Proposed Changes to Disability Parking Permits in Australia: What Every Building and Facilities Manager Needs to Know

If you manage any building or public asset with parking, then you need to stay up to date with rules around the Australian Disability Parking Permits Scheme. As a building manager, facilities manager, strata manager, car park operator or council, accessible parking is always a sensitive area and one that’s hard to police. 

While Disability Parking Permits (DPP)  fall under a national umbrella, they are administered by each state. And the eligibility rules and fees for permit issuances vary from state to state. So it’s significant to note that the significant changes that South Australia recently adopted around cognitive, behavioural and neurological disorders being included, rather than just relying on physical mobility criteria, is a positive shift towards more inclusivity.

Historically, DPPs always required the applicant to have a physical mobility limitation that meant they could not walk a certain distance, and therefore needed to park (or be parked with a carer) in accessible and closer bays. There were and still are specific rules around this for some of our Australian states.

However, over the last few years this has started to change. Changes to South Australia’s DPP eligibility requirements now recognise and reflect the full diversity of disability, including cognitive, behavioural, and neurological disorders, as well as physical impairments. However, the final criteria are not yet available and will be confirmed. This follows the ACT where similar provisions were adopted in 2023.

While not explicitly including neurological disorders, Victoria’s provisions are also a little broader, having recently been updated earlier this year. Specifically eligibility has been expanded for legally blind individuals (including passengers) who previously may not have qualified if they did not use specific mobility aids. 

What this reflects is a significant paradigm shift that goes beyond just permit issuance. It’s policy making changes that now recognise the real-life challenges faced by thousands of Australians every day and take a step toward a more inclusive, accessible society.

These new proposed changes in South Australia will have a positive impact on parking and transport mobility for a much more diverse range of Australians living with disabilities. It’s something we highlighted in an earlier blog on Understanding Invisible Disabilities.

Victoria

While there has not been an explicitly broad expansion for individual neurological/cognitive disorders alone, unless tied to mobility impairment, organisational permits do recognise significant mobility, or cognitive, behavioural or neurological impairment” for transport services. 

What’s the Proposed Changes to Disabled Parking Permits in 2025?

Cognitive, Behavioural & Neurological Conditions Now Eligible for DPP

The South Australian  DPP scheme is expanding to recognise that disability is not one-size-fits-all, following in the footsteps of the ACT which updated their rules in 2023. Previously, permits were mostly reserved for people with physical mobility limitations.

The reason for the change to the South Australian DPP scheme was clearly articulated:

“The proposed changes will allow the scheme to be modified to better meet the needs of people with a disability. This includes:

• applicants who have a significant condition that prevents them from moving independently without the continuous support of another person. The significant condition can be intellectual, cognitive, behavioural or neurological.
• applicants who are legally blind (as a passenger).

Right now, people with cognitive, behavioural or neurological conditions often have similar parking needs as those with physical disabilities. However, they currently can’t access parking permits.

The proposed changes aim to make the DPP system more inclusive. This will ensure that more people who need accessible parking can get it. These proposed changes won’t affect current DPP holders.”

The proposed changes

Specifically the changes to the eligibility requirements for the South Australian DPP mean that , individuals with conditions that impact memory, judgement, awareness, or independent navigation are now eligible to apply for a DPP permit. These conditions include:

• Autism spectrum disorders
• Acquired brain injuries
• Dementia or Alzheimer’s
• Severe mental health or behavioural conditions

It recognises that while these conditions may not always be visible, they can affect judgement, memory, orientation, and the ability to safely cross roads or navigate car parks. This change means that individuals – and their carers – will now be eligible for a permit if these conditions affect their ability to safely access facilities and services without additional stress.

This follows the expansion of the eligibility requirements that were adopted by ACT legislation in 2023 which also recognised neurological, cognitive and behavioural disorders.

Legally Blind Passengers Can Now Apply for a Disability Parking Permits

Until now, only drivers who were legally blind were eligible for a DPP. The 2025 update allows passengers who are legally blind to also be eligible.

This provides:

• Safer drop-offs and pickups
• Less time searching for parking
• Reduced stress for carers and support workers

Are you eligible for a Disability Parking Permits? State by state breakdown for new rules

Although the national framework has been updated, DPPs are still issued at the state and territory level — meaning exact eligibility and permit conditions can differ.

Here’s a quick comparison:

State/Territory	Physical Disabilities	Legally Blind (Driver & Passenger)	Cognitive / Neurological / Behavioural Conditions	Carers / Organisations Eligible?	More Info
QLD	✅	✅ (driver or passenger with blindness	❌	✅ (carers+orgs)	QLD Transport
NSW	✅	✅ (visual impairment accepted)	❌	✅	Service NSW
VIC	✅	✅ (includes passengers; ADP & DT permits)	❌	✅	TransportVictoria
SA	✅	✅ (new in 2025, both driver & passenger	❌ (Final Criteria is not yet available)	✅	SA Gov
WA	✅	✅	❌	✅	ACROD WA
TAS	✅	❌	❌	✅	Transport TAS
ACT	✅	✅ (driver or passenger)	✅	✅	Access Canberra
NT	✅	❌	❌	✅	NT Gov

What About Fees for Disability Parking Permits?

