EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 912
102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR BROWN (26).
3361S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal sections 301.142 and 301.3030, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections
relating to motor vehicles, with existing penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 301.142 and 301.3030, RSMo, are 1
repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be 2
known as sections 301.142 and 301.3030, to read as follows:3
301.142. 1. As used in sections 301.141 to 301.143, 1
the following terms mean: 2
(1) "Department", the department of revenue; 3
(2) "Director", the director of the department of 4
revenue; 5
(3) "Other authorized health care practitioner" 6
includes advanced practice registered nurses licensed 7
pursuant to chapter 335, physician assistants licensed 8
pursuant to chapter 334, chiropractors licensed pursuant to 9
chapter 331, podiatrists licensed pur suant to chapter 330, 10
assistant physicians, physical therapists licensed pursuant 11
to chapter 334, and optometrists licensed pursuant to 12
chapter 336; 13
(4) "Physically disabled", a natural person who is 14
blind, as defined in section 8.700, or a natur al person with 15
medical disabilities which prohibits, limits, or severely 16
impairs one's ability to ambulate or walk, as determined by 17 SB 912 2
a licensed physician or other authorized health care 18
practitioner as follows: 19
(a) The person cannot ambulate or w alk fifty or less 20
feet without stopping to rest due to a severe and disabling 21
arthritic, neurological, orthopedic condition, or other 22
severe and disabling condition; or 23
(b) The person cannot ambulate or walk without the use 24
of, or assistance from , a brace, cane, crutch, another 25
person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive 26
device; or 27
(c) Is restricted by a respiratory or other disease to 28
such an extent that the person's forced respiratory 29
expiratory volume for one second, whe n measured by 30
spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen 31
tension is less than sixty mm/hg on room air at rest; or 32
(d) Uses portable oxygen; or 33
(e) Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the 34
person's functional limitations are classified in severity 35
as class III or class IV according to standards set by the 36
American Heart Association; or 37
(f) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (4) of 38
subsection 16 of this section, a person's age, in and of 39
itself, shall not be a factor in determining whether such 40
person is physically disabled or is otherwise entitled to 41
disabled license plates and/or disabled windshield hanging 42
placards within the meaning of sections 301.141 to 301.143; 43
(5) "Physician", a person li censed to practice 44
medicine pursuant to chapter 334; 45
(6) "Physician's statement", a statement personally 46
signed by a duly authorized person which certifies that a 47
person is disabled as defined in this section; 48 SB 912 3
(7) "Temporarily disabled perso n", a disabled person 49
as defined in this section whose disability or incapacity is 50
expected to last no more than one hundred eighty days; 51
(8) "Temporary windshield placard", a placard to be 52
issued to persons who are temporarily disabled persons as 53
defined in this section, certification of which shall be 54
indicated on the physician's statement; 55
(9) "Windshield placard", a placard to be issued to 56
persons who are physically disabled as defined in this 57
section, certification of which shall be indicated on the 58
physician's statement. 59
2. Other authorized health care practitioners may 60
furnish to a disabled or temporarily disabled person a 61
physician's statement for only those physical health care 62
conditions for which such health care pract itioner is 63
legally authorized to diagnose and treat. 64
3. A physician's statement shall: 65
(1) Be on a form prescribed by the director of revenue; 66
(2) Set forth the specific diagnosis and medical 67
condition which renders the person physicall y disabled or 68
temporarily disabled as defined in this section; 69
(3) Include the physician's or other authorized health 70
care practitioner's license number; and 71
(4) Be personally signed by the issuing physician or 72
other authorized health care p ractitioner. 73
4. If it is the professional opinion of the physician 74
or other authorized health care practitioner issuing the 75
statement that the physical disability of the applicant, 76
user, or member of the applicant's household is permanent, 77
it shall be noted on the statement. Otherwise, the 78
physician or other authorized health care practitioner shall 79
note on the statement the anticipated length of the 80 SB 912 4
disability, which shall determine the expiration date for 81
the temporary windshield placard, a nd which period [may] 82
shall not exceed one hundred eighty days. If the physician 83
or health care practitioner fails to record an expiration 84
date on the physician's statement, the director shall issue 85
a temporary windshield placard for a period of thirt y days. 86
5. A physician or other authorized health care 87
practitioner who issues or signs a physician's statement so 88
that disabled plates or a disabled windshield placard may be 89
obtained shall maintain in such disabled person's medical 90
chart documentation that such a certificate has been issued, 91
the date the statement was signed, the diagnosis or 92
condition which existed that qualified the person as 93
disabled pursuant to this section and shall contain 94
sufficient documentation so as to objectively confirm that 95
such condition exists. 96
6. The medical or other records of the physician or 97
other authorized health care practitioner who issued a 98
