Helping someone you care for.
They do not need to drive, or own a car.
Dr. Fishman, DC and Dr. Schapiro, MDLicensed in Florida. CH00007509 · ME92972
Who is the placard for?
If you are helping someone else, they need to be present for the video visit, because the doctor is evaluating them.
Trouble with the form? Call (754) 233-0586 and we will go through it with you.
- They do not need to drive or own a car
- An ID exception exists if they cannot get to an office
- You can be on the visit with them
A Florida handicap placard belongs to the person with the disability. They do not need to drive and they do not need to own a car. If you drive a parent, a spouse or someone else who cannot walk far, this page is for you.
The placard follows the person, not the car
This trips up a lot of families. A hanging placard is issued to the person with the disability and moves with them between vehicles. It is not tied to a car and it is not tied to a driver's license. Someone who has never driven, or who stopped years ago, can hold one. Whoever drives them displays it while they are in the vehicle.
The one rule that matters. The permit may only be displayed while the person it was issued to is being transported. Florida treats a knowingly false statement on the application as a first-degree misdemeanor, for the applicant and the certifying practitioner alike.
If they cannot get out for a Florida ID
A Florida driver's license or ID number is normally required on the application. The form carries a specific exception: where a severely disabled applicant for a permanent placard cannot be transported to an office to obtain one, the certifying practitioner can note that on the form. One of the six qualifying conditions still has to apply.
If that describes the person you care for, say so during the visit. It is the difference between an application that can be submitted and one that cannot.
What you can and cannot do for them
- Start the eligibility check on their behalf
- Book the visit and set the call up on your device
- Sit with them during the visit and help with the technology
- Take or mail the completed form to the county
- Answer the doctor's medical questions in their place
- Attend the visit without them
- Sign the application section unless you are their parent or guardian
- Use the placard when they are not with you
If they are not comfortable with video
Many of our patients are not. Set the call up on your own phone or tablet and sit with them. There is nothing to download and no account for them to create. If it would help to talk it through first, call (754) 233-0586 and a person will walk you through it.
How it works
Check if you qualify
Free, about two minutes. No credit card.
Meet the doctor by video
About five minutes, from home. Nothing to download.
Get the signed form
Emailed within 24 hours, if the doctor certifies you.
Take it to the tax collector or tag office
They issue the placard. Most Florida counties also accept the application by mail.
What the visit actually looks like
The most common question we get is not about qualifying. It is about the technology. So, plainly: you get a link by email, you tap it at your appointment time, and the doctor appears. There is nothing to download, no account to create and no password to remember.
If you would rather have someone walk you through it first, call (754) 233-0586. A person answers, and they will stay on the line while you get set up.
What Florida actually requires
Walking 200 feet is not, on its own, a qualifying disability. The form says so directly. The limitation has to be caused by one of the conditions below, or the applicant has to be legally blind. This is where a lot of applications go wrong.
- aCannot walk without help. A brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic or other assistive device, or the assistance of another person. If the device restores walking to the point where there is no severe limitation, that does not qualify.
- bPermanent use of a wheelchair.
- cSevere lung disease. Forced expiratory volume in one second below one liter by spirometry, or arterial oxygen below 60 mm/hg on room air at rest.
- dUse of portable oxygen.
- eCardiac condition, Class III or IV in severity by American Heart Association standards.
- fSevere walking limitation from an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition. The widest category, and the one most applicants fall under.
- ☉Legally blind. Certified separately. An optometrist may certify this and nothing else.
What the $119 pays for
Checking and booking are both free. The $119 is charged 24 hours before your visit. Cancel before then and pay nothing. No subscription, no repeat billing.
The fee covers the doctor's evaluation, just like a regular doctor's visit. It does not buy a placard, and no service can sell you one. Certification is the doctor's clinical judgment, and your county decides whether to issue.
What this service does not do
Worth being explicit, because telehealth covers a lot of different things and this is a narrow one.
- ✗No prescriptions. Our doctors do not prescribe, dispense or sell any medication. No prescription is issued at any point in this service, and there is no pharmacy involved.
- ✗No treatment. The doctor does not diagnose, treat or manage your condition. Your own doctors continue doing that.
- ✗No ongoing care. This is a single evaluation, not a relationship. There is no subscription and no follow-up care.
- ✗No controlled substances, devices or supplements of any kind, sold or recommended.
The entire service is one thing. A licensed Florida practitioner evaluates whether you meet the criteria printed on state form HSMV 83039, and if you do, completes and signs the practitioner section of that form. Your county issues the placard.
The Florida details, in one place
| Permanent placard fee | No state charge |
|---|---|
| Temporary placard fee | $15, paid to your county. A second temporary placard within one year of the first carries no charge |
| How long a permanent permit lasts | Four years, expiring on the holder's birthday |
| How long a temporary permit lasts | The period the certifying practitioner specifies, up to six months |
| How long the certification is valid | The form is not valid more than 12 months from the date the certifying authority signs it |
| Where it goes | Your county tax collector's office or a license plate (tag) agency |
| If there is no Florida ID | A Florida driver's license or ID number is normally required. Where the disability is too severe for the person to be transported to an office to obtain one, the certifying practitioner can note that exception on the form |
| If you are a disabled veteran | Veterans certified as permanently and totally disabled may be able to submit VA documentation instead of a practitioner certification. Ask your county. If that applies to you, you do not need us |
Who does what
Getting a placard takes two steps. We handle the doctor's part. Your county handles the rest.
- The video visit with a Florida-licensed doctor
- The doctor's judgment on whether the limitation meets Florida's criteria
- Completing and signing the doctor's section of form HSMV 83039
- Emailing you the signed form within 24 hours
- Reviews the completed application
- Decides whether to issue the permit
- Issues the actual placard or plate
- Handles fees, renewals and replacements
Your Florida-licensed doctors
Dr. Dean Fishman, DC
Chiropractor · arthritis, back, hip and knee
FL license CH00007509
Dr. Barry Schapiro, MD
Physician · medical, surgical and pregnancy
FL license ME92972
Form HSMV 83039 lists chiropractors among its certifying authorities, alongside physicians licensed under Chapters 458, 459 and 460. Some competing sites state otherwise. The form is public, and it is the authority.
Questions
Can I get a handicap placard for my mother if she does not drive?
Yes. The placard is issued to the person with the disability and is not tied to a driver's license or to owning a car. Whoever drives her displays it while she is in the vehicle.
Does my parent need to be on the video visit?
Yes. The doctor is evaluating them, so they need to be present and able to take part. You can be there and help with the technology.
What if they cannot get to an office to obtain a Florida ID?
The form has an exception for that. Where a severely disabled applicant for a permanent placard cannot be transported to obtain a license or ID, the certifying practitioner can note it on the form. One of the six qualifying conditions still has to apply.
Who signs the application?
The application section is signed by the disabled person, or by their parent or guardian. You can help complete it, and you can submit it for them.
Can I use their placard when they are not with me?
No. It may only be displayed while the person it was issued to is being transported.