Sec. 681.003. PARKING PLACARD APPLICATION

(a) An owner of a motor vehicle regularly operated by or for the transportation of a person with a disability may apply for a disabled parking placard.

(b) An application for a disabled parking placard must be:

(1) on a form furnished by the department;

(2) submitted to the county assessor-collector of the county in which the person with the disability resides; and

(3) accompanied by a fee of $5 if the application is for a temporary placard.

(c) Subject to Subsections (e) and (f), the first application must be accompanied by a notarized written statement or written prescription of a physician licensed to practice medicine in this state or a state adjacent to this state, or authorized by applicable law to practice medicine in a hospital or other health facility of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, certifying and providing evidence acceptable to the department that the person making the application or on whose behalf the application is made is legally blind or has a mobility problem that substantially impairs the person's ability to ambulate. The statement or prescription must include a certification of whether the disability is temporary or permanent and information acceptable to the department to determine the type of disabled parking placard for which the applicant is eligible. The department shall determine a person's eligibility based on evidence provided by the applicant establishing legal blindness or mobility impairment.

(d) Information concerning the name or address of a person to whom a disabled parking placard is issued or in whose behalf a disabled parking placard is issued is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.

(e) If a first application for a disabled parking placard under this section is made by or on behalf of a person with:

(1) a mobility problem caused by a disorder of the foot, the notarized written statement or written prescription required by Subsection (c) may be issued by a person licensed to practice podiatry in this state or a state adjacent to this state; or

(2) a disability caused by an impairment of vision as provided by Section 681.001(2), the notarized written statement or written prescription required by Subsection (c) may be issued by a person licensed to engage in the practice of optometry or the practice of therapeutic optometry in this state or a state adjacent to this state.

(f) This subsection applies only to the first application for a disabled parking placard submitted by a person. The notarized written statement or prescription may be issued by:

(1) a person acting under the delegation and supervision of a licensed physician in conformance with Subchapter B, Chapter 157, Occupations Code; or

(2) a physician assistant licensed to practice in this state acting as the agent of a licensed physician under Section 204.202(e), Occupations Code.

(g) In this section, "practice of optometry" and "practice of therapeutic optometry" have the meanings assigned by Section 351.002, Occupations Code.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 30.156(b); Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1353, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1172, Sec. 3, eff. June 18, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1362, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 105, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 531 , Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 842 , Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1160 , Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 91 , Sec. 27.001(65), eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1291 , Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2011.