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H7308APersonal

Motor and Other Vehicles - Parking Facilities and Privileges

This bill creates a special license plate for vehicles modified to transport people with significant mobility impairments.

Introduced68 Yea0 Nay7 Not voting
Population
Affected
8
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 23, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This bill creates a new "adaptive vehicle license plate" for motor vehicles that have been structurally modified, such as with ramps or lifts, to transport people with significant mobility impairments. To get the plate, a person must submit an application to the Division of Motor Vehicles, provide medical certification of their disability, and show proof that the vehicle was modified. Vehicles with this special plate are not required to display a separate disability parking placard. Eligible individuals can choose to have both the plate and the standard placard.

For younger readers

This bill creates a special license plate for cars and vans that have been changed to help people who have a hard time moving around. For example, a van might have a wheelchair ramp or special hand controls added to it. If a person has this special license plate on their car, they do not have to hang a separate disability parking tag from their rearview mirror. To get the plate, a doctor has to fill out a form saying the person needs it, and the owner has to prove the car was changed to help them.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
People with mobility impairmentsOwners of modified vehiclesPhysical therapistsPhysiciansDivision of Motor Vehicles
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill simply creates a specialized license plate for a specific class of vehicles and does not infringe on free speech, due process, or protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Enhances accessibility and convenience for individuals with significant mobility impairments by eliminating the need to constantly hang and remove a separate disability placard.
  • Promotes inclusivity and social justice by officially recognizing and accommodating the specific transportation needs of people with severe disabilities.
  • Reduces the administrative burden on disabled individuals by providing a permanent licensing solution for modified vehicles, making everyday travel easier.
  • The requirement for medical certification and proof of modification could create bureaucratic hurdles for disabled individuals who already face systemic barriers.
  • The bill does not waive standard registration fees, meaning low-income individuals with disabilities must still bear the financial burden of registering their specialized vehicles.
  • Restricting the use of the adaptive plate to noncommercial purposes might disadvantage disabled individuals who use their modified vehicles for gig work or small businesses.
For Conservatives
  • Maintains standard registration fees, ensuring that the creation of this new plate does not result in a loss of revenue or require additional government subsidies.
  • Implements strict eligibility requirements, including medical certification and proof of vehicle modification, which helps prevent fraud and abuse of disability parking privileges.
  • Streamlines the regulatory process for disabled drivers by allowing them to use a single license plate rather than requiring both a plate and a hanging placard.
  • Requires the Division of Motor Vehicles to create and manage a new category of license plates, potentially increasing administrative costs and government bureaucracy.
  • Imposes additional mandates on the state government to verify vehicle modifications and process specialized medical certifications.
  • Restricts the plates to noncommercial use only, which limits the personal freedom of disabled business owners who might want to use their modified vehicles for commerce.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 27 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 31-28 of the General Laws entitled "Parking Facilities and Privileges" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 31-28-7.4. Motor vehicle plates for persons with disabilities -- Adaptive vehicle license plate.

(a) Definitions. As used in the section:

(1) "Adaptive vehicle" means a motor vehicle that has been structurally modified or equipped with specialized equipment (such as ramps, lifts, lowered floors, specialized hand controls, or restraint systems) to accommodate the transportation needs of an individual with a significant mobility impairment.

(2) "Adaptive vehicle license plate" means a special registration plate issued under this section that identifies a vehicle as an adaptive or mobility-modified vehicle.

(3) "Qualified individual" means a person who has a permanent mobility impairment certified by a licensed physician or a physical therapist, necessitating the use of an adaptive vehicle for transport.

(b) Eligibility requirements.

(1) Completed application form from the division of motor vehicles.

(2) Medical certification of disability/need for vehicle modification.

(3) Proof of vehicle modification.

(4) Standard registration fees apply.

(c) Privileges and access. Vehicles displaying an adaptive vehicle license plate shall not be required to display the disability parking privilege placard issued under § 31-28-7:

(d) The division of motor vehicles shall, in addition to the provisions of § 31-28-7, furnish an "adaptive vehicle license plate" displaying the "International Symbol of Access" for any motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile, commercial vehicle or combination vehicle that qualifies as an "adaptive vehicle" as defined in this section used exclusively for noncommercial purposes for a qualified individual.

(e) Nothing in this section shall preclude an eligible individual from obtaining both the disability parking privilege placard pursuant to § 31-28-7 and the adaptive vehicle license plate pursuant to this section provided all eligibility requirements are met.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect six (6) months after passage.