The Blue Badge scheme provides a range of parking benefits for disabled
people with severe walking difficulties who travel either as drivers or as
passengers. The scheme operates throughout the UK.
The concessions only apply to on-street parking and include free use of
parking meters and pay-and-display bays. Badge-holders may also be exempt
from limits on parking times imposed on others and can park for up to three
hours on yellow lines (except where there is a ban on loading or unloading
or other restrictions).
The badges - sometimes known as disabled parking permits -can be used
throughout the UK and while travelling abroad within the European Union
(EU) and in some other European countries.
The Blue Badge scheme does not apply to off-street car parks, private
roads or at most airports.
Your social services department at your council will tell you how to
apply for a Blue Badge.
Use Directgov's interactive tool to find Blue Badge parking bays near
you, or across the UK.
It is an offence to park a vehicle which is not displaying a badge in
a Blue Badge parking bay. If you spot misuse you should report it to a
traffic warden (or parking enforcement officer), the local police or the
local council (who are responsible for issuing badges).
Most disabled persons' parking bays in off-street car parks – for
example, supermarket car parks – are not covered by Blue Badge scheme
regulations.
Car parks and parking bays like these are likely to be privately owned
and managed by the individual business. The agreement, and any cost to
use them, will be between the owner and the motorists/customers.
If you are a disabled motorist (or passenger) and you complain to, for
example, a supermarket that a non-disabled motorist has parked in a disabled
bay, an employee of the store could ask the driver to move their car from
the disabled bay but they will not be in a position to legally insist on
it.
If you think that people are unfairly parking in disabled bays, speak
or write to the management of the store or car park.
The government (Department for Transport) supports ‘Baywatch’ – a
partnership between several major supermarkets and disability organisations – including
the Disabled Drivers’ Association. The campaign aims to end the abuse
of parking bays put aside for disabled drivers’ use.
Local councils can take away a badge if the badge holder misuses it – for
example, by allowing other people to use it or if a person’s disability
improves so that they are no longer eligible for the scheme.
If you are a badge holder, it can only be used for your benefit. If
a trip is for someone else and you are a passenger and staying in the
vehicle, you cannot use the badge simply to let them benefit from free
parking.
Blue Badges need to be properly issued and displayed. It is an offence
if a badge is not removed from a vehicle and people other than the badge
holder take advantage of the parking concessions under the scheme.
Misuse of the badge itself by a non-disabled person is an offence. The
maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional
penalty for the related parking offence.
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