physician's statement shall be open to inspection and review 99
by such practitioner's licensing board, in order to verify 100
compliance with this section. Information contained within 101
such records shall be confidential unless required for 102
prosecution, disciplinary purposes, or otherwise required to 103
be disclosed by law. 104
7. Owners of motor vehicles who are residents of the 105
state of Missouri, and who are physically disabled, owners 106
of motor vehicles operated at least fifty percent of the 107
time by a physically disabled person, or owners of motor 108
vehicles used to primarily transport physically disabled 109
members of the owner's household may obtain disabled person 110
license plates. Such owners, upon application [,] to the 111
director accompanied by the documents and fees provided for 112 SB 912 5
in this section, a current physician's statement which has 113
been issued within ninety days proceeding the date the 114
application is made, and proof of compliance with the state 115
motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of 116
motor vehicles, shall be issued motor vehicle license plates 117
for vehicles, other than commer cial vehicles with a gross 118
weight in excess of twenty -four thousand pounds, upon which 119
shall be inscribed the international wheelchair 120
accessibility symbol and the word "DISABLED" in addition to 121
a combination of letters and numbers. Such license plates 122
shall be made with fully reflective material with a common 123
color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, 124
and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by 125
section 301.130. If at any time an individual who obtained 126
disabled license plates issued under this subsection no 127
longer occupies a residence with a physically disabled 128
person, or no longer owns a vehicle that is operated at 129
least fifty percent of the time by a physically disabled 130
person, such individual shall surrender th e disabled license 131
plates to the department within thirty days of becoming 132
ineligible for their use. 133
8. The director shall further issue, upon request, to 134
such applicant one, and for good cause shown, as the 135
director may define by rule and regula tions, not more than 136
two, removable disabled windshield hanging placards for use 137
when the disabled person is occupying a vehicle or when a 138
vehicle not bearing the permanent handicap plate is being 139
used to pick up, deliver, or collect the physically dis abled 140
person issued the disabled motor vehicle license plate or 141
disabled windshield hanging placard. 142
9. No additional fee shall be paid to the director for 143
the issuance of the special license plates provided in this 144 SB 912 6
section, except for special pe rsonalized license plates and 145
other license plates described in this subsection. Priority 146
for any specific set of special license plates shall be 147
given to the applicant who received the number in the 148
immediately preceding license period subject to the 149
applicant's compliance with the provisions of this section 150
and any applicable rules or regulations issued by the 151
director. If determined feasible by the advisory committee 152
established in section 301.129, any special license plate 153
issued pursuant to this section may be adapted to also 154
include the international wheelchair accessibility symbol 155
and the word "DISABLED" as prescribed in this section and 156
such plate may be issued to any applicant who meets the 157
requirements of this section and the other a ppropriate 158
provision of this chapter, subject to the requirements and 159
fees of the appropriate provision of this chapter. 160
10. Any physically disabled person, or the parent or 161
guardian of any such person, or any not -for-profit group, 162
organization, or other entity which transports more than one 163
physically disabled person, may apply to the director of 164
revenue for a removable windshield placard. The placard may 165
be used in motor vehicles which do not bear the permanent 166
handicap symbol on the licens e plate. Such placards must be 167
hung from the front, middle rearview mirror of a parked 168
motor vehicle and may not be hung from the mirror during 169
operation. These placards may only be used during the 170
period of time when the vehicle is being used by a d isabled 171
person, or when the vehicle is being used to pick up, 172
deliver, or collect a disabled person, and shall be 173
surrendered to the department, within thirty days, if a 174
group, organization, or entity that obtained the removable 175
windshield placard due to the transportation of more than 176 SB 912 7
one physically disabled person no longer transports more 177
than one disabled person. When there is no rearview mirror, 178
the placard shall be displayed on the dashboard on the 179
driver's side. 180
11. The removable windshield placard shall conform to 181
the specifications, in respect to size, color, and content, 182
as set forth in federal regulations published by the 183
Department of Transportation. The removable windshield 184
placard shall be renewed every [four] eight years. The 185
director shall have the authority to automatically extend 186
the expiration date of current valid windshield placards, 187
other than temporary windshield placards, to a duration of 188
eight years until all windshield placards other than 189
temporary windshield placards are on an eight year renewal 190
cycle. The director may stagger the expiration dates to 191
equalize workload. Only one removable placard may be issued 192
to an applicant who has been issued disabled person license 193
plates. Upon request, one additi onal windshield placard may 194
be issued to an applicant who has not been issued disabled 195
