Persons with Disabilities

Due to a new law enacted by the Illinois General Assembly, significant changes have been made to the Persons with Disabilities Parking Program and are outlined below. Enforcement of the new provisions will begin January 1, 2014. The Secretary of State’s office issues four types of parking placards:

Meter-Exempt Permanent Placards—Issued to persons with permanent disabilities who have significant impairments that cause difficulty in accessing a parking meter. This placard DOES exempt the authorized holder from parking meter fees.

Non Meter-Exempt Permanent Placards—Issued to persons with permanent disabilities who still have the ability to access the parking meter and allows the authorized holder to park in spaces for persons with disabilities such as a mall, grocery or retail store, etc. This placard DOES NOT exempt the authorized holder from parking meter fees and time limitations at parking meters.

Temporary Placards—Issued to persons with a temporary disability and are valid for the length of time indicated by the certifying physician, not to exceed six months if issued by the Secretary of State and 90 days if issued by a local municipality. This placard DOES NOT exempt the authorized holder from parking meter fees and time limitations at parking meters.

Organization Placards—Issued to organizations that transport persons with disabilities free of charge and expire on April 30, 2018. This placard DOES NOT exempt the authorized holder from parking meter fees and time limitations at parking meters.

Click here for more information on the Persons with Disabilities Parking Program.