Disability parking placards are now ready for the Arizona heat

Permanent and temporary disability placards are even more prepared for summer heat thanks to improvements from the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division. 

Anyone that has been in Arizona during the summer, especially southern Arizona, knows the power of the sun. Sunburns can happen in about 11 minutes, burning your hands and legs just  trying to drive your car after it’s been in the sun for only a few minutes and don’t even think about leaving any items in the car for any amount of time. You will come back to a melted mess in your car. In that light, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has improved the durability of permanent and temporary disability placards that actually do stay in vehicles 24/7. 

These changes are not easily noticed, but include the use of a more durable material, a revised design, and a more streamlined production process.  

Both the temporary and permanent disability parking placards are now using a durable synthetic poly material called Revlar. Testing was conducted for two years prior to roll out and results showed that Revlar is resistant to UV damage caused by extended exposure to the heat and sun. This ensures the placards will not fade, curl or become brittle like the previously pre-printed PVC placards.

While the revised design of the placards may look very similar, revisions to the layout and strategic placement of the variable customer data are helping display the placards to better assist law enforcement in identifying the placards more easily.

Production and distribution for the placards have also undergone a change with the preprinted placards no longer being distributed to each office location. Instead, they are now produced and mailed directly to the customer on demand. This eliminates time and excessive inventory required to stock offices. The daily batch of placards are printed, inserted and ready for mailing in about an hour. Customers are typically receiving their placards in three to six days from their request date. 

For more information about the disability parking placards, please visit the ADOT website.