Registration & Plates

Persons With Disabilities Plate and Sticker

*Please note there are different requirements depending upon plate choice. Be sure to review the specific information for each plate.

Who is eligible

Qualified persons with disabilities.


Requirements

A statement on letterhead stationary from someone licensed to practice medicine stating that the applicant is a person with a disability and that the disability is permanent. Persons licensed to practice medicine include physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists, physician assistants or advanced nurse practitioners. A parent or guardian of a disabled child may qualify if the child resides with them and submits a proof of residency form. Stickers may be issued to an owner of a motor vehicle who is a person with a disability who does not want a persons with disabilities license plate. The sticker is placed on the license plate in the lower-right corner of the rear plate. The sticker can be placed on any type of regular, special or personalized license plate in the lower-right corner of the rear plate.

Plate requirements

A statement on letterhead stationary from someone licensed to practice medicine stating that the applicant is a person with a disability and that the disability is permanent. Persons licensed to practice medicine include physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists, physician assistants or advanced nurse practitioners. A parent or guardian of a disabled child may qualify if the child resides with them and submits a proof of residency form.


Sticker requirements

Persons with Disabilities Sticker

Persons with disabilities plate stickers may be issued to an owner of a motor vehicle who is a person with a disability who does not want a persons with disabilities license plate. The sticker is placed on the license plate in the lower-right corner of the rear plate. The sticker can be placed on any type of regular, special or personalized license plate in the lower-right corner of the rear plate. To apply for a persons with disabilities sticker, complete the Application for Persons with Disabilities Parking Permit for Iowa Residents.

Eligible vehicles

  • Automobiles
  • Multipurpose vehicles
  • Sport utility vehicles
  • Vans
  • Motorcycles
  • Trucks
  • Motor homes
  • Trailers and travel trailers


Numbered plates

  • No initial or validation fee at time of renewal
  • Annual registration renewal fee
  • Numbered plates must be ordered through your county treasurer's office.

Personalized plates

  • $25 initial fee
  • $5 annual renewal fee
  • Annual registration renewal fee (paid to county treasurer)
Personalized license plates may consist of up to five characters and numbers. All personalized plate choices must have at least two characters.
  • No punctuation marks are allowed
  • No denoting a government agency (i.e., DOT)
  • No display of characters that are sexual in connotation
  • No characters suggesting profane, obscene or inflammatory words or phrases, or those contrary to public policy
  • No characters or words defined in dictionaries as a term of vulgarity, contempt, prejudice, hostility, insult, or racial or ethnic degradation
  • No characters considered to be offensive
  • No characters that conflict with the regular license numbering system
  • Recognized as a swear word
  • Reference to an illegal substance or criminal act
  • Any foreign word falling in any of these categories
  • Cannot be all numbers

How to apply

Complete the Special Plate Application form, print and mail with the fees that are due.

Vehicle & Motor Carrier Services
Iowa Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 9278
Des Moines, Iowa  50306-9278

Your plates will be sent to your county treasurer's office and staff will notify you when your plates are available. Typical processing time is 3-6 weeks. Plates must be assigned to a vehicle within 90 days or the plates will be voided and no refund issued. Your current plates must be exchanged for your new plates.


For questions

Department of Transportation