Parking for people with reduced mobility (disabled card)
What the disabled card gives you, who can get it and how to apply. The rules under the regulation on parking permits for people with reduced mobility.
A parking permit for people with reduced mobility — in everyday speech a disabled card — is regulated by the regulation on parking permits for people with reduced mobility. The purpose is to give people with reduced mobility and a real need for parking relief an accessible parking option. The card is not intended as a financial support scheme.
What the card gives you (§ 2)
In connection with transporting the permit holder, the card gives the right to park throughout the country:
- in spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility, indicated by an official traffic sign
- at charged municipal parking spaces without paying the charge
- at other charged contract parking spaces signed with sign 552, without paying — unless a payment obligation is expressly stated on an information sign or supplementary sign
- beyond the longest permitted parking time where one has been introduced
- in areas where residential zone parking has been introduced
In addition, a «double time» rule applies: where a time limit of 30 minutes or more is signed, a disabled card lets you stay up to twice as long. If, on the other hand, a separate maximum time is signed specifically for people with reduced mobility, it must be observed as worded (Parking Regulations § 64).
Two important limitations: the permit does not apply where parking is prohibited — it never overrides a ban. And the charge exemption covers municipal spaces and 552-signed contract parking; private car parks and shopping centres set their own rules and can require full payment.
Maximum time with a disabled card — short answer: In a reserved disabled bay there is normally no maximum time, unless the sign itself states a limit for people with reduced mobility. At ordinary time-limited spaces (30 minutes or more), double the signed time applies. At charged municipal spaces you park free.
Who can get the card (§ 3)
A diagnosis alone is not enough — two conditions must both be met: you must have reduced mobility — i.e. be unable to walk, or have great difficulty moving over any distance — and you must have a particular need for parking relief at your home, workplace or another activity, where ordinary parking does not cover the need. You can apply both as a driver and as a passenger — as a passenger, a need for regular help or supervision outside the car must also be documented. The award is based on a discretionary overall assessment, and if you are refused, you can appeal.
How to apply — in your municipality
The rules are national and identical across the country; only the application channel is municipal. Apply to your municipality of residence, in most cases via an online form on the municipality's website.
- Attachments: the application form, a doctor's certificate (diagnosis, walking distance, any aids), a passport photo, and a copy of your driving licence (as driver) or ID (as passenger). The municipality can obtain a supplementary medical assessment, free of charge to you.
- Processing time: varies by municipality — allow a few weeks, often a month in the larger municipalities.
- Renewal: apply about a month before the card expires to avoid a gap without a valid permit.
Validity and use (§ 4)
The card is granted for a maximum of 5 years and a minimum of 2 years — the municipality sets the length, and shorter periods can be granted for periodic needs. When parking, the permit must lie with the front side clearly visible behind the windscreen, and it must be shown on inspection.
Does the card apply abroad?
Yes. The Norwegian card follows the common EU/EEA model (the light-blue parking card) and is recognised in other EEA countries — but to the extent each individual country decides (§ 7). Abroad it is therefore the host country's rules that determine which benefits the card gives, not the Norwegian ones. Likewise, a foreigner with a valid card from their home country can park on Norwegian terms here. In 2024 the EU adopted a new common European parking card intended to harmonise the scheme further; until it is implemented, the current card applies.
Institutions (§ 5)
Institutions that transport users with reduced mobility can be granted a permit for a specially adapted vehicle. Such a permit is granted for up to 10 years (minimum 2) and gives access to a reserved disabled bay.
If someone misuses a disabled bay
If someone without a valid card parks in a space reserved for people with reduced mobility, the control sanction is 990 kr — the highest rate (Parking Regulations § 36 third paragraph). The vehicle can also be removed without the usual «obstruction» requirement applying (§ 38). See all the rates on the rules overview.
How the exemption is applied locally varies — see the city page for your municipality for disabled bays and local practice.