While some states offer free permits, others still charge admin or renewal fees. Here’s what the current costs look like across Australia:

Disability Parking Permit Fees by State – 2025

State/Territory	New Permit Fee	Renewal Fee	More Info
QLD	FREE	FREE	QLD Transport
NSW	$52	$17	NSW Gov
VIC	FREE	FREE	MelbourneVic
SA	$13–$24	Same as new	SA Gov
WA	$22 admin fee	$22	ACROD WA
TAS	$50	$50	Service Tasmania
ACT	FREE	FREE	Access Canberra
NT	$22	FREE	NT Gov

Permit fees still vary by state or territory. Some regions are leading the way by removing fees altogether, while others charge nominal processing fees.

✅ Tip: Always check with your local authority before applying, as fees and rules can change

How Do Changes to DPP Help Persons Living with Disability?

These 2025 updates to the South Australian Disability Parking Permit scheme aren’t just policy updates or bureaucracy — they’re designed to make a meaningful improvement in the everyday lives of people with disabilities:

• Improved safety for those with vision or memory impairments navigating busy car parks
• Support and peace of mind for carers who need to safely access services like drop off or accompany someone with complex needs
• Reduced stress in everyday activities like school runs, groceries, or medical appointments
• Greater independence for people who previously didn’t qualify for a permit

And given that they are following the lead of the ACT when they also updated their eligibility requirements in 2023, in my opinion, it is a shift in the recognition of what constitutes a disability for parking and transport mobility. It’s more inclusive, and reflects what happens in the real world. A positive step forward that is also being reviewed in other countries around the world. 

Global Trends expanding eligibility for Disability Parking

Globally, there’s been a real shift in how we think about disability—especially when it comes to parking access. It’s not just about physical impairments anymore. Countries like the United Kingdom (via the Blue Badge scheme), Canada, New Zealand and across the EU now include people with cognitive, neurological and behavioural conditions in their parking permit schemes. 

The UK’s Blue Badge recognises conditions that lead to unpredictable behaviour or make travel unsafe. Canada and New Zealand take a broader view too, focusing on functional mobility—like whether someone can safely navigate their environment without support.

The EU is rolling out the European Parking Card, which promotes consistent disability recognition across member states.

And now, with South Australia’s 2025 proposed changes following closely on the heels of the ACT upgrade in 2023, we’re finally seeing Australia catch up. By expanding eligibility to include neurological and cognitive conditions like autism, acquired brain injury and intellectual disability, we’re moving towards a more inclusive, practical definition of mobility—one that reflects the reality of living with invisible disabilities.

How do you Secure a Disabled Parking Bay?

As eligibility for DPPs now expands, demand for accessible parking bays will rise as well — and so will the risk of misuse unfortunately.

If you’re a building or facilities manager, local council, hospital, university or any sort of property facility with parking, it’s more important than ever to guarantee that your accessible parking bays are available for those who truly need them. And you prevent unauthorised misuse of disabled parking bays.

At That’s My Spot, we support you to protect disabled parking and accessible parking spaces with our range of smart parking bollards that are:

• Simple to use: Control via remote or smartphone app
• Peace of mind: Guarantees that spaces remain available for eligible permit holders
• Easy to install: Surface-mounted, battery powered, no hardwiring needed
• Reliable: Designed for low maintenance and long-term performance
• Suitable: Perfect for all types of use cases. From strata residential apartment complexes, to commercial offices, employee parking, hospitals, aged care, local councils, universities, schools, hotels and hospitality and

Not sure where to start? Book your free consultation here

Want More Parking Tips?

The changes to the South Australian DPP changes are significant step toward a more inclusive, accessible Australia, and align with a global trend. If you’re managing a building, it’s the perfect time to act — by making sure your disability bays are protected, respected, and easy to access for those who need them.

We’ve created a helpful infographic on Disability and Accessible Parking Best Practices — ideal for strata, councils, and facilities teams.

Want help protecting your accessible parking and disabled parking spaces with smart, easy-to-use technology?

Book a free consultation today — and let’s make secure your disability parking bays with our smart range parking bollards designed to protect your disability parking bays and make them more accessible for those who need them.

References and Further Reading

State/Territory	DPP Scheme Source
QLD	Queensland Disability Parking Scheme
NSW	NSW Mobility Parking Scheme
VIC	VicRoads Accessible Parking Permit Program
SA	SA Government DPP Info
WA	ACROD Parking Program
TAS	Transport Tasmania DPP
ACT	Access Canberra – Disability Parking
NT	NT Disability Parking Permits
Commonwealth	Australian Disability Parking Scheme (ADPS)