Disability parking

An Australian disability parking permit (also known as a mobility parking permit) may be issued to a person with a disability:

• who cannot walk because of permanent or temporary loss of the use of one or both legs or another permanent medical or physical condition; or,
• whose physical condition is detrimentally affected by walking 100m; or,
• who needs to use a walking frame, crutches, callipers, a scooter, a wheelchair or a similar mobility aid; or,
• who is blind.

Organisations are eligible for Australian disability parking permits if they provide transport for people who meet the eligibility criteria.

Applications for an Australian disability parking permit must be assessed by a legally qualified medical practitioner or specialist eye doctor.

A person who holds a Centrelink disability pension card, endorsed as 'Blind' is not required to be examined by a doctor, however the person's Centrelink disabilty pension card must be provided on application.

To apply for an Australian disability parking permit within the ACT, the applicant/organisation must reside or be based in the ACT.

There is no fee for an Australian Disability Parking Permit.

The application form can be lodged by an agent at an Access Canberra Service Centre. The Agent will need to provide ID at the time of transaction.

Access Canberra parking inspectors can now check for use of invalid disability parking permits or those that have been reported lost or stolen

Measures to deter misuse have been introduced to ensure people eligible to use disability parking bays can find one when they need it. 

Permit holders are asked to help keep parking fair and equitable for everyone by:

• keeping your disability parking permit with you to avoid possible misuse
• displaying your disability parking permit in the A5 parking permit holder provided so it is easily identifiable to parking inspectors.

Disability parking permits are issued to the holder not the vehicle.  This means it is illegal to use the permit of a person who is now deceased.

If a permit holder is NOT travelling in the vehicle it is an offence for any other person to display and use the permit.  For example, if a driver drops off a permit holder in Woden, the driver is NOT entitled to use the permit in Civic without the permit holder being with them.

Access Canberra is reminding permit holders that if they report a permit lost and then find the permit later, they are to hand in the lost permit at an Access Canberra Service Centre.  Anyone displaying a lost permit risks being issued with a parking fine.

Parking fines range from $120 if a vehicle is displaying a lost, stolen, expired or deceased persons permit in a timed or pay parking bay to $600 if a vehicle is parked in a disabled car bay with a lost, stolen, expired or deceased persons permit.

Further information

Access Canberra 

Call Access Canberra on 13 22 81

Disability Parking Map