Accessible Parking

If you have a handicap parking placard, you can park in any metered on-street parking space as well as any municipal lot free of charge. Additionally, there are specific accessible spots throughout downtown Salem and the rest of the City exclusively for residents and visitors with handicap placards. These spaces are marked with blue signs, and sometimes the spaces are painted blue as well. Parking in one of these spaces without a placard carries a $300 fine.

If you are a Salem resident with a handicap placard, you may also request an accessible space be designated on your street near your home. The Traffic and Parking Department and Commission work closely with the Police Traffic Unit Commander on these requests. The process to request a space is as follows:

  1. Contact Salem Police Traffic Unit and explain your situation
  2. The request is reviewed by Lt. Tucker and brought to the Traffic and Parking Commission.
  3. If granted, the request is submitted to the City Council for approval. This requires a change to City ordinances which means the Council must pass it twice for the space to become enforceable.
  4. Signs will be fabricated and installed by Salem Department of Public Services.

It is important to note that any car with a handicap placard may use these spaces, so having a space does not guarantee that it will always be available.

Click here if you need to apply for a disability placard or license plate.