A Blue Badge allows some disabled people to park closer to their destination, as they are less able to walk long distances or take public transport.
Applicants must have an enduring and substantial disability, lasting for, or expected to for, at least three years. This does not include temporary conditions or whilst recovering from surgery.
Please make sure you read the information carefully so that you know if you are, or may be, eligible and that you apply under the correct criteria for your condition. If you apply under the incorrect criteria, your application will be declined and you will need to reapply.
You can apply if you are a person that meets any of the eligibility criteria below. You can also apply on behalf of someone else, or if you are an organisation involved in the transportation of disabled passengers. See the criteria below.
Automatically eligible
You’re automatically eligible for a Blue Badge if you:
- are registered severely sight impaired
- get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mobility Component and score of 8 points or more for the ‘Moving Around’ activity of the mobility component
- get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mobility Component and score of 10 points specifically with the descriptor E which states you ‘cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant’ (Note: an award of 10 points under descriptor D, or 12 points under descriptor F, does not automatically qualify for a Blue Badge)
- get War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
- have received a lump sum benefit from the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (tariffs 1-8) and have certification of having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty walking
The documents you need to send are: Proof of identity, proof of address and photo, and **Proof of entitlement
If you're not automatically eligible
You may still be eligible for a Blue Badge if you:
- are terminally ill with a progressive disease and are not expected to live for more than 12 months
- have a severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meters
- are unable to walk, or have considerable difficulty in walking. For example, conditions which affect your physical walking ability, such as (but not limited to):
- heart or breathing conditions
- arthritis and other joint conditions
- pain or balance issues
- have a non-visible (hidden) disability. For example, conditions which may result in very considerable psychological distress when walking, risk to yourself or others when out and about, such as (but not limited to):
- autism
- learning disabilities
- mental health conditions
- dementia or alzheimer's
- have a child under 3 years of age who has a medical condition and meets one or both of the following:
- needs to travel with bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around
- needs to be near a vehicle so that treatment can be given quickly, or the child can be driven to a place to get treatment
The documents you need to send are: Proof of identity, proof of address and photo, and Supporting documents for the criteria you are applying under
Independent Mobility Assessments (IMA's)
If you do not automatically qualify for a Blue Badge, you may be asked to attend an Independent Mobility Assessment, or IMA.
Applying on behalf of an organisation
An ‘organisation’ is defined in legislation as meaning an organisation concerned with the care of disabled persons to which a disabled person’s badge may be issued.
Organisations can apply for a maximum of 3 Blue Badges which can then be used whilst transporting passengers who would themselves, meet one or more of the eligibility criteria for an individual Blue Badge.
To qualify, the organisation must:
- care for and transport disabled people who would themselves meet one or more of the eligibility criteria for an individual Blue Badge and;
- have a clear need for an organisational badge rather than using the individual Blue Badges of people it is transporting
It is unlikely that taxi or private hire operators and community transport operators would be eligible for an organisational Blue Badge as they are not usually concerned with the care of disabled people who would meet one or more of the eligibility criteria for a badge. Such operators are, of course, still able to use an individual’s Blue Badge when carrying that person as a passenger.
The documents you need to provide are listed on the proof required for organisations page.
More information
The Department for Transport is responsible for giving guidance on who can get a Blue Badge. You can find more information about eligibility on GOV.UK.
