Who can get a Blue Badge

You may qualify for a Blue Badge if you’re disabled, blind, or have health problems that make it difficult to get around.

Who can apply

There are two ways to qualify for a Blue Badge.

  1. If you are registered blind, terminally ill or already getting some types of disability benefits you can qualify automatically.
  2. If you have a physical, non visible (hidden) or other disability that makes journeys very difficult you may qualify but might need an assessment.

You can apply:

You can use your badge as a passenger or driver.

People who automatically qualify

You can qualify for a Blue Badge automatically if you have one of the following:

Higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

To apply, you will need a copy of your letter of entitlement. The letter must:                         

  • be dated within the last 12 months
  • show your mobility rating
  • show your full name
  • show your current address
  • show the start and end date of your benefit

Contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 121 4600 to request this if you don’t have one.                         

Personal Independence Payment (PIP): 8 or more points in the moving around category

To apply you will need a copy of the award entitlement letter. The letter must:                         

  • be dated within the last 12 months
  • show that you have eight or more points in the moving around category
  • show your full name
  • show your current address
  • show the start and end date of your benefit

Contact the PIP team on 0800 121 4433 to request this if you don't have one.                          

Personal Independence Payment (PIP): 10 points for ‘planning and following journeys’, descriptor E

You can qualify automatically if you get a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with mobility component of ten points in the planning and following a journey category, specifically for descriptor E.                          

This means you are unable to make journeys because it makes you so distressed that you can’t do anything.                         

To apply, you will need a copy of the award entitlement letter. The award letter must:

  • show the mobility component and ten points for descriptor E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity
  • be dated within the last 12 months
  • show your full name
  • show your current address
  • show the start and end date of your benefit

Contact the PIP team on 0800 121 4433 to request this if you don't have one.                         

If you scored four, eight or 12 for under descriptor E under the 'planning and following journeys' activity, you can still apply but will not automatically qualify. We might request more medical proof or ask to see you for an assessment.                       

                       

War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement

To apply, you will need a copy of your War Pensioners’ Mobility Scheme letter from Veterans UK. Please call them on 0808 1914 218 if you don’t have this.                         

You qualify for a free Blue Badge. When the online form asks you to pay online, select ‘Submit form and pay later’.                          

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (tariff one to eight with a permanent and substantial disability)

To apply, you will need a copy of your Armed Forces Compensation Scheme letter from Veterans UK. Please call them on 0808 1914 218 if you don’t have this.                         

You qualify for a free Blue Badge. When the online form asks you to pay online, select ‘Submit form and pay later’.                          

Blindness or severe sight impairment

If you are registered blind or severely sight impaired, you can get a Blue Badge to use when you are a passenger in a car.                          

To apply, you will need a copy of your Certificate of Vision Impairment.                          

Terminal illness

To apply, you will need a copy of a letter that confirms your illness. This could be an SR1 form or a letter from a doctor or specialist, such as a Macmillan nurse. 

You qualify for a free Blue Badge. When the online form asks you to pay online, select ‘Submit form and pay later’. 

People who can qualify but may need assessment

If you don't qualify automatically, you could still get a Blue Badge but we may request extra medical proof or ask to see you for an assessment.

What proof will I need?

The more proof and information you add to your application, the stronger your case will be. This could include:     

  • letters from specialists, for example gastroenterologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians, social workers and special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs)
  • diagnosis letters
  • medical reports, for example behavioural reports
  • information about ongoing treatments
  • copies of prescriptions
  • an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP), if you're applying for a child

Please note that having a Disabled Identification Card (DID) does not mean you will automatically qualify for a Blue Badge.    

You might qualify for a Blue Badge if you have one of the following:

Difficulty walking or cannot walk

You might qualify for a Blue Badge if you have:                         

  • a severe long term disability or condition that means you cannot walk or find walking very difficult

This could be because:                         

  • you cannot walk without help from someone else or using walking aids
  • you find walking very difficult due to pain, breathlessness or the time it takes
  • the effort of walking would be a danger to your life or cause a serious decline in your health
  • you find it difficult or impossible to control your actions and lack awareness of the impact they could have on others
  • you regularly have intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control
  • you can become extremely anxious or fearful of public/open spaces
  • you are a constant safety risk to yourself or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks
A safety risk around vehicles, car parks, or traffic

You might qualify for a Blue Badge if you have:                         

  • a severe long term disability or condition that means you are a constant safety risk to yourself or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks

This could be because:                         

  • you cannot walk without help from someone else or using walking aids
  • you find walking very difficult due to pain, breathlessness or the time it takes
  • the effort of walking would be a danger to your life or cause a serious decline in your health
  • you find it difficult or impossible to control your actions and lack awareness of the impact they could have on others
  • you regularly have intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control
  • you can become extremely anxious or fearful of public/open spaces
Disability in both arms

You can apply for a Blue Badge if you have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly, but cannot work parking machines.                          

A child under 3 with a disability

You can apply if your child has a specific medical condition which means they:                         

  • must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment that cannot be carried around without great difficulty
  • need to be kept near a vehicle at all times so that they can, if needed, be treated for their condition in the vehicle or taken quickly to a place where they can be treated

Non visible (hidden) disabilities

You might qualify if you have a severe, long term, non visible (hidden) disability that means you meet any of the qualifying reasons on this page. For example, if you have difficulty walking, which can be due to psychological distress.

Non visible (hidden) disabilities can include: autism, dementia, mental illness, learning disabilities or cognitive impairments.

Having a diagnosis does not mean you'll automatically qualify.

Organisations that work with disabled people

An organisation can apply for a Blue Badge (or multiple badges) if they do all of the following:

  • care for or assist people who qualify for a Blue Badge
  • transport people who need a Blue Badge
  • have a clear need for an organisational badge rather than using the individual badge of the people it is transporting

Organisations apply online using the same form as everyone else.

How to apply

You can apply and pay online for a Blue Badge. It costs £10, unless you qualify for a free badge. Find out how to apply and if you’ll pay.