See a disability plate for sale? Don’t buy it.

PHOENIX – You can buy lots of things online, at a swap meet or from a friend, but one thing you should never find is a vehicle disability plate or placard because of the strict controls placed on who’s eligible to get one.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division was recently alerted to a social media post by a Phoenix-area resident attempting to sell a relative’s placard online. The ADOT Office of Inspector General has an ongoing investigation into that incident in which the placard was offered for sale for several hundred dollars.

“Disability plates and placards are strictly reserved for people who truly need this kind of accommodation,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “Any attempt to sell or transfer them is illegal and causes tremendous hardship for the rightful owner.”

A disability plate or placard is assigned to, and may only be displayed on, a specific vehicle registered or leased in the name of the person with a disability. That person must be either the vehicle’s driver or a passenger when the space is used. 

Recipients must complete an MVD Disability-Hearing Impaired Plate/Placard Application or have one on file.

The application includes a medical certification section completed by an authorized physician (doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry or chiropractic, licensed to practice medicine in the United States), a registered nurse practitioner or by a hospital administrator.

For more information: azdot.gov/mvd