                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

ISSUANCE OF DISABLED PARKING PLACARDS (§ 46.2-1241)

A. Upon application of a person with a disability that limits or impairs his
ability to walk or that creates a concern for his safety while walking, the
Commissioner shall issue a permanent removable windshield placard for use on a
passenger car or pickup or panel truck. The Commissioner shall require that each
original application be accompanied by a certification signed by a licensed
physician, licensed podiatrist, licensed chiropractor, licensed advanced
practice registered nurse, or licensed physician assistant on forms prescribed
by the Commissioner that the applicant meets the definition of &#8220;person
with a disability that limits or impairs his ability to walk or that creates a
concern for his safety while walking&#8221; contained in § 46.2-1240.

   1. The Commissioner shall provide for the renewal of such placards every five
   years. Applications for renewals may require the applicant to certify that his
   disability is a permanent disability, but renewal applications need not be
   accompanied by a physician&#8217;s, a podiatrist&#8217;s, a
   chiropractor&#8217;s, an advanced practice registered nurse&#8217;s, or a
   physician assistant&#8217;s certification of the applicant&#8217;s disability.
   The Commissioner shall work in consultation with the Medical Advisory Board
   for the Department to develop a definition of &#8220;permanent
   disability&#8221; as used in this subdivision. Notwithstanding any contrary
   provision of this chapter, no physician&#8217;s, podiatrist&#8217;s,
   chiropractor&#8217;s, advanced practice registered nurse&#8217;s, or physician
   assistant&#8217;s certification of an applicant&#8217;s disability shall be
   required for the renewal of any disabled parking placard of an applicant to
   whom disabled parking license plates have been issued under &#xA7; 46.2-731.

   2. The placards shall be of a design approved by the Commissioner pursuant to
   the specifications and definitions contained in &#xA7; 46.2-1240.

B. Upon the application of a person with a disability that limits or impairs his
ability to walk or creates a concern for his safety while walking and whose
disability is temporary, the Commissioner shall issue a temporary removable
windshield placard. The application for a temporary removable windshield placard
shall be accompanied by a certification signed by a licensed physician, an
advanced practice registered nurse, a physician assistant, a podiatrist, or a
chiropractor on forms prescribed by the Commissioner that the applicant meets
the definition of &#8220;person with a condition that limits or impairs his
ability to walk or creates a concern for his safety while walking&#8221;
contained in § 46.2-1240 and shall also include the period of time that the
physician, podiatrist, or chiropractor determines the applicant will have the
disability, not to exceed 12 months.

   1. A licensed physician, an advanced practice registered nurse, a physician
   assistant, a podiatrist, or a chiropractor may certify up to 15 days in
   advance of an applicant&#8217;s medical procedure that an applicant will meet
   the definition of &#8220;person with a condition that limits or impairs his
   ability to walk or creates a concern for his safety while walking&#8221; and
   that the disability will be temporary. Any licensed physician, advanced
   practice registered nurse, physician assistant, podiatrist, or chiropractor
   who certifies an applicant&#8217;s disability in advance of a medical
   procedure shall provide the period of time for which the physician, advanced
   practice registered nurse, physician assistant, podiatrist, or chiropractor
   has determined that the applicant will have the disability, not to exceed 12
   months. The Commissioner will mail the temporary placard to the applicant.

   2. The temporary removable windshield placard shall be valid for the period of
   time for which the physician, podiatrist, or chiropractor has determined that
   the applicant will have the disability, not to exceed 12 months from the date
   of issuance.

   3. The placards shall be of a design approved by the Commissioner pursuant to
   the specifications and definitions contained in &#xA7; 46.2-1240.

C. On application, the Commissioner shall issue to hospitals, hospices, nursing
homes, and other institutions and organizations meeting criteria determined by
the Commissioner organizational removable windshield placards, as provided for
in the foregoing provisions of this section, for use by volunteers when
transporting disabled persons in passenger vehicles and pickup or panel trucks
owned by such volunteers. The provisions of this section relating to other
windshield placards issued under this section shall also apply, mutatis
mutandis, to windshield placards issued to these institutions and organizations,
except that windshield placards issued to institutions and agencies, in addition
to their expiration date, shall bear the name of the institution or organization
whose volunteers will be using the windshield placards rather than the name,
age, and sex of the person to whom issued.

   1. The Commissioner shall provide for the renewal of such placards every five
   years.

   2. The placards shall be of a design approved by the Commissioner pursuant to
   the specifications and definitions contained in &#xA7; 46.2-1240.

D. No person shall use or display an organizational removable windshield
placard, permanent removable windshield placard or temporary removable
windshield placard beyond its expiration date.

E. Organizational removable windshield placards, permanent removable windshield
placards and temporary removable windshield placards shall be displayed in such
a manner that they may be viewed from the front and rear of the vehicle and be
hanging from the rearview mirror of a vehicle utilizing a parking space reserved
for persons with disabilities that limit or impair their ability to walk or
create a concern for their safety while walking. When there is no rearview
mirror, the placard shall be displayed on the vehicle&#8217;s dashboard. No
placard shall be displayed from the rearview mirror while a vehicle is in
motion.

HISTORY: 1997, cc. 783, 904; 2001, c. 136; 2002, c. 133; 2003, c. 992; 2005, c.
276; 2007, c. 715; 2013, c. 137; 2023, c. 183; 2024, c. 411.