Disability Access Parking

Disability Access License Plates (including Disability Access Motorcycle Plates) are issued for vehicles owned by (a) persons with a disability which limits or impairs their ability to walk;  (b) a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of a person with disabilities; or (c) organizations that transport persons with a disability which limits or impairs their ability to walk (except that organizations are not eligible for placards).

Temporary Disability Access Placards are issued only to persons with a TEMPORARY disability which limits or impairs their ability to walk. Temporary placards are only valid for up to six months at a time. A new form will be required each time a temporary placard is issued.

The following criteria are used by a physician, certified registered nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife to determine a person’s eligibility for Disability Access Parking Privileges:

1. Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest
2. Cannot walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device
3. Are restricted by lung disease to such an extent that the person’s forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than 60 mm.hg on room air at rest
4. Use portable oxygen
5. Have a cardiac condition to the extent that the person’s functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to standards set by the American Heart Association
6. Are severely limited in their ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.

In order to purchase a disability access parking license plate, the disabled person’s name must be included on the vehicle’s title and registration, or that person must be leasing the vehicle with an option to buy. If the disabled person’s name is not listed on the title and registration, that person is eligible only for disability access parking placards, not for a disability access parking license plate. A person may purchase as many disability access parking plates as he/she has vehicles in his/her name, but if a person gets any disabled plates, that person can only request one placard. Additionally, a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of a minor or an adult who is disabled (as defined above) may apply for a disability access license plate or placard

Disability access parking plates cost the same as regular license plates, and cannot be personalized. There is no charge for disability access parking placards. If a person purchases any disability access parking license plates, that person may also request one windshield placard. However, if a person chooses (or is only eligible for) placards, that person may request two placards.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is current as of June 8, 2020. It is not all-inclusive, and is only meant to provide general information regarding licensing and registration requirements in Tuscaloosa County. Please note that changes in the law and directives from the Alabama Department of Revenue can alter, negate or compound the requirements contained herein.