Applying for an Accessible Parking Permit in Israel
Are you a resident of Israel who has a disability or a chronic illness? Or are you perhaps the caretaker of a child with a disability? If so, then you may be eligible for an accessible parking permit in Israel. The permit is issued by the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety and is called “a parking badge for the disabled” (tav chanaya laneche). The following article, “Applying for an Accessible Parking Permit in Israel”, will explain exactly who qualifies for this badge. It will also give instructions on how to apply for the permit if you think you meet the qualifications and it will describe how to use the permit. If you have any additional questions on handicapped parking in Israel or any other legal questions, feel free to contact our law office: 03-3724722.
What are the benefits of an accessible parking permit in Israel?
The permit comes in the form of a card that can be affixed to the windshield of your vehicle so that it is visible to traffic police. It will allow you to park your car in any designated handicapped parking spot without getting a parking ticket. This permit will also allow you to legally park in any place in which parking is not normally allowed, as long as it does not cause disruption to traffic, endanger pedestrians, or block the passage of wheelchairs and baby strollers.
Who qualifies for an accessible parking permit in Israel?
You are entitled to an accessible parking permit if at least one of the following criteria applies to you:
- You require a wheelchair for mobility or your ability to walk is otherwise severely impaired.
- Your medical disability rate is at least 60% and you require a private vehicle in order to travel safely (including cancer patients undergoing oncological treatment).
- You are visually impaired (a confirmation of blindness must be provided by the Ministry of Welfare).
- You became disabled as the result of a terrorist attack and there is a risk that traveling the roads without a private vehicle may undermine your general health.
- You became disabled as an IDF soldier or other service member and are registered as such by the Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Department.
How to apply
If you would like to apply for an accessible parking permit in Israel, then you must send an application to the Ministry of Transport. These are the documents that must be included with your application:
- A completed request form (it can be filled out online).
- A photograph of your National ID Card (including the appendix slip).
- A letter with your signature specifying which vehicles require the badge (no more than two vehicles).
- Photographs of the vehicles’ registration papers.
- A photograph of your medical protocol.
Note that you do not need to include your medical documents in the following cases:
- If you already received a notification from the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) that you are eligible for an accessible parking permit.
- If you are recognized as disabled by the Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Department.
- If you have a certificate of blindness from the Ministry of Welfare.
Are there different types of accessible parking permits in Israel?
Depending on the nature of your medical disability, you may receive either a temporary permit for up to three years or a permanent permit that does not require renewal. Additionally, if you have a mobility impairment, then the parking badge will have a blue wheelchair symbol on it. If you have another form of disability it will instead have a green triangle on it. If you are a disabled service member, recognized by the Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Department, that will also be indicated on the badge. However, note that there is no practical difference between the different badges from the perspective of where you are permitted to park.
Is it possible to park in a handicapped parking spot without the physical badge?
In order to park in a handicapped parking spot, your request for an accessible parking permit must first be approved by the Ministry of Transport. Upon receiving an approval notification, you should check that your vehicle’s registration number is indeed listed in the database of permitted vehicles. If your vehicle appears in that database, you are permitted to legally park in designated parking spaces for people with disabilities even if you have not yet received the physical badge. Likewise, you may also legally park in any reasonable parking space where parking is not normally permitted.
Does a permit allow a vehicle to use accessible parking even if there is no disabled person in the car?
The person with the disability must be the driver or a passenger in the vehicle in order to use the accessible parking badge. It is a criminal offense to use an accessible parking permit in Israel if the person with a disability is not currently using the vehicle, even if the vehicle itself is registered as belonging to a person with a disability or to their caretaker. If someone is caught illegally misusing an accessible parking permit this way, it can result in fines as high as 13,000 NIS.
Other articles of interest
If you found this article helpful, then you will probably find many more articles on our website that are of interest to you such as Disability Rights in Israel – a Summary, How to Get a Disability Card in Israel, and The Rights of the Blind in Israel. You may also be interested in our series on Traffic Law in Israel.
Contact us regarding disability law or traffic law
At our law office, we have extensive experience in liaising between private citizens and the authorities in Israel. If you have any questions about this article, “Applying for an Accessible Parking Permit in Israel”, or if you require legal help regarding disability rights, traffic law, or anything else, please contact us.
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