Disability plate

How can I apply for or renew a disability license plate?

Online

Renew only

By mail

Apply and renew

Self-service station

Renew only

Office visit

Complete your business in an average of 20 minutes

What do I need to apply for a disability license plate?

To apply, complete the Application for a Disability License Plate and provide it to your licensed medical professional for their signature.

Once your licensed medical professional has signed it, mail it to the following address:

Michigan Department of State
Internal Services Section
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918-8264

You can also drop it off at a Secretary of State office.

What do I need to renew a disability license plate? (Choose tab)

To renew online, you will need:

• Your license plate number
• The last four digits of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• A valid debit or credit card or bank account number for payment

To renew by mail, you will need your:

• Renewal notice
• Return envelope included with your renewal notice
• Check/money order payable to the State of Michigan

In addition to renewing your registration by mail, you can:

• Change the address on your registration
• Have the registration sent to a different mailing address

To renew at a self-service station, you will need:

• Your license plate number
• The last four digits of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• A valid debit/credit card (additional fees apply) or cash (at specific locations) for payment

A $4.25 service fee will be charged for each item transacted at a station.

You can renew your disability plate online, by mail, or at a self-service station and don’t need to visit a Secretary of State office. If you’d like to renew your plate while completing another transaction at an office, you will need:

• Your license plate number or renewal notice
• Your current Michigan driver’s license
• A valid debit/credit card, cash, money order, or check made payable to the State of Michigan for payment

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

A disability license plate includes an insignia indicating that the vehicle owner is legally allowed to park in spaces reserved for residents with a disability. The plate itself is permanent, but vehicle owners must renew the license plate tab every year, as is the case for all standard plates.

• The inability to walk more than 200 feet without having to stop and rest.
• Use of a wheelchair, walker, crutch, brace or other ambulatory aid.
• A lung disease with deterioration in expiratory volume. (Review application.)
• A cardiovascular condition. (Review application.)
• An arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition that severely limits the ability to walk.
• Reliance on oxygen sources other than ordinary air.

Organizations that transport people with disabilities may apply for a green disability parking placard that is valid for four years.

There is no fee for an original temporary or permanent disability parking placard or for renewing a permanent placard. If your disability placard is lost or stolen, it may be replaced for $10 at a Secretary of State office or by submitting a request by mail or fax. Applicants for a disability license plate pay only the standard annual vehicle registration fee. A passenger vehicle, pickup, or van equipped with either permanently installed wheelchair lift equipment or permanently installed hand controls and owned by a person who uses a wheelchair or transports a member of their household who uses a wheelchair is eligible for a 50 percent reduction in the standard annual registration fee (additional service fees, such as those for personalizing the plate or for purchasing and renewing a fundraising version, are excluded from the discount). Vans used for commercial purposes are not eligible for the reduction.

• You must have a yellow free-parking sticker on your permanent parking placard to park for free. To obtain a free-parking sticker, you must have a valid Michigan driver’s license and be unable to do one or more of the following:
  • Insert coins or tokens in a parking meter or accept a ticket from a parking lot machine because of a lack of fine motor control of both hands.
  • Reach above your head to a height of 42 inches from the ground, because of lack of finger, hand, or upper extremity strength or mobility.
  • Approach a parking meter because of the use of a wheelchair or other ambulatory device.
  • Walk more than 20 feet because of an orthopedic, cardiovascular, or lung condition in which the degree of debilitation is so severe that it almost completely impedes your ability to walk.

  Can I have both a disability license plate and parking placard?

  Yes, you can have a disability license plate and a parking placard at the same time. The placard may be used during those times when you are traveling in a vehicle without a disability license plate.

  Are any discounts available when applying for a disability license plate?

  A passenger vehicle, pickup, or van equipped with either permanently installed wheelchair lift equipment or permanently installed hand controls and owned by a person who uses a wheelchair or transports a wheelchair user in their household is eligible for a 50-percent reduction in the standard annual registration fee. Additional service fees, such as those for personalizing the plate or for purchasing and renewing a fundraising version, will still be due.

  Can I still renew my disability plate and tab by mail if I’ve lost or damaged my renewal notice or the return envelope?

  • Your first, middle, and last name
  • Your Michigan driver’s license/ID number
  • Your license plate number
  • Your permanent address and alternative mailing address, if applicable
  • Your phone number
  • A money order or check made out to the State of Michigan for your renewal fee

  To determine what you owe for your renewal, use our renewal fee calculator. Mail your information and payment to the following address:

  Michigan Department of State
  Internal Services Section
  P.O. Box 30764
  Lansing, MI 48918-8264