Blue Badges

  1. Overview
  2. Eligibility for a Blue Badge
  3. Apply for a Blue Badge
  4. Reapply for a Blue Badge
  5. Payment for a Blue Badge
  1. If your application is refused
  2. Lost or stolen Blue Badges
  3. Misuse of a Blue Badge
  4. Organisational badges
  5. Enquiries about Blue Badges

2. Eligibility for a Blue Badge

There are different types of eligibility depending on your circumstances. You must read the eligibility criteria before you apply for a Blue Badge.

Automatic eligibility

You are automatically eligible for a Blue Badge if you:

  • Have a score of 8 or points or more on the 'Moving Around' section of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Have a score of 10 points under the 'Planning and Following a Journey' section. The description must be: "Unable to undertake a journey due to considerable psychological distress".
  • receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance.
  • receive a war pensioner's mobility supplement.
  • are registered blind (partially sighted is not an automatic qualification).

Please check your benefit to ensure you qualify before starting the application. 

When applying under Personal Independence Payment (PIP) criteria, you do not need to provide a copy of your award letter at the point of application. However, if we can’t confirm your PIP award, we may request you to submit a copy of the award letter.

Eligibility that requires an Assessment

If you are not automatically eligible for a Blue Badge, you will need to give detailed information in your application. This will help us to understand how your condition affects your ability to undertake a journey. Please see the Department for Transport guidance (external link) for further information.

You can apply under one of the following categories:

Physical disabilities

You may qualify for a badge if you are over two years old and:

  • have an enduring and substantial disability, which means you are unable to walk or have considerable difficulty whilst walking.
  • You drive regularly and have a severe disability in both arms, which makes it very difficult or impossible to use parking meters.

Non-physical (hidden) disabilities

You may qualify for a badge if you are more than two years old and:

  • Unable to walk or undertake a journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress
  • could be at risk of serious harm, or pose a risk of serious harm to another person.

Children under the age of 2 years

A parent of a child who is under two years old may apply for a badge for their child, if the child has a medical condition which means they:

  • have bulky medical equipment which must always accompany the child.
  • must  always be near a vehicle to receive treatment, either in the vehicle, or driven to a place where the child will receive treatment.

You may need to provide medical evidence of your child's condition.

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