Some outings begin before we reach the door. There is the car, the traffic, the distance across the lot, and the person beside us who needs support for that part of the day.
A disability parking placard—often called a handicapped parking pass—can be a useful access tool for someone who qualifies. A shorter route or room to use mobility equipment can make an arrival more manageable. The need is not always obvious to a stranger looking across a parking lot.
This guide gathers the official starting points for five New England states. Start with the state where the person lives, and take the current form to the clinician who understands their needs.
Who can qualify?
A wheelchair is not the only reason someone may qualify. State criteria can include specific walking limitations, certain heart or lung conditions, blindness, or qualifying neurological conditions. The details differ by state.
A diagnosis by itself does not guarantee a placard. Autism, epilepsy, a nonvisible disability or a history of elopement should not be presented as automatic eligibility. Ask the clinician to explain the person's actual limitations and support needs against the state's criteria. The motor-vehicle agency decides the application.
For example, Massachusetts lists specific eligibility conditions, including being unable to walk 200 feet without resting or needing another person's assistance to walk. Its application asks the clinician for a qualifying clinical diagnosis and supporting information.
The person does not have to be the driver.
A qualifying passenger, including a child, can have a placard. Apply in the name of the person with the disability, following the state's parent or guardian instructions. A placard belongs to that person; it is not a general parking privilege for the household.
New Hampshire's application, for example, explains that a placard can travel with its holder in different vehicles and that the holder must be getting out when the vehicle uses an accessible space. Check the rules wherever you park, including local meter rules.
When elopement is part of the picture
For a person who qualifies, reducing the journey through a busy parking area may help the family manage an arrival. But a closer space does not guarantee a safe route, and a placard does not prevent elopement or replace supervision.
Before opening the door, agree which adult is supporting the person and where you are going. Look at the actual path: moving cars, crossings and the entrance matter as much as distance. Keep familiar communication supports available, and use the person's established safety plan.
For dedicated wandering-prevention and response planning, see the National Autism Association's free Be REDy booklets and AWAARE resources. Those are useful companions to a conversation with the person's care team.
Find your state's application
These links lead to official agencies and forms. Use their current instructions for eligibility, certification, submission and renewal.
Massachusetts
Complete the RMV application with the required healthcare-provider certification. Placards have no application fee. The RMV asks for the original completed application by mail and recommends keeping a copy; allow at least 30 business days for processing.
Rhode Island
The DMV's disability-placard application requires physician certification. Temporary, long-term and permanent placards have different validity periods. Use the DMV's disability page and current new/renewal form for the appropriate application route.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire calls this Walking Disability Privileges. Form RDMV 130 includes the application, medical-certification section and practical questions about passenger use and renewals. The instructions describe applying by mail or at a DMV location.
Maine
Maine uses form PS-18 for disability plates and placards. The BMV explains qualifying limitations, medical certification, temporary and permanent credentials, and proper display. Its page also links the application.
Vermont
For a permanent placard, begin with VD-120 and review the medical-report requirement, VS-113. Vermont provides a separate temporary-placard form. For a minor, the permanent application instructs families to use the child's name.
Connecticut and other states
Use the federal government's directory to find your state's motor-vehicle agency and its disability-parking application. Requirements from a neighboring state are not a substitute for your own state's rules.
A small checklist before applying
- Open the current official form and read the eligibility criteria.
- Describe the person's actual walking limitations and required assistance to their clinician, including safety concerns where relevant.
- Check both applicant and clinician sections for required signatures and dates.
- Keep a copy and submit it within the state's stated deadline.
- After approval, note the expiry date and read the display and use rules.
Once the placard arrives
Use it only for the person to whom it was issued. Display it as directed while parked and remove it from the mirror before driving. Keep the striped access aisle clear—it is space people need to enter and leave vehicles, not an extra parking space.
If accessible spaces are occupied, ask the venue about an appropriate drop-off or another practical entrance. Keep the plan flexible. The point is to make room for the day you came to have.
Official application pages and published instructions checked October 16, 2026. This is general family-planning information, not an eligibility determination or individualized medical or legal advice. Agencies can change forms and requirements; the current official instructions control.