Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual

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Section 22 of 38

Chapter 21: Special Plates

21.080 Disabled Person License Plates (VC §5007)

Disabled Person (DP) License Plates may be issued for any/all passenger and commercial vehicles or motorcycles currently registered to:

  • A qualified permanently disabled person.
  • An organization or agency involved in the transportation of disabled persons if the vehicle is used solely for the purpose of transporting those persons.

Certification Card—A disabled person must present a Disabled Person or Disabled Veteran License Plate Certification Form (REG 3060), upon request, to law enforcement or parking enforcement personnel, which verifies the person’s eligibility for DP License Plates. The license plate owner must be the driver or a passenger for the vehicle to be eligible for disabled person parking privileges.

Commercial Vehicles—One commercial vehicle with an unladen weight of 8,000 pounds or less is exempt from the weight fee. Any additional commercial vehicles assigned DP License Plates are subject to all registration fees.

Disabled Person License Plates for TrusteesMay be issued to a vehicle registered to a trust when the applicant’s full name (first and last names) is shown as part of a trust name or as a trustee.

When a customer submits an application for DP License Plates for a vehicle registered to a trust, continue to follow procedures in the Special License Plates section of this chapter, and issue the DP License Plates if the trust name:

  • Contains the full name of the applicant (Example: Mary Smith Trust),

    or:

  • Reflects the applicant’s full name as a trustee (Example: Mary Smith Trustee).

DP License Plate Exclusions—DP License Plates are not issued to:

  • A vehicle owned by someone other than a qualified disabled person.
  • A vehicle owned by an organization or agency that is not used solely to provide transportation services to the disabled.
  • A temporarily disabled person.
  • Invalid tricycles or wheelchairs.
  • Vehicles with Disabled Veteran (DV), Congressional Medal of Honor (CMOH), or Prisoner of War (POW) License Plates.
  • A vehicle used by a disabled person in a street vending business operation.
  • Trailers.

DP Parking Privileges—Vehicles with DP License Plates and/or a DP placard are entitled to certain parking privileges which are not granted to other vehicles (CVC §22511.5).

Disabled Persons with Special Interest License Plates—A qualified permanently disabled person who chooses to have special interest license plates on their vehicle, rather than DP License Plates, must have a DP placard displayed in the vehicle to receive DP parking privileges.

Government Agency or Private Organization—Any government agency or private organization providing transportation to disabled persons may obtain DP License Plates if the vehicle is used solely for the purpose of transporting those persons.

Medical Certification Not Required—A medical certification is not required for applicants who have been issued California DV License Plates or a California permanent DP placard. In this case, write the applicant’s DV License Plate or DP placard number on the Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates (REG 195) form.

Original License Plate Application—the following must be submitted:

  • Proof of true full name and date of birth, which consist of:
    — A copy of state-issued driver license or identification card (DL/ID) card, if applicable.
    — A copy of birth date/legal presence/identity (BD/LP/Identity) document to establish true full name or birth.

Proof of residency is not an acceptable document to establish true full name or birth. Proof of legal presence is not required for a DP License or placard application.

  • A completed and signed Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates (REG 195) form and one of the documents listed above.
    — The applicant’s true full name as it appears on the DL/ID card or other acceptable proof must be the same as the name shown on the REG 195. If the applicant’s name on the proof of true full name document does not match the name on the REG 195 as a result of a name change , the applicant must submit copies of a name change document which contain the applicant’s legal name both before and after the name change.
  • The current registration card in the applicant’s name or the documents required to register the vehicle to the applicant.
  • A Statement of Facts (REG 256) form for issuance of DP License Plates to an organization or agency that certifies the vehicle is used solely for the purpose of transporting disabled persons.
  • The license plates currently assigned to the vehicle.

The procedures below must be followed:

  • Review and complete the DMV USE ONLY box at the bottom of the REG 195.
  • Retain a copy of the acceptable BD/LP Identity and, if applicable, true full name.
  • Return original proof documents to the applicant.

Processing DP License Plates and DP Placard Applications Together—Permanently disabled persons may use one REG 195 to apply for DP License Plates and a permanent DP placard at the same time.

Renewal/Reassignment—No additional fee is required for renewal or reassignment of a DP License Plate.

Retention—No additional fee is required for retention of a DP License Plate.

Surrender of License Plates Required—DP License Plates must be returned to DMV within 60 days of the license plate owner’s death or upon expiration of the registration, whichever occurs first.

Transfer of Ownership—The license plate remains with the owner and the transfer is processed as usual. Refer to Chapter 11 for transfer procedures.