How to Get a Residential Parking Permit in Vancouver
How to get a residential parking permit in Vancouver: check your zone, meet the ICBC insurance test, buy online or by phone, and wait 3 hours.
How to Get an Accessible Parking Permit in Ontario
How to get an Accessible Parking Permit in Ontario: who qualifies, which regulated health practitioner certifies you, and how to apply free.
Applies in: Ontario
The short answer
An Accessible Parking Permit (APP) in Ontario is free, issued to you as a person rather than to a vehicle, and it starts with a regulated health practitioner — not with ServiceOntario. A physician, chiropractor, nurse practitioner, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, chiropodist, or podiatrist must certify on the application form that you have a qualifying condition and whether it is permanent or temporary. You complete your part of the form, then submit it online, in person at a ServiceOntario centre, or by mail. Each municipality sets its own local rules for accessible parking through its bylaws, so the permit is provincial but the street-level privileges follow local signs and bylaws.
Step 1: Check whether your condition qualifies
The regulation lists the qualifying conditions, and your practitioner certifies against them. You qualify if you cannot walk without the assistance of another individual or of a brace, cane, crutch, lower limb prosthetic device, or similar assistive device, or you require a wheelchair; you suffer from lung disease to such an extent that your forced expiratory volume in one second is less than one litre; portable oxygen is a medical necessity for you; you suffer from cardiovascular disease to such an extent that your functional capacity is Class III or Class IV; your ability to walk is severely limited due to an arthritic, neurological, musculoskeletal, or orthopaedic condition; your visual acuity is 20/200 or poorer in the better eye with corrective lenses if required, or your maximum field of vision using both eyes is 20 degrees or less; or your mobility is severely limited by one or more conditions or functional impairments.
This is a mobility test, not a diagnosis list. A condition that does not limit your mobility does not qualify, and the practitioner — not ServiceOntario — makes the call.
Step 2: Have a regulated health practitioner complete Part B
Get the Application for an Accessible Parking Permit form from any ServiceOntario centre or online. You complete Part A (applicant information). A regulated health practitioner completes Part B: your name, an assessment of your health conditions against the list above, and the status of the condition — permanent, subject to change, or temporary with an anticipated duration. Your application is valid for up to 6 months from the date the practitioner signs it, so do not get the form signed and then sit on it.
Step 3: Gather identification and submit
You will need identification showing all three elements: your full name, your date of birth, and your signature. A driver's licence, enhanced driver's licence, or Ontario Photo Card covers all three; a Canadian or foreign passport does as well. Other documents can be combined to prove the three elements together. Submit the completed application online through the province's online Accessible Parking Permits service, take it to a ServiceOntario centre, or mail it to ServiceOntario, PO Box 9800, Kingston ON K7L 5N8.
Step 4: Use the permit correctly — and renew on time
Display the permit on the sun visor or dashboard so the international symbol of access, the permit number, and the expiry date are clearly visible from outside the vehicle. The permit entitles the vehicle you are travelling in to park in designated accessible parking, standing, and stopping areas. It is not valid when the vehicle is not being used to pick up or transport you — lending it to someone else is misuse, and fraudulently obtaining a permit is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act that can bring a fine of up to $5,000.
A regular permit for a permanent disability is valid for 60 months and renews without a new health certification — unless it has been expired for more than a year, in which case new practitioner certification is required. A temporary permit lasts for the anticipated length of the disability, up to 12 months, and is not renewable in the same way; if the condition persists, you apply again with fresh certification. If your permit is lost or stolen, report it to the Ministry on the Ministry's form and a replacement will be issued if you still meet the requirements. If the holder dies, anyone who comes into possession of the permit must return it to the Ministry promptly.
Traveller, company, and motorcycle permits
If you already hold a valid permit and plan to fly from an Ontario airport, you can request a traveller permit, valid for up to one year. Companies and non-profit organizations that own or lease vehicles used to transport people with physical disabilities can hold company permits, valid for up to five years. There is also a permit for use on a motorcycle or motor-assisted bicycle, for holders of a Class M or M2 licence who also hold a general-use permit — it is displayed on the top left corner of the number plate. Visitors to Ontario can use a valid permit, plate, or device from their home jurisdiction, or get a temporary Ontario visitor permit at a ServiceOntario centre with proof of their home permit, government-issued identification showing date of birth, and a document confirming the disability.
Figures the official pages do not state
No fee figure beyond "free of charge" is stated anywhere in this guide, because none exists — the permit is free. The 6-month validity of a signed application comes from the official application form itself. The online service address is published on the province's own pages; the live service page is not confirmed here, so confirm the current online route on the province's site before you apply.
Related guides
- How to get an OHIP health card in Ontario — the companion Ontario card: the same ServiceOntario centres handle OHIP, and the same identification habits apply.
- How to start getting your driver's licence in Ontario — the licence behind the permit: the Ontario graduated licensing steps and what each stage lets you drive.
