Blue Badges provide disabled people with severe mobility problems, or other conditions, the ability to access goods and services, by allowing them to park close to their destination.
The Department for Transport (DfT) provide advice and information about eligibility for Blue Badges:
- Qualifying for a Blue Badge
- The Blue Badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England
- Blue Badge research: eligibility for people with non-visible disabilities
Apply for or renew a Blue Badge
Blue Badge eligibility
Blue Badges are available on a number of grounds, irrespective of whether the badge holder is travelling as a driver or as a passenger. See details of eligibility for:
- Blue Badges for individuals
- Blue Badges for parents of qualifying children
- Blue Badges for organisations involved in the care of disabled people
- Blue Badges for those with hidden disabilities
Blue Badges for individuals
You may be eligible for a Blue Badge automatically if you:
- receive the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA)
- receive 8 points or more under the “moving around” activity of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- receive the mobility component of PIP and have obtained 10 points specifically for Descriptor E under the “planning and following journeys” activity, on the grounds that you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress
- are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
- receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
- have been both awarded a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and are certified as having an enduring and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking
You may also be eligible if you have an enduring and substantial disability which causes you, during the course of a journey, to:
- be unable to walk
- experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress
- be at risk of serious harm when walking; or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person
You may also be eligible if you drive a vehicle regularly and:
- have a severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate
- have considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter
If you do not qualify for a Blue Badge automatically, you may need to attend an assessment for us to consider whether you meet the eligibility criteria for a badge.
Blue Badges for parents of qualifying children
A parent of a child under the age of 3 years old may apply for a badge for their child if the child has a specific medical condition which means that any of the following may apply:
- the child must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around with the child without great difficulty
- the child needs to be kept near a motor vehicle at all times, so they can, if necessary, be treated for that condition in the vehicle or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated, such as a hospital
- the child qualifies under guidelines for Blue Badges for those with hidden disabilities
Blue Badges for organisations
Common examples of organisations that may be eligible include:
- residential care homes
- hospices
- local authority social services departments that transport groups of people who would meet the eligibility criteria for an individual Blue Badge
In order to help determine eligibility of your application, you may be asked to provide information about:
- the number of qualifying disabled people being cared for
- the type of vehicle(s) being used to carry them, whether it is adapted and how
- why the organisation feels they need an organisational badge, rather than using individual Blue Badges of people in their care
- how often the badge is likely to be used and for what purpose
Blue Badges for those with hidden disabilities
Blue Badge legislation was updated in 2019 to extend eligibility to those with "hidden disabilities".
Blue Badge applications on the grounds of hidden disabilities may be subject to further independent assessment.
Eligibility under the hidden disability criteria
You will be able to obtain a badge automatically if you receive the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and have obtained 10 points specifically for Descriptor E under the “planning and following journeys” activity.
Please be aware that if you're in receipt of 10 points for Descriptor D, or 12 points for Descriptor F under the ‘planning and following journeys’ mobility activity, you do not qualify automatically.
You may still be eligible for a Blue Badge if you have an enduring (lasting for at least 3 years) and substantial disability that means that you:
- are unable to walk
- experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress
- are at risk of serious harm when walking; or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person
For those who wish to apply under the ‘hidden’ (non-visible) disability criteria, please read the research undertaken by Department for Transport.
For more information, visit Blue Badge research: eligibility for people with non-visible disabilities on GOV.UK.
We use this guidance to help determine Blue Badge eligibility, especially for those who are applying with:
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Chronic Pain or Fatigue
- Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Evidence in support of your application
The majority of applications made on these grounds will require an assessment to take place in order for us to consider your eligibility. Therefore if you're applying for a Blue Badge it's important for you to:
- explain in your own words how your disability affects you whilst walking
- respond to questions about how your disability affects you
- identify any coping strategies you use, and how effectively these work in practice
- explain why you might avoid different types of journeys due to the kinds of experiences you face as a result of your condition
- provide names and contact details of any health or social care practitioners involved in your diagnosis and ongoing treatment
- explain how you experience an overwhelming sense of fear of public, open or busy spaces
- explain whether the effort of walking presents a danger to your life or would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in your health
- show that you should not walk very far because of the danger to your health
It is also essential that you provide medical evidence to support your application, such as:
- diagnosis letters
- patient summaries
- Education Health and Care (EHC) plans
- details of any disability benefits received
- documents for any treatment or medication you receive to help you manage your condition
Please note that the above documents will not result in a badge being issued automatically, but will help us to determine your eligibility.
If you don't meet the automatic qualifying criteria there may be a requirement for you to provide further information from a clinical professional involved in your care.
Issuing Blue Badges
We will aim to process your application within 4 to 6 weeks. Those which require further assessment may take longer.
There is a £10 fee required for an application. Your payment will be taken when we receive your application, however, if your application is rejected your payment will be refunded.
Change of circumstances
- you must notify us if your circumstances change or you change your address
- you must return your badge if it's no longer needed
- Blue Badges must be returned if the badge holder passes away
It is a criminal offence to misuse a Blue Badge, and doing so can lead to a £1,000 fine. Please ensure the blue Badge is returned to us with a covering letter advising of the reasons why the badge has been returned.
Replacement badges
You can request a replacement badge if it has been lost, damaged or stolen via GOV.UK.
A fee of £10 will be payable for all replacement badges, and we will instruct you on how to make this payment if your request is approved. Your request will be considered within 10 working days and we will contact you via email or letter with further information should this be required.
Help with blue badge applications
Get help with your application for a Blue Badge if you're having difficulty completing the online form.