Step 1 What you should know

Illustration of a disabled parking permit

Anyone with a mobility impairment – regardless of whether or not that person is a Québec resident – may obtain a disabled parking permit if he or she travels in a vehicle as the driver or a passenger.

Parking permits may also be issued to public institutions that meet the eligibility conditions.

The permit is issued with an accompanying certificate, which the permit holder must carry at all times.

Eligibility conditions

To be entitled to a disabled parking permit, a person must have a disability resulting in a loss of independence or risk to health and safety with respect to travelling short distances that do not require the use of a vehicle. For example, to get from a parking space to the entrance of a shopping centre.

You are required to submit, if applicable, an assessment showing a disability lasting at least 6 months.

If you think you need a parking permit

Discuss the issue with a health care professional recognized by the SAAQ, who will fill out the Disabled Parking Permit Application (PDF, 360 KB) form if deemed appropriate based on your condition. You must then send us the form once it has been completed.

We consider certain aspects of your disability in determining your eligibility

  • The existence of an impairment affecting your mobilityImpairment is a loss, a malformation or an anomaly in an organ, or a mental, psychological, physiological or anatomic structure or function. It is the result of an objective, observable, measurable pathological condition that can be diagnosed.

    Persistent implies a notion of duration and continuity as opposed to temporary, without signifying permanence. Thus, the effects of impairment likely to disappear following surgery, medical treatment or rehabilitation must be taken into consideration when they lead to a handicap situation lasting at least six months.

    An impairment which manifests itself episodically does not exclude the fact that it might well be seen as persistent, in that the impairment persists for as long as an end to the episodes is not foreseen. The episodic aspect of an impairment will rather affect its significant nature, depending on frequency.

  • The persistent nature of the impairment
  • Its significance as a disability
  • The risks to your health and safetyPersons whose health can be endangered in covering short distances usually have impaired respiratory or cardiovascular systems. Since movement is required outside, their resistance can be affected by the elements such as cold and wind.

    Dangers to one's safety are more varied. Moving about in an environment such as a parking lot presents certain specific risks for persons with physical or mental limitations. That is why someone in a wheelchair requires a parking space wide enough to get in or out of a vehicle safely. Obstacles such as snow, ice or large puddles can make getting around with a wheelchair, walker or crutches quite hazardous.

    People with certain behaviour problems may not be able to move about safely in such an environment even when accompanied. The presence of stimuli (engine noise, horns, glare from vehicle headlights) might trigger behaviour difficult for the escort to control, all the more when he or she is not in the habit of having to contend with this type of situation or more than one person at a time.

  • The usefulness of the permit to attenuate or rectify situations related to your disabilityPersons are eligible for the permit program if the use of reserved parking spaces can lessen or correct handicap situations, that is, enable them to carry out activities otherwise impossible or difficult to do.

    Disabled persons who do not drive can have access to public areas without needing to have a parking permit, even though they may experience some difficulty in getting around. The driver could, in fact, let the person out at a spot closer to the destination than the reserved parking spaces. Persons could, however, qualify for a permit if they cannot be left alone (behaviour problems, mental impairment, panic attacks or other).

You may automatically be entitled to the parking permit

If you are the holder of a driver's licence bearing Condition P

Condition P printed on a driver's licence means that its holder must only drive vehicles equipped with hand-operated controls.

If this is your case, you must fill out the Disabled Parking Permit Application (PDF, 360 KB) form.

If your condition requires the permanent use of a wheelchair to get around

You must fill out the Disabled Parking Permit Application (PDF, 360 KB) form and provide us with proof that the purchase of the wheelchair was covered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

If you do not meet these conditions

You must have an assessment form filled out by an authorized health care professional: a special education teacher, an occupational therapist, a nurse, a physician, an optometrist, a physiotherapist or a psychologist.

Choose the professional who can best describe your disability as it relates to getting around.

The parking permit belongs exclusively to the disabled person

It is not associated with the vehicle in which the person is travelling, regardless of who owns the vehicle.

Permit holder's responsibilities

  • Display the permit by hanging it from the rearview mirror inside the vehicle so that it is visible from the outside and only when the vehicle is parked in a parking space reserved for disabled persons.
  • Carry the accompanying certificate with you when the disabled parking permit is in use.
  • Do not lend or transfer the permit to another person.
  • Return the permit and certificate to us when their use is no longer required.

Obeying the law is important!

Disabled parking permit holders who fail to comply with these conditions are liable to a fine of $200 to $300, in addition to other costs.

The permit belongs exclusively to the person to whom it is issued

Fraudulent use of a disabled parking permit or the accompanying certificate is subject to a fine of $300 to $600.

Fraudulent use of a disabled parking space by someone who does not hold a disabled parking permit, or whose permit is not valid, is subject to a fine of $200 to $300.

If you are moving, or if the parking permit is lost, damaged or stolen

It is important that you notify us as soon as possible.

Consult our section entitled Replacing a Disabled Parking Permit for the procedure.

Validity period of a parking permit

  • For disabled persons and public institutions: 5 years
  • For disabled persons who are not Québec residents: for their entire stay in Québec

Parking permit and accompanying certificate

You must always carry the accompanying certificate that is issued with the parking permit. The certificate is proof that you are authorized to use the permit.

Eligibility for a parking permit for a motorcycle or scooter

The sticker, which must be placed on the licence plate of the motorcycle or scooter, is issued if you are:

  • the owner or lessee of a motorcycle or scooter
    AND
  • eligible for or the holder of a disabled parking permit and valid accompanying certificate

If this is your case, you must fill out the Disabled Parking Permit Application – Motorcycles and Scooters (PDF, 109 KB).

Last update: April 15, 2020