Blue Badge: Who Qualifies, What It Costs, How to Apply

A Blue Badge gives you on-street parking concessions so you can park close to your destination. In England it lets you park:

• ✓Yes: In on-street disabled parking bays, free and, unless signs say otherwise, without a time limit
• ✓Yes: On single or double yellow lines for up to 3 hours, but in general not where there are restrictions on loading or unloading. You must display the badge and the blue parking clock showing the quarter hour period in which you arrived, and wait at least one hour after a previous period before parking the same vehicle in the same road on the same day
• ✓Yes: Free and for as long as you need at on-street parking meters and pay-and-display machines, displaying the badge

These are the rules for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own routes, and they differ on PIP points.

A Blue Badge may be issued without further assessment if you are more than 2 years old and any of these applies to you:

• ✓Yes: You get the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment at the standard or enhanced rate and scored at least 8 points for the 'moving around' activity
• ✓Yes: You get the mobility component of PIP and scored 10 points for the 'planning and following journeys' activity on the ground that you cannot undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress
• ✓Yes: You get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• ✓Yes: You are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
• ✓Yes: You get War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
• ✓Yes: You received a lump sum benefit under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme within tariff levels 1 to 8, and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking

If you are not eligible without further assessment, you can still be eligible subject to further assessment, which your council carries out. You may qualify if:

• ✓Yes: An expert assessor certifies that you have an enduring and substantial disability that means you are unable to walk during the course of a journey
• ✓Yes: An expert assessor certifies that you experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress
• ✓Yes: An expert assessor certifies that you are at risk of serious harm when walking, or pose a risk of serious harm to any other person when walking
• ✓Yes: You drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms and cannot operate, or have considerable difficulty operating, all or some types of parking meter

The regulations do not name conditions such as autism, dementia or a learning disability. What counts is either the PIP score above or an expert assessor certifying the effect a journey has on you. DfT guidance calls this a non-visible (hidden) condition, and says you will be asked how journeys between your vehicle and your destination are affected by it. Our Blue Badge eligibility guide answers whether autism or anxiety can qualify.

A child who is not more than 3 years old qualifies on a separate route: one who, on account of a condition, must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment that cannot be carried around without great difficulty, or must always be kept near a motor vehicle so that treatment can be given in it or the child taken quickly to a place where treatment can be given. The council may ask for supporting evidence from a healthcare professional. Where the certification by an expert assessor is not needed, the council can treat you as meeting the test if it is satisfied the disability is self evident.

• England: up to £10
• Scotland: £20
• Wales: free
• Northern Ireland: you apply through nidirect to the Blue Badge Unit at the Department for Infrastructure. The fee is £10 and you should be told the outcome within six to eight weeks

A Blue Badge usually lasts up to 3 years. You must reapply before your current one expires. See renewing your Blue Badge.

You apply through GOV.UK (or nidirect in Northern Ireland), and your local council makes the decision, usually within 12 weeks. You will need a recent digital photo showing your head and shoulders, and a photo or scan of your proof of identity, proof of address and proof of benefits (if you get any). Full details are in our step-by-step guide to applying for a Blue Badge, including what to do if your application is refused.