The Blue Badge Parking Scheme

What are the rules?

You qualify for a blue badge if you are age two or over and one of the following applies:

• you are getting higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance
• you are receiving a war pensioner’s mobility supplement
• you are a registered blind person
• you drive a motor vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms, and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meter (or would find it very difficult to operate them).
• you have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking

You can also get a blue badge for a child under the age of two who, because of his or her medical condition must need one of the following:

• must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around with the child without great difficulty
• must always be kept near a motor vehicle so that, if necessary, treatment for that condition can be given in the vehicle or the child can be taken quickly in the vehicle to a place where such treatment can be given.

Bulky medical equipment can include ventilators, suction machines, feed pumps, parenteral equipment, syringe drivers, oxygen administration equipment, continual oxygen saturation monitoring equipment and casts and associated medical equipment for the correction of hip dysplasia.

Where does the blue badge scheme operate?

The blue badge scheme operates all over the United Kingdom (UK) but there are local differences with the operation of the scheme in certain London boroughs and other large towns or cities in the UK.

In Northern Ireland the scheme applies to on-street parking but you can also get a "white badge" to access pedestrian zones.

How do I apply?

Contact your local authority.

Your local authority is responsible for issuing Blue Badge parking permits - contact them for more information. The following link will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can find out more and/or apply online.

• Apply for a Blue Badge parking permit locally (opens new window)

London congestion charge

To be eligible for the 100% discount, you must complete a registration form and be issued with a discount registration approval letter.

You can download a registration form from the TfL website.

Telephone: 0845 900 1234

Minicom users: 020 7649 9123

• Blue Badge holders - Transport for London website (opens new window)
• What do I need to know about the 100% Blue Badge holders' Congestion Charging discount? (PDF 657KB)
• Registering for the 100% Blue Badge holders discount (PDF 463KB)

Blue Badge parking bays

It is an offence to park a vehicle which is not displaying a badge in a Blue Badge parking bay. If you see this, you should report it to a traffic warden (or parking enforcement officer), the local police or the local council (who are responsible for issuing badges).

Police officers, traffic wardens, local authority parking attendants and civil enforcement officers have the right to inspect Blue Badges. It is an offence to refuse or fail to produce a badge for inspection, without reasonable excuse. This offence carries a maximum fine of £1,000.

• Find your local council

'Off-street' disabled parking bays such as supermarkets

Most disabled persons' parking bays in off-street car parks - for example, supermarket car parks - are not covered by Blue Badge scheme regulations.

Car parks and parking bays like these are likely to be privately owned and managed by the individual business. The agreement, and any cost to use them, will be between the owner and the motorists/customers.

If you are a disabled motorist (or passenger) and you complain to, for example, a supermarket that a non-disabled motorist has parked in a disabled bay, an employee of the store could ask the driver to move their car from the disabled bay but they will not be in a position to legally insist on it.

If you think that people are unfairly parking in disabled bays, speak or write to the management of the store or car park.

The government (Department for Transport) supports 'Baywatch' - a partnership between several major supermarkets and disability organisations - including the Disabled Drivers' Association. The campaign aims to end the abuse of parking bays put aside for disabled drivers' use.

• Baywatch Campaign website (opens new window)

Misuse of disabled parking bays

Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it - for example, by allowing other people to use it or if a person's disability improves so that they are no longer eligible for the scheme.

If you are a badge holder, it can only be used for your benefit. If a trip is for someone else and you are a passenger and staying in the vehicle, you cannot use the badge simply to let them benefit from free parking.

Blue Badges need to be properly issued and displayed. It is an offence if a badge is not removed from a vehicle and people other than the badge holder take advantage of the parking concessions under the scheme.

Misuse of the badge itself by a non-disabled person is an offence. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

Where can I get more information?

There is information about the scheme on the Department for Transport's website at www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/bluebadge/. You can also view an online map of blue badge parking bays in the UK at http://bluebadge.direct.gov.uk/. Information about the scheme in Northern Ireland is available at www.roadsni.gov.uk/index/bluebadge.htm. You can also get more information about the benefits mentioned on our website at www.cara-online.org. Much of this information is contained in factsheets available at www.cara-online.org. You can also obtain copies of these factsheets/publications by contacting Central Africa’s Rights and AIDS (CARA) Society on 020 7254 6415 or by fax on 020 7254 6415 or email: caraas@hotmail.com or info@cara-online.org

Updated July 2009