person license plates. 196
12. A temporary windshield placard shall be issued to 197
any physically disabled person, or the parent or guardian of 198
any such person who o therwise qualifies except that the 199
physical disability, in the opinion of the physician, is not 200
expected to exceed a period of one hundred eighty days. The 201
temporary windshield placard shall conform to the 202
specifications, in respect to size, color, an d content, as 203
set forth in federal regulations published by the Department 204
of Transportation. The fee for the temporary windshield 205
placard shall be two dollars. Upon request, and for good 206
cause shown, one additional temporary windshield placard may 207
be issued to an applicant. Temporary windshield placards 208 SB 912 8
shall be issued upon presentation of the physician's 209
statement provided by this section and shall be displayed in 210
the same manner as removable windshield placards. A person 211
or entity shall be q ualified to possess and display a 212
temporary removable windshield placard for six months and 213
the placard may be renewed once for an additional six months 214
if a physician's statement pursuant to this section is 215
supplied to the director of revenue at the t ime of renewal. 216
13. [Application for license plates or windshield 217
placards issued pursuant to this section shall be made to 218
the director of revenue and shall be accompanied by a 219
statement signed by a licensed physician or other authorized 220
health care practitioner which certifies that the applicant, 221
user, or member of the applicant's household is a physically 222
disabled person as defined by this section. 223
14. The] A windshield placard shall be renewable only 224
by the person or entity to which t he placard was originally 225
issued. Any placard issued pursuant to this section shall 226
only be used when the physically disabled occupant for whom 227
the disabled plate or placard was issued is in the motor 228
vehicle at the time of parking or when a physicall y disabled 229
person is being delivered or collected. A disabled license 230
plate and/or a removable windshield hanging placard are not 231
transferable and may not be used by any other person whether 232
disabled or not. 233
[15.] 14. At the time the disabled pl ates or 234
windshield hanging placards are issued, the director shall 235
issue a registration certificate which shall include the 236
applicant's name, address, and other identifying information 237
as prescribed by the director, or if issued to an agency, 238
such agency's name and address. This certificate shall 239
further contain the disabled license plate number or, for 240 SB 912 9
windshield hanging placards, the registration or identifying 241
number stamped on the placard. The validated registration 242
receipt given to the appli cant shall serve as the 243
registration certificate. 244
[16.] 15. The director shall, upon issuing any 245
disabled registration certificate for license plates and/or 246
windshield hanging placards, provide information which 247
explains that such plates or winds hield hanging placards are 248
nontransferable, and the restrictions explaining who and 249
when a person or vehicle which bears or has the disabled 250
plates or windshield hanging placards may be used or be 251
parked in a disabled reserved parking space, and the 252
penalties prescribed for violations of the provisions of 253
this act. 254
[17.] 16. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this 255
subsection, every [new] applicant for issuance or renewal of 256
a disabled license plate or placard shall be required to 257
present a new physician's statement dated no more than 258
ninety days prior to such application. [Renewal applicants 259
will be required to submit a physician's statement dated no 260
more than ninety days prior to such application upon their 261
first renewal occurring on o r after August 1, 2005. Upon 262
completing subsequent renewal applications, a physician's 263
statement dated no more than ninety days prior to such 264
application shall be required every eighth year. Such 265
physician's statement shall state the expiration date for 266
the temporary windshield placard. If the physician fails to 267
record an expiration date on the physician's statement, the 268
director shall issue the temporary windshield placard for a 269
period of thirty days. The director may stagger the 270
requirement of a physician's statement on all renewals for 271
the initial implementation of an eight -year period.] 272 SB 912 10
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the 273
contrary, if the applicant has presented proof of disability 274
in the form of a statement from the Uni ted States Veterans' 275
Administration verifying that the person is permanently 276
disabled, the applicant shall not be required to provide a 277
physician's statement for the purpose of issuance or renewal 278
of disabled persons license plates or windshield placar ds. 279
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (f) of 280
subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of this section, any person 281
seventy-five years of age or older who provided a 282
physician's statement with the original application shall 283
not be required to provide a physician's statement for the 284
purpose of renewal of disabled persons license plates or 285
windshield placards. 286
[18.] 17. The director of revenue upon receiving a 287
physician's statement pursuant to this subsection shall 288
check with the state board of registration for the healing 289
arts created in section 334.120, or the Missouri state board 290
of nursing established in section 335.021, with respect to 291
physician's statements signed by advanced practice 292
registered nurses, or the Missouri state bo ard of 293
