Beginning Monday, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles will unveil new disability parking placards for use by disabled drivers.

The redesigned placards are a result of a study authorized by the General Assembly that sought to decrease the misuse of windshield placards and make them more visible to law enforcement officers.

The placards, constructed of durable material, are available for users with temporary and permanent disabilities. The temporary placard carries a red block on top and is issued only for a six-month period. The permanent placard, issued for five years, is all blue and white. Both placards carry two expiration stickers, one on each side.

The placards instruct users to install the placards while parked and remind them that the placard is not transferable to other persons. Each placard costs $5. Application forms for the disability placards are available on the DMV website at www.ncdot.gov/dmv/forms/.