Disabled parking permits provide a range of parking concessions for people with severe mobility, vision or other challenges who may have difficulty using public transport or walking distances, so that they can park close to where they need to go.
An individual eligible for a permit may have a severe mobility or vision impairment, for example, and require a disabled parking space close to the building. In the case of someone with a vision impairment they will be driven by someone supporting them in their travel. It is always advisable to communicate full details of travel, parking and building access to the individual and to confirm that they have what they need and are confident about the availability of parking and ability to access the building.
Parking Badge Policies in Canada
In Canada, parking badge policies and programs for persons with disabilities come under provincial and territorial government authority. These governments then delegate the responsibility for enacting and enforcing their own bylaws on parking permits and the use of designated parking spaces for persons with disabilities, to cities and municipalities. As a result, parking badge policies for persons with disabilities may vary from one jurisdiction to another. There are, however, important common elements:
- All jurisdictions provide designated parking spaces for vehicles carrying persons with mobility disabilities.
- These designated parking spaces are marked by a traffic control sign bearing the international wheelchair logo. The international logo is often painted on the pavement of the parking space, as well.
- A parking permit is issued to a person with a disability, nota specific vehicle, and is for that person’s use only.
- The driver must hang the parking permit from the rearview mirror or place it in plain view on the dashboard, when it is parked.
- The person with the disability must leave and board the vehicle while it is parked in the designated parking space.
Visitors to Canada must bring their valid parking permit from their home jurisdiction with them and hang it from the rearview mirror or place it in plain view on the dashboard of their vehicle. Canadian jurisdictions will recognize disabled parking permits from other Canadian provinces and territories, from the United States, and from Europe. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to comply with local parking bylaws.
Unlike most European countries, in Canada:
- Persons with disabilities holding a valid parking badge cannot normally park their vehicles in pedestrian zones or no parking zones or loading and unloading zones.
- Permit holders must usually pay parking meter fees where such charges apply. We recommend visitors check with local authorities whether fee exemptions are available.
- Canadian jurisdictions do not use time limitation devices, parking discs or other devices in addition to the parking permit itself.
For more specific information on the parking badge policies of a particular Canadian jurisdiction, visitors may wish to contact the office that issues parking permits, of their provincial/territorial destination, listed in the grid below.
| PROVINCES/ TERRITORIES | PARKING PERMIT ISSUING OFFICE |
| Alberta | Service Alberta
Website: http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/2070.cfm |
| British Columbia | Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC)
Website: http://www.sparc.bc.ca/parking-permit |
| Manitoba | Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD)
Website: https://www.smd.mb.ca/smd-services/parking-permit-program |
| New Brunswick | Service New Brunswick – Department of Public Safety
Website: http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/services/services_renderer.14197.html |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Services NL – Motor Registration Division
Website: http://www.servicenl.gov.nl.ca/drivers/accessibleparkingpermit/index.html |
| Northwest Territories | NWT Disabilities Council
Website: http://www.nwtdc.net/parking-placard-program/ |
| Nova Scotia | Service Nova Scotia – Registry of Motor Vehicles
Website: http://novascotia.ca/sns/paal/rmv/paal277.asp |
| Nunavut | Nunavut issues accessible parking permits. For more information, please contact the Motor Vehicles Division of the Ministry of Economic Development and Transportation
Website: http://www.gov.nu.ca/edt |
| Ontario | Service Ontario
Website: http://www.ontario.ca/page/get-accessible-parking-permit |
| Prince Edward Island | PEI Council of People with Disabilities
Website: http://www.peicod.pe.ca/programs_parking.php |
| Québec | Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ)
Website: http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/miscellany/parking_permit/index.php |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Abilities Council
Website: http://www.abilitiescouncil.sk.ca/html/parking_program_people_disabilities/index.cfm |
| Yukon | The Government of Yukon does not have a territorial regulation on parking permit programs for persons with disabilities. However, the City of Whitehorse does have an accessible parking program in place for persons with disabilities administered by the Bylaw Services Department.
City of Whitehorse Website: |
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Date modified:
2020-09-18
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Source: Mutual Recognition of Parking Badges Agreement for Persons with Disabilities (canada.ca)