Blue Badge parking permits

Who gets a Blue Badge automatically

In England you usually qualify automatically if you:

• get the higher rate mobility part of DLA
• get PIP and scored 8 points or more in the moving around activity
• get PIP and scored 10 points in the planning and following journeys activity because you cannot go on any journey due to overwhelming psychological distress
• are registered severely sight impaired (blind)
• get a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
• get certain payments under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Who else can apply

You may still get a Blue Badge, after your council assesses you, if you:

• have great difficulty walking, or cannot walk at all
• have a hidden disability, such as autism, dementia or a mental health condition, and journeys cause you very considerable difficulty, overwhelming distress, or put you or others at risk
• have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly but cannot use parking meters
• are a parent of a child under 3 who needs bulky medical equipment or must stay near a vehicle for treatment

How to apply

Apply online through GOV.UK, which passes your application to your council. In England, councils can charge up to £10. In Wales, Blue Badges are free. A badge usually lasts up to 3 years.

Where you can park

Rules can vary by council, but usually you can:

• park free in on-street pay and display bays and at meters
• park on single or double yellow lines for up to 3 hours in England and Wales, unless there is a loading ban
• use disabled parking bays

Always display your badge and the parking clock correctly. Private car parks, such as supermarkets and hospitals, set their own rules.

In London, Blue Badge holders can register for a discount on the Congestion Charge. Some central London boroughs run their own schemes.