The CMI mobility inclusion card: the three versions, who qualifies and how to apply

The three versions

You can hold two cards: a CMI invalidité or a CMI priorité (never both, since they depend on your incapacity rate), and a CMI stationnement, to display in the car. The parking card is granted independently of the other two.

CMI invalidité

• Who for: an incapacity rate of at least 80%, or a category 3 invalidity pension (with the third-person supplement).
• What it gives you: priority for seats (public transport, public places) and in queues, for you and the person with you; an extra half share for income tax, under conditions; discounts on some transport.

CMI priorité

• Who for: an incapacity rate under 80%, when standing is difficult.
• What it gives you: priority for seats, in queues and at priority checkouts.

CMI stationnement (parking)

• Who for: very limited walking or a need to be accompanied, for at least a year (details below).
• What it gives you: free parking in all public on-street spaces, in principle with no time limit (a town may set a maximum, never less than 12 hours).

Sources: the invalidité and priorité pages of Mon parcours handicap. There is no age limit: a child can have one.

The parking card in detail

According to Mon parcours handicap, it is granted in one of these situations, if it is permanent or expected to last at least a year:

• you can walk less than 200 metres;
• you always need help to get around outside: a person, a walking stick, a wheelchair, a prosthesis, oxygen…;
• you need someone with you when you go out, because of a mental, cognitive, psychological or visual impairment.

The card goes behind the windscreen. It is yours, whether you drive or not, in any vehicle. Parking is free on public streets, not in private car parks; a town may set a maximum time, but never less than 12 hours.

Extra mentions

Two mentions can be added to the CMI invalidité (Mon parcours handicap):

• “besoin d’accompagnement” (needs someone with them), if you receive funding for human help (for example the human-help part of the PCH, some AEEH top-ups for a child, or the third-person supplement). It gives discounts, or free travel, for the person who accompanies you, especially on trains;
• “besoin d’accompagnement cécité” (blindness), if your central vision is below 1/20 of normal, after correction.

How to apply

1. Tick the CMI in part E of the MDPH form. The form has one box for “invalidité ou priorité” and one for “stationnement”: the MDPH’s commission (CDAPH) assesses your incapacity rate, and so whether you get invalidité or priorité; the card is then granted by the president of the conseil départemental.
2. Describe how you get around in part B. This is what the team reads to assess your mobility. Be precise and concrete, without exaggerating: how far you can walk, the breaks, pain or tiredness, falls, the help you need. For example: “I stop every 50 metres. For the bakery, 300 metres away, I take the car or my son comes with me.” Our part B guide has more examples.
3. Talk to your doctor. The medical certificate has a section on mobility; tell your doctor you are applying for the CMI and describe your difficulties. See how to prepare that appointment.
4. Attach the documents (ID, proof of address) and send the application to your département’s MDPH, online or by post. The details are in the MDPH explained.

From age 60, if you apply for the personalised autonomy allowance (APA), the CMI is requested in the same application, to the département. If you already get the APA, the département has a simplified form. With the APA at GIR level 1 or 2, the CMI invalidité is granted with no time limit.

Once approved: the photo and the card

The card is a secure document made by the Imprimerie nationale, not by the MDPH (Mon parcours handicap):

1. You receive a photo request letter, with a username and password.
2. You send an ID photo less than 6 months old: online at carte-mobilite-inclusion.fr (a JPEG file of 1 MB at most), or by post with the reply slip. A photo sent without the slip cannot be processed.
3. The card reaches you in about ten days. You can follow it on the same site or on 0 809 360 280.

The card is free. If it is lost, stolen or damaged, a replacement costs €10.

How long it lasts and renewal

The CMI is granted for 1 to 20 years, or with no time limit if your situation cannot improve. Ask the MDPH to renew it about 6 months before the end date, as for your other rights: see our guide to renewing MDPH rights.

Old card: replace it before 31 December 2026

Disability, priority and parking cards issued before the CMI remain valid until 31 December 2026 at the latest (Service-Public, Mon parcours handicap, Handicap.fr). After that date, you lose the advantages that go with them, and an old parking card no longer protects you from a fine.

If you still have one of these cards, apply for the CMI now: you need a complete application, with a medical certificate, and MDPHs often take 4 months or more to answer (Handicap.fr). If you receive the APA, contact the département.

If you are refused

You have 2 months after the decision letter to file a mandatory administrative appeal. For the CMI, it goes to the president of the conseil départemental, not to the MDPH. With no answer after 2 months, it counts as rejected; you then have 2 months to go to court (Mon parcours handicap). Our guide to challenging an MDPH decision explains the steps and gives a sample letter.