This is a good website with links to each states Department of Motor Vehicles page about disabled parking permits.
You can click on a state and find out what the law is for that state. There are other links on the pages.
The laws in each state have some things in general that are similar, but the details may be different.
For example, in Minnesota, my family was able to get handicapped parking plates for our van while my DD was a minor. Once she turned 18, we were no longer able to get handicapped plates for our van unless she was either the primary operator of the van (she is not capable of driving) or she was the primary owner of the van (she doesnt have income to buy a van).
My daughter is able to get a handicapped hangtag issued to her, so that is what we have.
In some states, a caregiver may be able to get handicapped parking plates for the benefit of the person.
In some states, the handicapped parking permit is required to be hung from the mirror, but some states allow it to be placed on the dashboard or hung. In fact, Minnesota recently changed the law to provide for either because of lobbying by people with disabilities who could physically not place it on and off the mirror.
I do not know of anything in writing on the internet, but we were given some guidelines when we got DDs handicapped hangtag; kind of summarized, it amounted to:
- the person the hangtag is issued to must be in the car or the car is being parked in the spot to pick that person up or drop them off.
- the permit must be used for the benefit of the person it is issued to. We were told if DD was not getting out, that parking in the handicapped spot was not of any benefit to her, so we could not park there.
These things may be different in different states, but I doubt that they are law that would be published anywhere that can be found. More like guidelines that are unofficially published.
I guess, the main thing would be that people need to use common sense, compassion and realize that handicapped parking spots are a scarce commodity.