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Disabled People - Parking Permits - Blue Badge
Blue parking badges allow cars carrying people who are registered blind or people who have severe walking difficulties to be parked near shops, stations and other facilities. Blue Badges can only be issued to people who meet the eligibility criteria, not to relatives or carers. They can be used in any car the badge holder is driving or is a passenger in.
What is the Blue Badge Scheme?|
Will I qualify for a Blue Badge?|
How do I apply for a badge?|
Do I need a photograph?|
Is there anywhere that the scheme does not apply?|
Where can I park?|
Where not to park?|
How do I use the badge?|
What are my duties as a badge holder?|
What happens if I misuse my badge?|
What happens if I lose or damage my badge?|
What is the Blue Badge Scheme?
The Blue Badge Scheme provides parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel either as drivers or passengers. The scheme also applies to registered blind people and people with very severe upper limb disabilities who regularly drive a vehicle but cannot turn a steering wheel by hand. It allows badge holders to park close to their destination.
Will I qualify for a Blue Badge?
You can get a Blue Badge if:
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you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
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you receive a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
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you use a motor vehicle supplied for disabled people by a Government Health Department
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you are registered blind
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you have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn the steering wheel of a motor vehicle by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob
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you have a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking. In this case you may be asked to answer a series of questions to help us determine whether you are eligible for a badge.
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People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not intermittent, difficulty in walking.
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Note
Children under two years of age do not normally qualify for a badge because they would not normally be expected to walk independently.
Organisations caring for disabled people meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a badge, but this is entirely at our discretion and the conditions for using such a badge must be strictly observed.
How do I apply for a badge?
If you think you may be entitled to a badge you should contact us and we will give you an application form.
The form should be returned to us along with the relevant supporting documentation, 2 passport sized photographs and an administration fee.
We will decide if you are eligible for a badge. There is no right of appeal against the decision if you do not meet the eligibility criteria.
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Photographs
The Blue Badge is a two-sided card with space for a photograph of the badge holder on the back of the card. Your application should, be accompanied by 2 recent photographs, which you should sign on the back. You may send passport-type photographs taken from self-service booths or any suitable photographs cut down to a passport photo size.
Is there anywhere that the scheme does not apply?
The scheme does not apply:
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on private roads.
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in off-street car parks. However, some may provide spaces for disabled people. You should check the signs to see what concessions are available and whether Blue Badge holders have to pay. Always display your Blue Badge when occupying one of these spaces.
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in certain town centres, where access is prohibited or limited to vehicles with special permits issued locally.
Where Can I Park?
Badge holders may park free of charge and without time limit at parking meters on-street and "pay and display" on-street parking unless a local traffic order, specifying a time limit for holders of disabled badges is in force. Your Blue Badge must be displayed.
Badge holders may be exempt from limits on parking times imposed on other users - check local signs for information. Your Blue Badge must be displayed.
Badge holders may usually park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours in England and Wales or without time limit in Scotland except where there is a ban on loading or unloading, and at a few locations where local schemes apply.
Your Blue Badge must be displayed and in England and Wales the special blue parking disc must be displayed showing the time of arrival.
There must be an interval of at least one hour from a previous period of waiting before the same vehicle can be parked in the same road or part of a road on the same day.
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Where Not to Park
You must not park:
during the time a ban on loading or unloading is in force (normally indicated by one or two yellow marks on the kerb at the times shown on post mounted plates.)
For example:
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Two yellow lines on the kerb means no loading: loading is prohibited 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least 4 consecutive months
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A single yellow line on the pavement means no loading Mon-Fri 8.00-9.30 am, 4.30-6.30pm: loading is prohibited for any lesser period, the arror on the sign indicates the direction in which the prohibition starts.
However, in pedestrian areas, waiting and loading restrictions may be in force even when there are no yellow lines shown on the road or kerb. Details of any restrictions in force will be shown on plates displayed at the kerb side of the road.
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where there are double white lines in the centre of the road even if one of the lines is broken
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in a bus or tram lane during its hours of operation
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in a cycle lane
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on any clearway, double or single red lines during their hours of operation
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on zebra, pelican or tucan crossings
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on zig zag markings before and after zebra, pelican or tucan crossings
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in parking spaces reserved for specific users, e.g. loading bays, taxis, cycles
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on a residents parking bay, unless there are signs showing that you may do so
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in suspended meter bays or when use of the meter is prohibited
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where temporary restrictions are in force along a length of road, e.g. as indicated by "no-waiting " cones on school "keep clear" markings during the time shown on a yellow "no stopping" plate.
