Virginia program
An accessible-parking placard for clinic days
A temporary placard allows accessible parking when a clinician certifies a qualifying limitation.
What it is
A temporary placard allows accessible parking when a clinician certifies a qualifying limitation.
Treatment can make the walk from the car difficult. The test is the walking limitation or qualifying safety concern, not the cancer diagnosis alone. Your clinician decides what can be certified.
Eligibility rules
- DMV form MED 10 must describe a qualifying walking limitation or safety impairment, not just the diagnosis. A physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant may certify the form; chiropractors and podiatrists use the more limited mobility section. A parent or legal guardian can complete the child's application, but cannot replace the medical certification. A temporary placard is free, lasts no more than the certified period up to 12 months, and is used when transporting the child.
What you get
- A free temporary accessible-parking placard.
- A certified duration of up to 12 months.
What the rules cover
- The temporary placard is free. It does not make every paid car park free.
If you decide to apply
- Ask your clinician whether your child meets the test on DMV form MED 10.
- Bring the signed form to the DMV or send it in, with the requested details.
The Department of Motor Vehicles · Official page ↗
If you decide to apply
- The DMV issues the placard after receiving the completed signed form.
Good to know
A cancer diagnosis alone does not meet the test. The clinician must certify the limitation.
Other details
- The clinician certifies how long the limitation is expected to require accessible parking.
Official sources
“Could a clinician assess whether our child meets the walking or safety test for a placard? Could you help with MED 10 and the length of time it should cover?”
Why I’m asking: A shorter walk could make difficult treatment days more manageable.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Bring the form to a clinic visit and file it.
Your social worker
The clinic signs the certification.
The care team
A clinician certifies the walking limitation or safety concern and how long it will last.
- Who decides
- The Department of Motor Vehicles
- Ask the care team
- “Can you sign form MED 10 for a temporary parking placard, and certify how many months it will be needed?”
How to apply
First step: Print form MED 10 and take it to the next clinic visit for a signature.
- Print form MED 10 and take it to the next clinic visit for signature.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: Take form MED 10, signed by the clinician, to the motor vehicle office or send it in.
What to gather
- Form MED 10
- The vehicle details
How long: Issued when the signed form reaches the motor vehicle office.
What a yes looks like
A placard with an expiry date up to 12 months out.
What a no looks like, and the next move
The clinician does not think the walking test is met. Ask again if treatment gets harder.
Watch out
- The diagnosis alone does not qualify; the certified limitation does.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
A free placard, certified for up to 12 months.
- $0 — Fee for a disabled parking placard
- $12 — Months a temporary placard can last
Covers: Parking in accessible spaces while treatment runs
What it costs the family: None since July 1, 2024.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Test
- a qualifying walking limitation or safety concern, certified by a clinician; the diagnosis alone is not the test
- Signers
- a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, podiatrist or chiropractor
- Duration
- up to 12 months when the clinician certifies it will be needed that long
The trap: The diagnosis on its own is not the test. What controls is the walking limitation or safety concern the clinician certifies, so ask the clinician to describe what your child cannot manage.
Where I read this
- Virginia DMV MED 10 — Disabled Parking Plates or Placard Application — Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, read September 10, 2026
- Virginia DMV — New laws take effect July 1, 2024 — Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, read September 10, 2026
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-1241 — Disabled parking placards — Virginia Law Library, read September 10, 2026