chiropractic examiners established in section 331.090, with 294
respect to physician's statements signed by licensed 295
chiropractors, or with the board of optometry established in 296
section 336.130, with respect to physician's statements 297
signed by licensed optometrists, or the state board of 298
podiatric medicine created in section 330.100, with respect 299
to physician's statements signed by physicians of the foot 300
or podiatrists to determine whether the physician is duly 301
licensed and registered pursuant t o law. [If such applicant 302
obtaining a disabled license plate or placard presents proof 303
of disability in the form of a statement from the United 304 SB 912 11
States Veterans' Administration verifying that the person is 305
permanently disabled, the applicant shall be e xempt from the 306
eight-year certification requirement of this subsection for 307
renewal of the plate or placard. Initial applications shall 308
be accompanied by the physician's statement required by this 309
section. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph ( f) of 310
subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of this section, any person 311
seventy-five years of age or older who provided the 312
physician's statement with the original application shall 313
not be required to provide a physician's statement for the 314
purpose of renewal of disabled persons license plates or 315
windshield placards. 316
19.] 18. The boards shall cooperate with the director 317
and shall supply information requested pursuant to this 318
subsection. The director shall, in cooperation with the 319
boards which shall assist the director, establish a list of 320
all Missouri physicians and other authorized health care 321
practitioners and of any other information necessary to 322
administer this section. 323
[20.] 19. Where the owner's application is based on 324
the fact that the vehicle is used at least fifty percent of 325
the time by a physically disabled person, the applicant 326
shall submit a statement stating this fact, in addition to 327
the physician's statement. The statement shall be signed by 328
both the owner of the vehicle and the physically disabled 329
person. The applicant shall be required to submit this 330
statement with each application for license plates. No 331
person shall willingly or knowingly submit a false statement 332
and any such false statement shall be considered p erjury and 333
may be punishable pursuant to section 301.420. 334
[21.] 20. The director of revenue shall retain all 335
physicians' statements and all other documents received in 336 SB 912 12
connection with a person's application for disabled license 337
plates and/or disabled windshield placards. 338
[22.] 21. The director of revenue shall enter into 339
reciprocity agreements with other states or the federal 340
government for the purpose of recognizing disabled person 341
license plates or windshield placards issued to physically 342
disabled persons. 343
[23.] 22. When a person to whom disabled person 344
license plates or a removable or temporary windshield 345
placard or both have been issued dies, the personal 346
representative of the decedent or such other person who may 347
come into or otherwise take possession of the disabled 348
license plates or disabled windshield placard shall return 349
the same to the director of revenue under penalty of law. 350
Failure to return such plates or placards shall constitute a 351
class B misdemeanor. 352
[24.] 23. The director of revenue may order any person 353
issued disabled person license plates or windshield placards 354
to submit to an examination by a chiropractor, osteopath, or 355
physician, or to such other investigation as will determine 356
whether such person qualifies for the special plates or 357
placards. 358
[25.] 24. If such person refuses to submit or is found 359
to no longer qualify for special plates or placards provided 360
for in this section, the director of revenue shall collect 361
the special plates or placards, and shall furnish license 362
plates to replace the ones collected as provided by this 363
chapter. 364
[26.] 25. In the event a removable or temporary 365
windshield placard is lost, stolen, or mutilated, the lawful 366
holder thereof shall, within five days, file with the 367
director of revenue an application and an affidavit stating 368 SB 912 13
such fact, in order to purchase a new placard. The fee for 369
the replacement windshield placard shall be four dollars. 370
[27.] 26. Fraudulent application, renewal, issuan ce, 371
procurement or use of disabled person license plates or 372
windshield placards shall be a class A misdemeanor. It is a 373
class B misdemeanor for a physician, chiropractor, 374
podiatrist or optometrist to certify that an individual or 375
family member is qua lified for a license plate or windshield 376
placard based on a disability, the diagnosis of which is 377
outside their scope of practice or if there is no basis for 378
the diagnosis. 379
301.3030. 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to 1
the contrary, no special license plates involving military 2
actions or personnel shall require a special fee for 3
issuance or personalization of one set of such plates issued 4
to each qualified applicant. Additional sets of special 5
license plates issued to th e qualified applicant may be 6
subject to fees for special license plate issuance or 7
personalization as otherwise required by law. 8
2. Any special license plates involving military 9
actions or personnel that are authorized after August 28, 10
2006, shall not limit the number of license plates any 11
person qualified for such special license plate may obtain 12
so long as each set of license plates issued is issued for 13
vehicles owned solely or jointly by the qualified applicant. 14