Pennsylvania State Police launched a statewide program on Oct. 16, 2026 that gives people with autism, intellectual disabilities, dementia or other conditions affecting communication a blue envelope to show troopers during a traffic stop or other encounter. The PSP announcement describes the Blue Envelope Program as voluntary.
The envelope is meant to be easy to spot. A person or family can put information inside such as how the person communicates, sensory needs and anything else an officer should know, and can use it to keep documents needed during a traffic stop in one place. Envelopes are available at local PSP stations, and the department's Office of Community Engagement will hand them out at community events.
State police say it builds on earlier steps: informational resources for autistic people to carry, made available after a 2024 meeting between Gov. Josh Shapiro, PSP leaders and advocates, and 445 autism sensory aid bags sent to PSP stations this August.
Why this matters for providers and DSPs
The information that belongs in the envelope is often already in a person's individual support plan: how they say yes and no, what calms them, what makes things worse. DSPs can help people who drive, or who ride with family, fill one out in plain words and keep it with the documents they carry in the car. Teams should let the person decide whether to carry one and what goes in it.