabilities related to the foot) or optometrist (for blindness).
How long is a New York temporary parking permit good for?
Up to six months. When it runs out, the patient needs a new medical certification to apply again.
Does a permanent New York parking permit need a new doctor’s certification to renew?
No. The form says someone renewing a permit for a permanent disability completes only Part 1.
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: New York Vehicle and Traffic Law sections 404-a and 1203-a; Form MV-664.1 (8/26), all as read on October 1, 2026. The DMV’s own pages about the permit could not be reached on that date, so nothing here relies on them.
Finish the MV-664.1 faster.
I built PatientPapers to make this paperwork faster and easier. It is my own product, so weigh this accordingly. It keeps your name, license number and address on file, asks temporary or permanent, which of the nine conditions apply, the diagnosis and the expected recovery, and fills in Part 2 of the real MV-664.1 for you to review and sign. The rest of Part 1 is left for the patient. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere. $250 per year or $25 per month, per certifying provider.