Persons with Disabilities

Persons with Disability Plate/Placard Information – Requirements

Colorado law, C.R.S. 42-3-204, states that when a person’s ability to move from place to place without the aid of a mechanical device or a person has a physical impairment that limits substantially their ability to move from place to place, the person qualifies for Persons with Disabilities Parking Privileges.

DR 2219 Persons with Disabilities Parking Privileges Application, a written verification of the applicant’s disability must be confirmed by one of the following individuals:

• A Professional, as defined in the definitions, including bordering states (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma).

• Commissioned Medical Officers of the U. S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Public Health Service and/or the U.S. Veterans Administration. Any Veteran Administration doctor can validate Persons with Disabilities Application regardless of what state they are licensed in.

• Chiropractors/ Physical Therapists are permitted to only verify short term disabilities. (See definition of professional)

Vehicles Titled in The Name of a Trust 

A person with a disability, whose vehicle is titled in the name of a trust, may apply for disability license plates when the trust is created for the benefit (beneficiary) of the applicant. The beneficiary name will be entered in the “in care of” section.

Persons with Disabilities Definitions

Disability: A physical impairment that meets the standards of 23 CFR 1235.

Impairments are defined as follows:

• Permanent - A condition that is not expected to change within a person’s lifetime.

• Extended - A condition that is not expected to change within thirty months after the issuance of plates or placards.

• Temporary - A condition that is expected to last less than thirty months after the issuance of plates or placards.

• Short Term - A condition that is not expected to last more than 90 days after the issuance of a placard.

Remuneration-Exempt Identify Placard an identify placard issued under this section that exempts the holder from paying remuneration at parking devices.

Remuneration-Exempt Qualifying Disability a disability that limits an individual’s:

• Fine motor control in both hands;

• Ability to reach a height of forty-eight inches from the ground due to lack of strength or mobility in the individual’s finger, hand, or upper extremity; or

• Ability to reach or access a parking meter due to the use of a wheelchair or other ambulatory device.

Persons with Disability License Plates

The applicant’s name must appear as the owner, co-owner, or lessee of the vehicle being registered.

A named owner will provide a non-secure power of attorney to their agent to include the grantor’s (named owner’s) Secure and Verifiable Identification information. The agent’s Secure and Verifiable Identification is required to be presented. (See SVID section for identification requirements).

Persons with Disabilities Personalized License Plates

Persons with Disabilities Personalized License Plates are available with the completion of the DR2497.

Permanent Placard

Placards are only to be used by the person to whom they are issued. The privilege does not extend to a qualified person who may be in a vehicle but not entering or exiting at a particular location.

The placard must be visible by hanging from the rear-view mirror at all times that the vehicle is parked in disabled parking. It must be removed before driving the vehicle. The placard may be used in any vehicle where the owner is a passenger or driver. When displaying the placard, you must carry the placard registration receipt.

A named owner will provide a non-secure power of attorney to their agent to include the grantor’s (named owner’s) secure and verifiable identification information. The agent’s Secure and Verifiable Identification is required to be presented. (See SVID section for identification requirements).

Temporary Placard

Persons with a condition that is expected that is expected to last less than thirty months after the issuance of an identifying plate or placard, given the current state of medical or adaptive technology.. The applicant must be a passenger or driver.

Short Term Placard

Persons with short disabilities may be issued a 90-day temporary placard. The applicant must be a passenger or driver. The temporary placard can no longer be continually renewed for additional 90-day periods without the submission of the DR 2219 Persons with Disabilities Parking Privileges Application.

To qualify for a 90-day identifying placard, a resident of another state who becomes disabled while in this state must submit a driver license or identification document issued by the state of residence or the United States government

All temporary placards are valid until the last day of the month falling 90 days after the date of issuance (example: if issued on 1/12/2011 ninety days is 04/11/2011 expiration date shall be set to 04/30/2011). Placards are only to be used by the person to whom they are issued. The privilege does not extend to a qualified person who may be in a vehicle but not entering or exiting at a particular location.

The placard must be visible by hanging from the rear-view mirror at all times that the vehicle is parked in disabled parking. It must be removed before driving the vehicle. The placard may be used in any vehicle where the owner is a passenger or driver. When displaying the placard, you must carry the placard registration receipt.

Volunteers Transporting Persons with Disabilities

Volunteers cannot receive a Persons with Disabilities placard or plate. The individuals they transport must apply for the placard to be used in the volunteer’s vehicle when they are transporting the qualified individual.

Business Entities Transporting PWD

Issuance of three year placards to organizations that transport Persons with Disabilities can be done upon submission of the following documents (all documents must be kept in the vehicle while the placard is displayed):

• A letter, on the organization’s letterhead stationary, signed by the CEO (or equivalent) of the organization describing the use of the vehicle(s).

• Copies of the registration or titles for the vehicles that will use the placard. Vehicles must be titled in the name of the organization

The DR2218 Business Entity Permanent Disability Placard Application is required. Persons with disabilities license plates can be issued to a business entity as well as placards. 

The business name must be written into the ID section of the Placard.

Persons with Disabilities Placards - Additional Issuance Requirements

The last four digits of the placard holder’s identification number is required to be printed on the face of the placard, in the area marked “ID#” with permanent black marker.

• If the parent or guardian of a person with a disability under 16  years of age provided their driver’s license or identification card for the issuance of the placard, the last four digits of the parent’s or guardian’s identification number must be printed on the face of the placard with the letter “C” as a designator (example: C1234).

• If the placard is issued to an entity that transports people with disabilities for hire, the name of the entity providing such services shall be printed on the placard, in the area marked “ID#” (example: Sunrise Retirement Community).

The expiration month and year must be hole punched from the placard to indicate the expiration date.

The placard also must have a four-digit year validation sticker affixed to it, over the wording “Void without validation sticker”, indicating the expiration date of the placard.

All temporary placards are valid until the last day of the month falling 90 days after the date of issuance (example: if issued on 1/12/2011 ninety days is 04/11/2011 expire date shall be set to 04/30/2011).

Revoked, Judgement, and Confiscated Placards

Any law enforcement officer or authorized and uniformed parking enforcement official has the authority to ensure that disability plates are not being misused. A placard may not be issued or renewed for a person who has an active violation. The Revoked, Judgment, and Confiscated file will be maintained by the Department. Upon an issuance or renewal transaction, the transaction information will be systematically verified against the Revoked, Judgment, and Confiscated file and return all matches. A transaction must not be completed if a match is returned with any of the below codes. Common names may return multiple matches. If this occurs, please verify additional information contained in the file with the applicant prior to denial of issuance or renewal.

• Violation Type Field (TYP) marked with a “R” – Revoked or “J” – Judgment and the Violation Number Field (VIO NO) is populated with any number, the placard must not be issued or renewed before the date in the violation end date (END DATE) field.

• Violation Type Field (TYP) marked with a “C” – Confiscated, must not be issued or renewed until the confiscated record is removed or marked with a “V” – Void.

• Violation Type Field (TYP) marked with a “V” – Void, indicates that an “R”, “J” or “C” has been resolved or is after the expiration date of the violation end date. For records marked with a “V”, a placard may be issued or renewed.