The Disabled Person's Parking Permit lets you use disabled parking spaces in Ireland and the EU. Here is who qualifies, how to apply and what it costs.
You apply for a Disabled Person's Parking Permit (also called the Parking Card) to one of two bodies: the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) or the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland (DDAI). It costs €35 and lasts 2 years.
Who this is for
The permit is for people whose walking is severely restricted by a permanent condition or disability, and for people certified as blind. You can be the driver or a passenger. The permit belongs to you, not the car, so you can use it in any vehicle you travel in.
- Severe restricted mobility: a doctor or consultant must certify that you meet the medical and mobility criteria.
- Primary Medical Certificate holders: you qualify automatically, but you still have to apply. You get this certificate through your Local Health Office.
- Blind: you need certification from Vision Ireland, a GP, an ophthalmologist or an optician.
What you need
- The application form from the IWA or DDAI.
- Medical certification signed by your doctor or consultant, a copy of your Primary Medical Certificate, or your blindness certification.
- A photo, which a Garda at a Garda station must verify. The Garda also signs part of the form.
- The €35 fee, plus €2 if you want a windscreen holder.
Step by step
- Choose one issuing body: the IWA (email maats@iwa.ie) or the DDAI (email parkingcard@ddai.ie). You can also start on their websites.
- Answer their eligibility questions. If you qualify, they send you an application form by email or post.
- Ask your doctor or consultant to fill in the medical part, unless you hold a Primary Medical Certificate or blindness certification.
- Take the form and your photo to a Garda station. A Garda checks your photo and signs the form.
- Send the completed form and the €35 fee back to the body that issued it.
- Wait for your permit. It shows your photo and signature.
- Display it on the windscreen every time you park in a disabled space.
How much it costs and how long it takes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| New permit | €35 |
| Replacement (lost or stolen) | €35 |
| Windscreen holder | €2 |
| Parking in a disabled space without a valid permit | €150 (€225 if unpaid after 28 days) |
| Misusing a permit | €200 (€300 if unpaid after 28 days) |
No official processing time is published. Ask the IWA or DDAI when you apply.
Using your permit abroad
Your permit is valid across the EU, but you must follow the local parking rules there. Outside the EU, contact that country's embassy. Permits from other countries are recognised here if they show the wheelchair symbol.
Common mistakes
- Letting someone else use your permit when you are not travelling. Using it for anyone other than the holder has been an offence since 2023.
- Not reporting surgery or treatment that improved your mobility when you renew.
- Forgetting to tell the issuing body when you move house.
- Keeping the permit after the holder dies. It should be returned to the body that issued it.
The permit is tied to one car.
It belongs to the person. You can use it in any car you travel in, as driver or passenger.
If something goes wrong
- Irish Wheelchair Association: 01 818 6400, info@iwa.ie.
- Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland: 094 936 4054 or 01 810 3794, parkingcard@ddai.ie.
- Lost or stolen permit: apply to the body that issued it and pay €35 again.
- Citizens Information Phone Service: 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.
Related guides
- How to apply for Disability Allowance
- How to apply for a Free Travel pass
- How to pay or appeal a fixed charge notice (speeding fine)
- How to apply for Carer's Allowance
- How to apply for a Housing Adaptation Grant
Giving false or misleading information on an application or renewal became an offence, with a fine of up to €2,500, up to 6 months in prison, or both.
