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Explore the Information Getting a Handicap Parking Placard in Maryland
Anyone that lives in Maryland and has a disability qualifies for a disabled parking permit. It is important to enabling them to have more convenient and accessible parking anywhere. As such, they get to have a more enjoyable time when you visit different places in the world. Following are all the details you should know about disabled parking in Maryland.
Disabilities that Qualify for a Handicap Parking Placard in Maryland
Some conditions will be regarded as disabilities as per the MVA and transportation department in Maryland. These include:-
- A permanent disability that affects the applicant’s mobility
- Anyone that is unable to walk more than 200 feet without stopping to rest
- The inability to walk without the use of assistive devices
- Someone that will need a wheelchair to move
- Someone that has lost an arm or leg
- Anyone that has paralysis and has lost the use of their limbs.
- A respiratory issue or disease of the lung
- A cardiovascular disease
- A permanent impairment in both eyes
Anyone who has a temporary disability like the one resulting from an injury can apply for a temporary one.
Usually, this disability is not considered to be permanent, and whenever your mobility has been affected for more than three weeks, you qualify to get a disabled permit. You have to consult with your doctor to ascertain whether you qualify or not.
The Medical Certification
One of the first steps that are usually involved in the application for a space sign involves consultation with a medical professional in order to confirm that you have a disability that qualifies you. The medical professional can be anyone in the following categories:-
- Physician
- Physician assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Chiropractor
- Physical therapist
- Podiatrist
- Optometrist
In the event that you have lost a limb, you do not have to visit any medical professional, and as such, all you need is to be present at the MVA with the appropriate identification. The medical professionals that have been listed above are also qualified to determine whether you have a temporary disability that has signs that can be used for up to six months.
In some cases, you have the option of a virtual connection with the medical professional through HandicapMD. This is the most convenient option for you when you do not have a doctor or are having mobility problems even getting to the doctor’s office.
As such, you will not have to move anywhere in order to get the initial consultation with the doctor. All the steps will be conducted online, and you will be able to get your forms filled and signed where they are needed.
The Application Process for Your Handicap Parking Placard in Maryland
For a start, you need to request an application for a form VR-210 which is the application for the license plates and placards for individuals who have a disability. This can be done through any of the following methods:-
- Calling their customer service center on 410-768-7000
- Calling their Fax on-demand system on 410-424-3050 and asking for catalog #15
- If you are out of state, you can get in touch with the customer service center on 1-301-729-4550
- Calling TTY for the hearing impaired at 1-800-492-4575
- Visiting the neared MVA brand office
- Downloading the form from the MVA website
With the application acquired, you will be required to fill out all the sections. Personal information will need to be provided, which includes your address, driver’s license number, and date of birth. You will also be required to specify whether you are making the application for a license plate.
You will also have to visit a medical professional so that they can be able to complete their portion and sign it. Once they have done their part, you will be required to sign and fill out the date. Usually, there is no fee when you are applying for a handicap, but you will have to part with a $20 fee when you are applying for a disabled license plate.
For the plates, you will be required to complete a section of the application form where you should enter the title number of your vehicle.
Once the application has been duly filled and is complete, you can mail or with an optional check for the disabled license plate to the following address:
MVA Disability Unit, Room 202
6601 Ritchie Highway
Glen Burnie, 21062
In other cases, you also have the option of visiting your local MVA office in order to hand in the application physically. You can then visit the same offices to pick up your sign. Alternatively, you can request for the card to be sent via mail to your address.
Using Your Maryland Handicapped Permit
In the state, of of the benefits of getting a permanently disabled permit is that it does not come with a date of expiration.
In the event that your sign gets lost or stolen, you can report it to the law enforcement near you and get a report completed so that you can make an application for a replacement license plate.
Whenever your permit for disabled space is in use, you should refrain from hanging them in rearview mirrors while driving. Additionally, you will also be required to always have a copy of your medical certificate in case you are asked for it.
Theft is also a matter of concern, and for this reason, it is recommended that you always keep your sign concealed whenever it is not in active use.
When you have a license plate, you can be allowed to park in all designated spaces for disabled drivers. Additionally, you will not have to pay meter fees in addition to being able to park for up to four hours without paying.
However, you are still not allowed to park in places or zones that prohibit living or the spaces that have been reserved for certain types of vehicles.
Activities for the Disabled in Maryland
Individuals with a disability have free lifetime entry to State Parks when they have the Universal Disability Pass. The Park Service also encourages the protection of the environment and keeping it safe for everyone.
