How to Apply for a Disabled Parking Permit in Washington State

Overview

A disabled parking permit, whether a placard, license plate, or tab, lets individuals with qualifying disabilities park closer to entrances at medical offices, hospitals, grocery stores, shopping centers, and other destinations. For many families navigating disability services in the Tri-Cities, it’s a small but meaningful piece of the independence puzzle. And it’s one of the most requested resources among families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Washington State’s Department of Licensing (DOL) issues disabled parking permits, and the process is more straightforward than most families expect. This page walks through everything: who qualifies, what type of permit to get, how to apply for a disabled parking permit, and what families of individuals with autism or other neurodevelopmental disabilities specifically need to know.

Who Qualifies

A licensed physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse practitioner must determine whether your family member qualifies. Washington State grants disabled parking privileges to individuals with at least one of the following conditions:

• Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest
• Walking is severely limited due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition
• Cannot walk without a brace, cane, prosthetic device, another assistive device, or assistance from another person
• Cannot walk and uses a wheelchair to get around
• Is legally blind and has limited mobility
• Uses portable oxygen
• Is restricted by lung disease (forced expiratory volume less than 1 liter/second, or arterial oxygen tension less than 60 mm/hg on room air at rest)
• Has Class III or IV impairment by cardiovascular disease
• Has acute sensitivity to auto emissions that limits the ability to walk
• Is restricted by porphyria (benefits from decreased exposure to light)

A Note for Families of Individuals with Autism or Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

This is information many families don’t know: individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other neurodevelopmental disabilities can qualify for a disabled parking permit, even without a physical mobility impairment, based on functional safety limitations.

The qualifying category is “walking severely limited due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.” For individuals with ASD or other neurodevelopmental conditions, the neurological basis for eligibility is the autism or neurodevelopmental diagnosis itself, combined with functional safety concerns like:

• Elopement behavior (running or wandering away unexpectedly)
• Lack of danger awareness in parking lots or traffic
• Not responding to verbal cues such as their name or “stop”
• Limited communication that creates safety barriers in unpredictable environments

When requesting the permit, the doctor’s separate written authorization should specifically document these functional safety concerns using language like: “This patient has a neurological disorder (autism spectrum disorder) and demonstrates impaired adaptive functioning including elopement behavior, lack of danger awareness, and not responding to verbal cues such as their name or commands to stop.”

The key is framing the documentation around functional impairment rather than diagnosis alone. Families can share this guidance directly with their child’s physician, many doctors aren’t aware that they can authorize a permit for patients with ASD based on these safety concerns.

What Type of Permit to Get

Most families of individuals with developmental disabilities will apply for a permanent blue placard, it’s free, hangs from the rearview mirror, moves between vehicles, and renews every five years.

If you’re applying for plates or tabs, note that you (or your family member) must be the registered owner of the vehicle. Placards are more flexible, they can be used in any vehicle your family member is transported in.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply

Step 1: Download the application form
The Disabled Parking Application for Individuals (Form TD-420-073) is available in 11 languages at the DOL website. Download the form relevant to your situation.

Download the Application — English | Download in Other Languages

Step 2: Complete the applicant section
Fill out your portion of the form: name, mailing address, daytime phone number, email, date of birth, and which type of permit you’re applying for (placard, plate, or tab). If you’re applying on behalf of a dependent, complete the dependent section.

Step 3: Take the form to your healthcare provider
Your healthcare provider must:

• Complete the “Healthcare Provider” section of the application form
• Provide a separate, original signed authorization on prescription paper or office letterhead stating:
  • Your family member’s name
  • That they have a condition qualifying them for disabled parking privileges
  • The specific functional limitations (especially important for ASD/neurodevelopmental cases)

Important: DOL does not accept photocopies of prescriptions. The authorization must be original. Electronic authorizations are accepted. Faxed authorizations from the provider’s office are accepted for temporary permits.

Step 4: Submit the application
You have two options:

• In person: Take the completed application and original provider authorization to any vehicle licensing office in Washington State. Bring a photo ID. (Note: not all offices handle all permit types — call ahead if applying for plates or tabs.)
• By mail: Mail the completed application and original authorization to:
  Department of Licensing — Individual with Disabilities
  PO Box 9043, Olympia, WA 98507-9043

Placards are free. License plates and tabs have fees depending on the plate type, check dol.wa.gov for current fee schedules.

Step 5: Receive your permit and ID card
Processing typically takes 7–10 business days. DOL will mail your placard, plate, or tab, and separately mail an “Individual with Disabilities Parking Privilege” ID card 2–3 weeks later. Keep the ID card in your wallet or bag — law enforcement may ask for it.

Local Vehicle Licensing Offices
Kennewick Drivers Licensing Office
3311 W Clearwater Ave b140, Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 734-7130

Using Your Permit — What You Can and Can’t Do

With a disabled parking placard or plate, your family member can:

• Park in any designated disabled parking space
• Park for free at time-restricted street parking spaces (metered spaces and timed zones), for the posted time limit
• Use van-accessible spaces if driving a wheelchair van, or when no other disabled spaces are available

Your family member cannot use the permit to park:

• Where stopping or standing is prohibited for all vehicles
• In fire lanes, loading zones, or spaces reserved for specific vehicle types
• In privately owned lots that don’t allow disabled parking (signage will indicate this)

The permit must only be used when your family member is present. Misuse — including using someone else’s placard without them present — is illegal and can result in fines of $250–$450 and criminal charges for providing false information.

WA DOL — Disabled Parking Overview | Eligibility Details | Download Application (English) | Download Application (All Languages) | DOL Customer Service: 360-902-3770 | TTY: 711