- How to get a family doctor in Ontario — if you do not yet have a regular practitioner to certify the application, this is where to start.
- How to dispute a parking ticket in Toronto — if you are ticketed while using a permit, Toronto's dispute process and deadlines are the next step.
Getting an Accessible Parking Permit in Ontario, in four steps
- Check whether your condition qualifiesYour mobility must be severely limited by a listed condition — for example, you cannot walk without assistance, you need portable oxygen, or your visual acuity is 20/200 or poorer in the better eye.
- Have a regulated health practitioner certify the formA physician, chiropractor, nurse practitioner (extended class), physiotherapist, occupational therapist, chiropodist, or podiatrist completes Part B and states whether your condition is permanent or temporary.
- Complete Part A and gather your identificationFill in your part of the application and have identification showing your full name, date of birth, and signature ready — a driver's licence, Ontario Photo Card, or passport.
- Submit online, in person, or by mailApply through the online Accessible Parking Permits service, take the form to a ServiceOntario centre, or mail it to ServiceOntario, PO Box 9800, Kingston ON K7L 5N8. The permit is free.
Ontario Accessible Parking Permit costs
| Accessible Parking Permit — apply, renew, or replace | Free |
|---|---|
| Regular (permanent) permit validity | 5 years (60 months) |
| Temporary permit validity | Up to 12 months |
| Traveller permit validity | Up to 12 months |
The permit is issued free of charge to qualified individuals. A permanent permit renews without a new health certification unless it has been expired for more than a year.
Questions people ask
How do I get an Accessible Parking Permit in Ontario?
Get the Application for an Accessible Parking Permit form from a ServiceOntario centre or online. You complete Part A; a regulated health practitioner completes Part B, certifying your condition and whether it is permanent or temporary. Then submit the form online through the Accessible Parking Permits service, in person at a ServiceOntario centre, or by mail to ServiceOntario, PO Box 9800, Kingston ON K7L 5N8. Bring identification showing your full name, date of birth, and signature. There is no fee.
Who qualifies for an Accessible Parking Permit in Ontario?
A regulated health practitioner must certify that you are a person with a disability under the regulation — for example, you cannot walk without the assistance of another person, a brace, cane, crutch, lower limb prosthetic device, or wheelchair; you have lung disease with a forced expiratory volume in one second of less than one litre; portable oxygen is a medical necessity; your cardiovascular functional capacity is Class III or IV; your ability to walk is severely limited by an arthritic, neurological, musculoskeletal, or orthopaedic condition; your visual acuity is 20/200 or poorer in the better eye; or your mobility is severely limited by one or more conditions or functional impairments.
Which health professionals can certify an Accessible Parking Permit application?
A physician, chiropodist, chiropractor, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, podiatrist, or registered nurse in the extended class (nurse practitioner). The practitioner must certify that you have a disability, state the nature of it, say whether it is temporary or permanent (or unknown), and, if temporary, give the anticipated length of time it is expected to continue if known.
What are the different types of Accessible Parking Permits in Ontario?
Four main types. A regular permit (blue) is for permanent disabilities and is valid for five years. A temporary permit (red) is for a disability expected to last more than two months that is not permanent, and is valid for the anticipated length of time up to 12 months. A traveller permit (purple) is valid for up to one year and goes to someone who already holds a valid permit and plans to fly from an Ontario airport. A company permit (green) is valid for up to five years and goes to companies and non-profit organizations whose vehicles transport people with physical disabilities. There is also a permit for use on a motorcycle or motor-assisted bicycle.
How much does an Accessible Parking Permit cost in Ontario?
Nothing. The permit is issued free of charge to qualified individuals, and there is no fee to renew or replace one. The only costs are your own — for example, if your health practitioner charges for completing the certification.
Can I use my Accessible Parking Permit in another vehicle or another province?
The permit is issued to you, the permit holder, not to a specific vehicle — it can be displayed in any vehicle you are travelling in, on the dashboard or turned-down sun visor so the symbol, permit number, and expiry date are visible from outside. It is not valid when displayed on a vehicle that is not being used to pick up or transport you. A permit, number plate, or device from another jurisdiction bearing the international symbol of access is entitled to the same privileges in Ontario, and visitors to Ontario can get a temporary visitor permit at a ServiceOntario centre.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 581: Accessible Parking for Persons with Disabilities — the qualifying conditions, who may certify, the permit types and validity periods, display rules, and replacement rules.
- Government of Ontario, Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Parking along roadways — the permit is issued free of charge to qualified individuals, issued to the permit holder not the vehicle, and the four permit types.
- ServiceOntario, Application for an Accessible Parking Permit — the Part A and Part B form, submission routes including the Kingston mailing address, the 6-month application validity, and the $5,000 fraud penalty.
- Government of Ontario, Drive in Ontario: visitors — visitor permits: a home-jurisdiction permit is honoured, and a temporary Ontario visitor permit is available at a ServiceOntario centre.