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The DAV Plate Parks Without a Placard — and the Placard Itself Is Free

The transport department states that the distinctive DAV plate allows parking privileges without a separate permit. If you need a placard as well — for a vehicle you are not driving — the mobility-impaired permit costs nothing to obtain, runs on a three-year cycle for a permanent blue permit, and replaces for $3.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

The transport department states that the distinctive DAV plate allows parking privileges without a separate permit. If you need a placard as well — for a vehicle you are not driving — the mobility-impaired permit costs nothing to obtain, runs on a three-year cycle for a permanent blue permit, and replaces for $3.

What it's worth: Accessible parking on the plate alone, and a mobility-impaired permit at no charge if you need one as well

  • The transport department states that DAV plates allow parking privileges without a permit.
  • The transport department states that an applicant seeking both a DAV designation and a mobility-impaired designation on the same plate must satisfy both sets of requirements.
  • The transport department states there is no annual licence fee for DAV plates.
  • The mobility-impaired permit application is SFN 2886, and a separate application, SFN 54306, covers care providers.
  • Qualifying conditions named by the department include the use of portable oxygen, and orthopedic, neurological or other conditions hindering the ability to walk 200 feet without assistance or rest, and restrictions from cardiac, pulmonary, vascular or respiratory disease.
  • Certification may be given by a physician, chiropractor, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or physical therapist.
  • The department describes three permit types: permanent non-reversible in blue, requiring no physician renewal; permanent reversible in blue, requiring physician renewal; and temporary in red, valid three months.
  • Permanent permits run on a three-year cycle, with renewal notices mailed beforehand.
  • The department names a $3 replacement fee for a lost or stolen permit, payable by mail or in person at a motor vehicle location, and states no fee for the initial permit.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are the veteran.
  • Your rating reaches the band the DAV plate uses.
  • Your home is in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1If you already hold the DAV plate, park on it. The department states plainly that the plate allows parking privileges without a permit, so there is nothing further to obtain for the vehicle carrying that plate.
  2. 2Get a placard anyway if you are often a passenger. The plate is tied to one vehicle; the placard travels with you into someone else’s car.
  3. 3The initial permit is not charged for. Only a replacement for a lost or stolen permit carries a fee, and that is $3.
  4. 4Choose the right permit type with your clinician. A permanent non-reversible blue permit needs no physician renewal at all; a permanent reversible one does; a temporary red permit runs three months.
  5. 5Note who may certify. Beyond a physician, a chiropractor, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or physical therapist may sign — which matters when a specialist appointment is months away.
  6. 6If you want the mobility-impaired symbol on the DAV plate itself, expect to satisfy both sets of requirements. The service-connected rating does not stand in for the medical certification, and the medical certification does not stand in for the rating.
  7. 7Watch for the three-year cycle on a permanent permit. A renewal notice is mailed, but the notice is only as good as the address on file.
Form
SFN 2886 for a mobility-impaired parking permit; the DAV plate is applied for separately
File with
The transport department, motor vehicle services
Periodic
Re-confirmed from time to time.
CorrectionVeterans routinely queue for a medical placard they already have the benefit of. The transport department’s own parking page says the DAV plate carries the parking privilege without a permit. The placard is worth having as a second route, not as a prerequisite.
Worth knowingThe two designations are separate tests. A 100% rating gets you the DAV plate; it does not by itself get you the mobility-impaired symbol, which needs a clinician to certify a walking limitation. Combining them on one plate means passing both.
Known gapThe parking page does not state whether the DAV plate’s parking privilege extends to metered or time-limited on-street spaces, and no municipal ordinance was examined this session. Assume you still feed the meter unless your city says otherwise.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.