State changes disabled placard renewal process

Obtaining a disabled placard is about to become much easier for the thousands of Missouri citizens who require them. According to new legislation approved by Missouri's Department of Revenue, the days of running up to the license bureau to get a new placard are now over. Instead of using the old methods of mailing out renewal notices to placard holders, and requiring them to go to the license office to obtain the new placard, the Department of Revenue has decided to simply mail the renewal placards out to the holders.

Thanks to this new legislation, visits to the local license office will only be required every four years from now on, when a physician's statement is needed. Governor Matt blunt said of the new legislation "I have directed state agencies to find innovative ways to enhance customer service to all Missourians. It just makes sense to minimize the burden for disabled Missourians by making it easier for them to obtain the hangtags they need. This service is an example of how we can help the disabled through common sense, compassionate initiatives."

According to Revenue Director Trish Vincent, this new legisltion will save an estimated 180,000 disabled Missourians from making difficult, unnecessary trips to their local license office. When asked about the impact that this new process will have on the disabled community, Pat Chambers of On My Own, Inc., Nevada, said, "I think that's a positive move, since there hasn't really been anything positive for disabled people in the past three or four years, in terms of legislation. I think that anything that keeps people from having to go in and show 400 forms of identification is agood thing." Chambers also said the new legislation should provide many benefits, and greatly help the disabled community.

The new legislation on placard renewal is seemingly getting tremendous support from all sides. Governer's Council on Disability chairperson, and principal drafter of the 2004 bill that required a physician's statement to recertify eligibility for a disabled placard said of the new process, "The department is taking steps tht simultaneously minimize the bureaucratic red tape and ensure that hard-fought efforts to reduce placard fraud continue to be successful." The new process continues to get praise and applause from numerous people and groups.

Mailing of this year's renewal tags was scheduled for July 25.

To allow the department sufficient time to process returned mail, it is recommended that all persons who have placards expiring this year wait until September 1 to contact the department if they have not received a renewal placard.

If a customer receives a renewal placard that is no longer needed, the department asks that it be returned to the address on the envelope.