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Disabled people
The Blue Badge parking scheme
The Blue Badge scheme provides a range of parking concessions for people with severe mobility problems who have difficulty using public transport. The scheme operates throughout the UK.
About the scheme
The concessions apply to on-street parking and include free use of parking meters and pay-and-display bays. Badge holders may also be exempt from limits on parking times imposed on others and can park for up to three hours on single and double yellow lines as long as they are not causing an obstruction (except where there is a ban on loading or unloading or other restrictions).
While the scheme operates throughout the UK, there are small variations in its application in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from England. Please see the relevant website for further information.
Do you qualify?
You are automatically eligible to apply for a badge if you are over two years old and either:
- receive the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
- are registered blind
- receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
You may also be eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:
- have a permanent and sustainable disability which means you cannot walk, or which makes walking very difficult
- 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)
If you are a parent of a child who is less than two years old, you may apply for a badge for your child if they have a specific medical condition which means that they either:
- must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty
- need to be kept near a vehicle at all times, so that they can, if necessary, be treated in the vehicle, or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated, such as a hospital
Where the scheme applies
The badges - sometimes known as disabled parking permits - can be used throughout the UK and while travelling abroad within the European Union (EU) and in some other European and non-European countries.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), an independent road safety charity, publishes a booklet with detailed information on the use of the Blue Badge in EU countries. The booklet can be downloaded from the IAM website.
The Blue Badge scheme does not apply to off-street car parks, private roads or at most airports.
Use Directgov's interactive tool, the Blue Badge map, to find Blue Badge parking bays near you, or across the UK.
Apply for a Blue Badge parking permit
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.
London congestion charge
Blue Badge holders qualify for a 100 per cent exemption from the London Congestion Charge, but you must register with Transport for London (TfL) at least 10 days before your journey and pay a one-off £10 registration fee. You can download a registration form from the TfL website.
Telephone: 0845 900 1234
Minicom users: 020 7649 9123
Misuse of disabled parking bays
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.
'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.
Misuse of the Blue Badge
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.
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