Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

Childhood Cancer Lantern
Search Saved

Washington program

A temporary accessible-parking placard

A free placard for up to 12 months when a clinician certifies that walking is limited. It makes the walk from the car shorter.

What it is

A free placard for up to 12 months when a clinician certifies that walking is limited. It makes the walk from the car shorter.

The diagnosis alone is not the test. The state’s criteria include being unable to walk 200 feet without resting, needing another person or a device to walk, and certain lung, heart, oxygen and vision conditions. If that describes your child during treatment, a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant at the clinic can certify.

Eligibility rules
  • The statutory criteria (RCW 46.19.010), not the diagnosis: unable to walk 200 feet without rest, needs a person or assistive device to walk, or specified lung, cardiac, oxygen-use or vision conditions. Wanting to avoid infection is not a listed criterion.
  • A physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant can certify. Since October 2025 the process also needs a separate written authorization alongside the application (RCW 46.19.080).
What you get
  • A free temporary placard and identification card, valid up to 12 months.
  • A shorter walk at every visit; the placard belongs to your child and is used when transporting them.
What it is not
  • It does not make every paid parking area free; posted rules still apply.
If you decide to apply
  1. Download the Department of Licensing disabled-parking application for individuals.
  2. Bring it to a clinic appointment and ask the clinician to assess, complete the certification and provide the separate written authorization.
  3. Submit as DOL directs and note the expiry date.

DOL: disabled parking · Official page ↗

Renewal
  • If still needed after expiry, submit a new application and certification.
Good to know

The clinic can sign the form at a regular appointment; in Washington a nurse practitioner or physician assistant can sign, and the placard can run up to twelve months.

Other details
  • Temporary placards are issued free.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Would our child meet the walking-limitation test for a temporary parking placard during treatment, and could the clinic sign the form at our next visit?”

Why I’m asking: A shorter walk would make treatment visits easier.

More background and detailed requirements

How this could help

Ask the treating clinician whether your child meets the state’s criteria. Describe the actual difficulty, such as how far your child can walk or why walking is limited. A cancer diagnosis on its own is not the eligibility test.

The placard belongs to the person with the disability and is used when transporting them. It does not automatically make every paid parking area free; follow the location’s posted rules.

What to know before you apply

  • A physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant can complete the medical certification.
  • Temporary placards and identification cards are issued free of charge.
  • A temporary placard lasts no more than 12 months. Continued need requires a new application and certification.

Your next steps

  1. Download the Department of Licensing disabled-parking application for individuals.
  2. Bring it to a clinic appointment and ask the clinician to assess eligibility and complete the required certification.
  3. Submit the paperwork as directed by DOL and check the expiry date when the placard arrives.

the statutory mobility test, not the diagnosis

a physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant

Washington

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 an appointment and submit it.

Your social worker

The licensing office issues the placard.

The care team

A clinician describes the mobility problem and signs.

Who decides
The Department of Licensing.
Ask your social worker
“Does my child’s current difficulty walking qualify for a temporary parking placard?”

How to apply

First step: Download the Department of Licensing disabled-parking application for individuals.

  1. Take the form to the next clinic appointment.
  2. Ask the clinician to describe the walking, not the diagnosis.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Take the form to a clinic appointment and ask the clinician to describe the walking problem.

What to gather

  • The application form
  • The vehicle details

How long: No published clock was found.

What a yes looks like

A placard with an expiry date up to twelve months away.

What a no looks like, and the next move

If the no is about the description, ask the clinician to write about the distance your child can walk.

Watch out

  • The diagnosis alone is not the test; the walking is.
  • It is temporary and has to be renewed.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

A temporary placard for up to twelve months when the mobility test is met.

  • $12 — Longest a temporary placard lasts

Covers: Disabled parking while the placard is valid

What it costs the family: No charge for the temporary placard or identification card.

The eligibility facts, as published

Medical
the statutory mobility test, not the diagnosis
Certifier
a physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant
Residency
Washington

Expect friction on: Getting the form signed at a busy appointment

The trap: The leukaemia diagnosis on its own is not the test; the form asks about the mobility problem. Ask the clinician to describe the walking, not the diagnosis.

Where I read this

← Back to your options