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Who can have a Blue Badge

Some people qualify for a Blue Badge automatically without having an assessment. Other people may also qualify, but need to have an assessment first to see whether their mobility impairment is severe enough. This is to make sure that only people who need a badge get one.

People who do not need to have an assessment

You are automatically eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:

• receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
• are registered blind
• receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement

You do not need to have an assessment if any of this applies to you.

People who need to have an assessment

You may also be eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:

• have a permanent and substantial 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 or would find it very difficult to operate all or some types of parking meter

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

If you do not automatically qualify, your eligibility has to be assessed by your local council. You will be asked to answer some questions to help them decide whether or not you can have a Blue Badge. The council may also ask your permission to get further information from your doctor, or ask you to see an independent health professional, like a physiotherapist.

Using the badge as a driver or passenger

You do not need to own a car or be able to drive one. The badge is personal to you. You can be use it in any vehicle that you are travelling in as a driver or a passenger.

How long a Blue Badge is valid for

Most badges are issued for three years.

The badge should be reviewed every three years. Some impairments and conditions can improve and the badge holder may not need a badge any longer. Even if the mobility inpairment is permanent, the review ensures that the council has the correct details of the badge holder, for example the address.

Contact your council about six weeks before your badge expires to ask for a new application form.

In some circumstances, the Blue Badge is valid for less than three years.

For children under two, the badge is issued for a maximum of two years, ending on the day after their second birthday.

If you have a Blue Badge because you get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance or War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement, and the duration of your benefit award is less than three years, the badge is valid for as long as that period.

How to apply for a Blue Badge

Local councils are responsible for issuing Blue Badge parking permits. Contact your council to apply for a Blue Badge.

They will send you an application form which you will need to fill in and return with two recent passport-sized photographs of yourself. Some councils charge an application fee of up to £2.

You may be able to begin your Blue Badge application online through your local council's website.

Enter details of where you live to find your local council website where you can apply for a Blue Badge or find out more.

Please note that this service is only available for councils in England.

• Apply for a Blue Badge parking permit locally Opens new window

If you are refused a Blue Badge

You cannot appeal against the council if it decides that you do not qualify for a Blue Badge.

You may ask the council to reconsider the case if you think that not all the important information was taken into consideration at the assessment. You can also ask the council to look at their decision again if you feel that your mobility problems have become more serious since the assessment.

Moving house

You need to let the council know of any change of address.

If you are moving to another council area, tell the council that issued your badge what your new address is. Contact your new council about six weeks before your badge is due to expire and ask them for new application form.

If you are moving within the same council area, you still need to let the council know your new address for administrative purposes.

What to do if your Blue Badge is lost or stolen

If your badge or your time clock is lost, contact the council who issued the badge or time clock. The council can  issue you with a replacement.

If your badge has been stolen, you should contact the police first. They will give you a crime number. Tell the council what that number is when you ask them for a replacement.

Returning the Blue Badge

If for any reason the badge is no longer needed, it must be returned to the council that issued it.

It says on the front of the badge which council that is.