You must not park where it would be obstructive or cause a danger to others. The following are likely examples:
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at school entrances, bus stops, on a bend, or near the brow of a hill or hump backed bridge
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where it would be difficult for others to see clearly, e.g. close to a junction
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where it would make the road narrow, e.g. by a traffic island or where road works are in progress
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where it would hold up traffic, e.g. in narrow stretches of road or blocking vehicle entrances
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where emergency vehicles stop or go in and out, e.g. hospital entrances
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where the kerb has been lowered or the road raised to form a pedestrian crossing
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on pavement unless signs permit it.
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Remember
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If you park where it would cause an obstruction or a danger to other road users your vehicle could be removed by the police. You could be prosecuted and your badge withdrawn
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Vehicles cannot legally be wheel clamped on the public highway for parking offences provided a Blue Badge is correctly displayed on the vehicle. But you should be aware that if you park improperly on privately owned land you risk having your vehicle wheel clamped
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The vehicle must be removed if a police officer or a traffic warden in uniform requests it.
How to Use the Badge
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You must display the badge on top of the dash board or facia panel of a vehicle with the front of the badge (i.e. the side showing the wheelchair user symbol) facing forwards so that the relevant details are legible from outside of the vehicle. If the vehicle does not have a dashboard or facia panel you must exhibit the badge in a conspicuous position on the vehicle so that the relevant details are legible from outside the vehicle when using the parking benefits.
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The badge should only be displayed when using the parking benefits under the scheme, except if the vehicle is being driven by someone other than the badge holder for the purpose of entering or leaving an area (which is accessible only to vehicles displaying a Blue Badge) in order to pick up or drop off the badge holder.
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Similar badges given to organisations caring for disabled people must not be used by non-disabled members for their own benefit.
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These badges must not be on display except when the vehicle is being used for the benefit of disabled people.
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Badges last for three years only.
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When you need a new one you should contact us for a new one - to allow time for reassessment you should reapply some weeks before your current badge expires.
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You must return the badge to us if you no longer need it.
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Your Duties as a Badge Holder
The purpose of the scheme is to allow you to visit shops and other places. You must ensure that you use your badge with care and attention to the rules.
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It is your responsibility to ensure that the badge is used properly. It is in your own interest that the badge should retain the respect of other motorists. Please play your part.
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You must not allow other people to use the badge. To reduce the risk of this happening accidentally, you should remove the badge whenever you are not using the parking concessions.
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You must ensure that the details on the front of the badge remain legible. If they become unreadable, the badge must be returned to us for re-issue.
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You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car. Although it is not illegal for a badge holder, or a non-disabled person waiting for the badge holder, to remain in the vehicle while the Blue badge is displayed, consideration should be given to using a car park wherever possible.
If you are a Disabled Driver
Remember that if you are a disabled driver and your disability is such that it is likely or may become likely to affect your ability to drive (even if your car is adapted) the Law requires you to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea SA99 1TU.
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Misuse of a Badge
Misuse of a Blue Badge is a serious offence.
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Your badge can be withdrawn is you misuse it or allow others to misuse it.
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It is a criminal offence for non-disabled people to use a badge. If they do so they can be heavily fined.
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It is a criminal offence to drive a vehicle displaying a Blue Badge unless the badge holder is in the vehicle, or the vehicle is being driven by someone other than the badge holder for the purposes of entering or leaving an area which is accessible only to vehicles displaying a Blue Badge in order to pick up or drop off the holder.
Misuse of a Designated Blue Badge Bay
Non-disabled people who park in a bay designated for Blue Badge holders are liable to a parking fine.
What Happens if I Lose or Damage my Badge?
If you lose your badge you should report the loss to the Police as soon as possible. They will give you a pink form to be completed. You should then contact us and we will get you a duplicate badge form. Once completed, returned to us along with the pink form and one replacement photograph.
If you damage your Blue Badge, you should contact us as soon as possible for advice on how to get a replacement badge.
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