For this reason, they have removed all the dumpsters and trash barrels from the beach and picnic areas. Instead, guests are given bags that they can enter the parks with, and as such, they can easily pack their own refuse to take home. As such, they will easily preserve the environment and avoid causing damage to the ecosystem.
Some of the places to visit in Maryland that are accessibility friendly include:-
- Assateague: includes a campground, boat down, crabbing, and fishing pier and is also wheelchair accessible.
- Big Run: Campsites
- Bill Burton Pier: Fishing
- Calvert Cliffs: Tire playground, comfort station
- Casselman River Bridge
- Cedarville: Comfort stations available, accessible portable restrooms
- Cunningham Falls: Camping, hiking trail, fishing pier, Houck area amphitheater
- Dans Mountain: Swimming pool, picnic area, and tire playground.
- Deep Creek Lake: Fishing piers, picnic areas, campsites
- Elk Neck: Picnic areas, accessible camping loops, picnic shelters, hunting site, and summer cabins
- Elk Neck State Forest: Hunting, shooting range.
- Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area: fairgrounds, fishing, Walls Activity Hall
- Fort Frederick: Comfort station, picnic sites, campsites, and camp store
- Gambrill: Nature center, tea house, accessible campsites, and bathhouse
- Garrett State Forest: hunting
- Gathland: Hall Museum
- Green Ridge State Forest: Picnic areas, shooting range stands, scenic overlook, restroom, and hunting
- Greenbrier: Visitor’s center, campsite, and bathhouse.
- Greenwell: Hunting, horseback riding, a trail to the boat dock.
- Gunpowder Falls: Biker trail, historic train station, fishing, camping, accessible path to the beach, bathhouse, pavilions.
- Harriet Tubman UGRR: Braille, raised lettering, reasonable beaches, descriptive audio tours, and assisted listening.
- Hart-Miller Island: visitor’s center
- Herrington Manor: Two cabins, picnic sites, fishing pier
- Janes Island: Picnic areas, pavilions, campsites, playground
- Martinak: Nature center, full-service cabin, bathhouses, fishing area, picnic areas
- Merkle: driving nature tour and visitor’s center
- Morgan Run: fishing
- New Germany: Cabin and campsites
- Patapsco Valley: Campsites, picnic areas, bathhouse, hunting, nature trail, and fishing.
- Patuxent River: Hunting
- Pocomoke River: Marina store, fishing, swimming, camping, amphitheater
- Pocomoke State Forest: Hunting
- Point Lookout: Civil war museum, fishing pier, picnic area, bathhouse
- Potomac-Garrett State Forest: Office, pavilion, hunting
- Rocks: picnic areas
- Rocky Gap: Campsites, fishing, hunting, picnic areas, and nature center
- Rosaryville: Nature playscape playground
- Sandy Point: Fishing, picnic areas, south beach playground, bathhouse
- Savage River State Forest
- Seneca Creek: Picnic areas, food, and beverages, hunting, boat rentals, and shelters.
- Smallwood: Fishing pier, cabins, and marina office
- Soldiers Delight: Education center
- South Mountain
- St. Clements Island
- St. Mary’s River
- Susquehanna
- Swallow Falls
- Tuckahoe
- Western Rail Trail
- Wildlife Management Area- Belle Grove
- Woodmont NRMA
- Wyke Oak
With a disabled placard or license plate, you get to enjoy free entry to these state parks. This gives you the opportunity to visit as many places as you would like, in addition to enjoying the many attractions and amenities that are provided in these places.
You will also notice that most of the attractions that have been listed above are accessible, and this means that all the facilities and amenities that are provided can be accessed in a wheelchair. This is one of the main advantages of these places, and as such, you get to have a more adventurous journey and tour of the different places.
With your disabled placard, you have the ability to visit more places and access otherwise restricted places without any problem. When you are in the state, it is important that you have this to enable you to enjoy the many perks and benefits that come with it.
Remember, a permanent one does not need any renewal in the state, which is one of the more unique features of getting a disabled placard or license in this state. You will be able to use the space sign for as long as you are alive and hope that it does not get lost or stolen.
Even when you have limited mobility for a short while, you can get a temporary one with the assistance of a medical professional. The medical professional will confirm that you actually qualify for the card , and as such, you will be able to get a temporary small plaque that you can use while you are recovering from your injury.
This will enable you to be more comfortable living when you are in a state of recovery. It is also an opportunity to get yourself familiar with the rules about disabled space and access to other public places and amenities.
