Drivers With Disabilities

Accessible parking, those spaces designated with the wheelchair sign, is reserved for persons with physical disabilities who display a special placard or plate. But how does a person get a special license plate that is designated for accessible parking? Who really qualifies for the special plates and placards?

Who can have a special plate or placard?
According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, any Arkansas resident who has been certified as having a disability by his or her own licensed physician may apply for a handicapped license plate and/or placard.

How do I certify I am an Arkansas resident?

By presenting both of the following at a state revenue office:

• Your Social Security Number.
• Drivers license or state issued identification card.

How do I certify that I have a disability?

• To obtain a handicapped parking placard or plate, you must present form 10-336, completed and signed by your own physician.
• Form 10-336 may be obtained at any state revenue office or downloaded from the Arkansas website www.Arkansas.gov or the ASCC website at arspinalcord.gov.

(Department of Finance and Administration Form 10-336, in pdf format, may be downloaded here: Form 10-336)

How do I know if my disability qualifies me for accessible parking privileges?

Your physician, on form 10-336, must certify that you meet one of the following criteria on a permanent or temporary basis:

1. Cannot walk one hundred (100) 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. Is 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 (1) liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than (60) mm/hg on room air at rest;
4. Uses portable oxygen;
5. Has 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.

Most individuals with spinal cord disabilities will meet definition 1 or 2 above.

In addition, an organization owning a vehicle used primarily for transporting persons with disabilities defined in items (1) through (5) above may apply for a plate or placard.

Physicians who falsify 10-336 forms to allow unqualified individuals to obtain handicapped plates face severe sanctions. Never ask a physician to provide information that is not true.

So, how do I get a special plate or placard?

1. You must take the documents listed above to any state revenue office to obtain your original plate or placard.

• The person who is certified on form 10-336 does not need to be present.
• The costs of special plates are based on the size of the vehicle on which they will be placed.
• The placard (permanent or temporary) is free.

2. A person certified with a permanent disability may obtain:

• One special plate or
  
• One special plate and one permanent placard or
  
• Two permanent placards.

3. A person with a temporary disability may obtain two temporary placards.

4. Disabled Veterans are eligible for special plates that allow them to use accessible parking. For additional information, contact your local revenue office.

How long is the plate or placard good?

1. Special plates for individuals with permanent disability are renewed annually, like all other plates. They may be transferred when you obtain a new vehicle. Special Plates can be renewed like any other license plates by phone, Internet, mail, at the revenue office or at participating WalMart stores.

2. Permanent placards are issued for two (2) years. They must be renewed at the revenue office, but recertification is not required.

3. Temporary placards are good for three (3) months from the date of issue and may not be reissued or renewed.

On what type of vehicle may I put the special plate?

Vehicles qualified to display the special plate or placard are:

• Passenger Vehicles (automobiles).
• Class One (Light) Trucks (including vans), with 3/4 ton or less manufacturer's rated capacity.
• Larger Vehicles (placard only), if the vehicle is specially adapted for use by individuals with disabilities through the use of lift, ramp, hand controls, etc.

Are there laws about where I can park with the special plate or placard?

1. First and foremost, the special plate or placard may only be used when the person to whom the placard was issued (name listed on the 10-336) is in the vehicle. If the person to whom the placard or plate was issued is not in the vehicle, the vehicle may not park in an accessible space. This is also true for vehicle with organization placards, if there are not disabled persons in the vehicle, accessible space may not be used.

2. When a vehicle displaying a special plate or placard is being used to actually transport a person with a disability, it is permitted exclusive parking privileges in those spaces designated as accessible parking.

3. Only vehicles that load or unload a wheelchair or other related mobility device are authorized to use parking spaces designated ‘van accessible’.

4. Parking in spaces other than those designated as accessible parking (i.e., loading zones, permit parking areas, no parking areas, metered parking) is governed by local ordinance. You should check with local law enforcement agency to determine local laws.

5. A special plate or placard NEVER allows you to park in a fire lane.

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