The details are useful and will provide you with great insight into disabled people and how the public can contribute to easier access to amenities and other places like they do. You will be able to appreciate the fact that spaces that are marked with the universal sign of access should only be used by the people that qualify to use them and not anyone that feels like it.
Respecting such simple facts will not only make you a better citizen but will also raise your awareness of such amenities and how they are used.
DMV Handicap Parking Forms in Maryland
Residents of the state who have certain disabilities are qualified to obtain a handicap permit or license plate from the MVA. The various kinds that you can apply for include:-
- License plates for permanent disabilities
- Temporary for temporary disabilities
- Permanent for long-term disabilities
Usually, you will obtain a handicap sign depending on your disability. A medical professional's responsibility is to determine and confirm that you have the requirements to apply for the license plate.
Laws
If you have an accessible space, you must ensure that it is always visible from the dashboard and the expiration date is clear to see. When you do not follow this rule, you will usually incur a fine, and in addition to the rule, you have to ensure that you remove the card when your vehicle has been put into motion.
Additionally, if you have a handicap placard in Maryland, you will always be required to have your medical certification with you. This is required since law enforcement officers can always ask for the certification to ensure that you qualify for the accessible spaces.
Additionally, someone who witnesses the abuse of handicapped spaces should immediately report the matter to local authorities and report the vehicle. For instance, someone that does not have an accessible spaces in a zone designated for disabled drivers is in serious violation of the law, and as such, they are subject to fine.
They are also not doing something ethical since these spaces are clearly marked and set aside for people with different forms of disabilities. This makes it a very serious offense. Whenever you notice someone using the wrong spots or slots, ensure that you report this vehicle to the relevant authorities.
This will ensure better use of these spaces and the other amenities meant for the disabled, resulting in the more fair and transparent use of public amenities and resources.
Parking Pass Requirement
If you would like to complete a handicap application in the state, there are a number of requirements that you have to meet in order to be allowed to get the card . They include the following:-
- An inability to walk without assistive devices such as a cane, brace, wheelchair, or other devices.
- The loss of use or loss of feet, legs, and arms.
- The inability to walk for about 200 feet without needing to pause for a bit of rest.
- Any permanent disability that severely impacts your ambulatory ability
- A severe lung disease
- Permanent impairment of both eyes
- A cardiovascular disease that is rated to be either class III or class IV
- A mobility impairment that lasts for more than three weeks.
How to Apply
The MVA allows people to hand in their application in person at the local offices, by mail, or through fax. A typical application process will entail the following:-
- Filling out Form VR-210: This will include your personal details and any other information that will be required of you to make the application easier and ease its processing.
- Getting a nurse practitioner, chiropractor, licensed physician, optometrist, podiatrist, or physicians assistant to complete their section on the form and certify that you actually qualify for the disabled small sign.
Usually, this will involve a physical assessment, but in some cases, you can do the whole process online through HandicapMD. This is usually an online consultation that will take care of all the assessments involved in determining your medical history and the conditions you have at the moment, which limit your movement.
For instance, your disability might restrict you from visiting the medical practitioner in person, which means that the online consultation is much easier and more convenient for you. They will also fill out their part on the application form to ensure that it is ready and complete to be submitted to the MVA.
- When you are making the application, you will also be required to make a payment to accompany your application. If you are applying for a space sign , the process is usually free, and as such, you will not be required to make any payment together with your application. However, you will be required to make a $20 payment when you are making an application for a license plate.
Other Information
Even though anyone who holds a handicap parking placard in Maryland can avoid fees in certain places, it is always important that you stay keen and read all the signs. There are ADA-compliant meters installed throughout the state, and this means that even the people who have the handicap permit might be required to pay the meter fees.
As such, you must be aware of the spot that you are in and whether you will be required to make a payment or not. Whenever your temporary handicap permit has expired, but you still have use for it, you can always fill out a new application with a fresh medical certification.
This will enable you to get a new handicap parking sign based on the continued state of your temporary disability. The new medical certification is necessary for this application since it shows that your condition has not improved, and as such, you still have the need for a permit.
For renewals of permanent handicap signs, you will be given a notice before the expiration. This will also include the instructions you need to renew your small card. The renewals are made at the same time you are paying the renewal fees for your vehicle registration.
If you live in the state and believe that you have a qualifying disability, you must have a licensed physician confirm this. It will ensure that the application process goes on more easily, and you can get a handicapped license .
Hopefully, the details provided in this guide will ease your application and ensure that you have the right information when making the application.
