Blue badge parking permits for disabled people

• it is easier online - contact us 24 hours a day from wherever is convenient for you using the device that suits you best
• it is cheaper online - it saves us valuable money which can be used on our frontline services
• it is faster online - you can contact us whenever you like without travelling or queuing time
• it is safe online - We will protect your data at all times
• your application can be processed quicker - as the application process online is automated, providing we have all the correct information your blue badge will be processed within 10 days

If you wish to apply for an organisational blue badge please contact us.

If you wish to know more about blue badges or organisational badges, download the Department for Transport's blue badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England document.

If you have lost your blue badge or it has been stolen, there will be a charge of £10 for a replacement.

You should report stolen badges to North Yorkshire Police. After reporting a stolen badge to the police, or even if you have simply lost it, tell us your badge has been lost or stolen as soon as possible and ask for a replacement.

Apply for a replacement blue badge

If you cannot apply online, please contact us.

The quickest way to apply for a blue badge is using the online application form.

The online application is clear and simple to use, however you may wish to ask a friend or family member for help.

You can also get help applying by booking an assisted digital appointment at one of our core libraries. Appointments must be booked in advance. Please must make sure you take all the correct documents with you. Payment can only be made by card. Core Libraries offering digital assistance are:

• Selby Library
• Harrogate library
• Scarborough library
• Malton library
• Skipton library
• Northallerton library​

If you are not able to use our online form, you can provide supporting documents to prove your eligibility by post. These may include a proof of ID, address, benefit award letters if appropriate. You can contact the customer service team to find out which documents will be required.

Once the supporting documents have been received the blue badge team will contact you to book you in for a telephone assessment. If your telephone assessment is successful we will take payment over the phone. If the telephone appointment is inconclusive you may need to go for a walking assessment and if successful we will contact you for payment over the phone.

Copies of documents may be posted to us or scanned and sent to us with a covering letter. 

Processing renewals and new applications received by post or email can take up to 4 to 6 weeks. Please ensure you have provided all the information required as not doing so can lead to significant delays to your blue badge application being processed.

You are eligible for a blue badge without further assessment if you:

• are registered as blind
• get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
• get Personal Independence Payment and scored eight points or more in the ‘moving around’ area of your assessment - check your decision letter if you are not sure
• get War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces Compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8), and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability
• have a hidden disability and experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very psychological distress; or be at risk of serious harm when walking; or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person. Find out more about this category here in the section below.

The blue badge parking scheme has been extended to include people with ‘hidden disabilities’. The new scheme criteria will not be condition-specific; the presence of a non-physical condition will not, in itself, imply eligibility. The applicant will need to show what affects them taking a journey between a vehicle and their destination. 

The new blue badge scheme criteria will extend eligibility to people who:

• cannot undertake a journey without there being a risk of serious harm to their health or safety, or that of any other person
• cannot undertake a journey without it causing them considerable psychological distress
• have very considerable difficulty when walking (both the physical act and experience of walking)

In summary, anyone in receipt of PIP, and scores specifically 10 points under the “planning and following a journey” activity of the mobility component and have been awarded this because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to them should apply for a blue badge. The eligibility criteria, however, can seem quite complex, so we have produced some FAQs to help anyone considering applying for a blue badge on grounds of ‘hidden disabilities’.

I have a hidden disability. Should I apply for a blue badge?

Not all hidden disabilities will qualify for a badge. The new scheme criteria will not be condition-specific; the presence of a non-physical condition will not, in itself, imply eligibility. Your hidden disability will need to severely impact on you being able to take a journey between your vehicle and your destination. This means you may experience considerable physiological distress or be at risk of serious harm when walking, or pose a risk of serious harm to any other person.

I’m in receipt of 10 PIP points for my hidden disability. Why am I not automatically eligible?

Only people who have been awarded their points because it would cause them overwhelming psychological distress are automatically entitled to a blue badge under the new guidance form the Department for Transport.

Your award letter will describe the barriers you face that are associated with mental, cognitive or sensory abilities when making a journey. If your 10 points have been award because you cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey with another person, assistance dog or orientation, you will not qualify automatically. You can still apply, but we’ll need to ask you some questions first to check if hidden disability will severely impact on you being able to take a journey between your vehicle and your destination. 

I was told that anyone with a hidden disability would be eligible for a blue badge.

There was a lot of publicity when the government announced that people with hidden disabilities would be able to apply for a blue badge in 2019. However, there was not much guidance around what kind of hidden disability would qualify until recently.

Now the guidance has been published, it is clear that the new scheme criteria will not be condition-specific; the presence of a non-physical condition will not, in itself, imply eligibility. The applicant will need to show what affects them taking a journey between a vehicle and their destination. Only those who are most vulnerable as a result form their hidden disability that may be eligible for a blue badge under this eligibility. 

I have a severe hidden disability but my application has been rejected. Why?

The primary benefit for a blue badge holder is the ability to park close to where they want to be.  If this will not assist an applicant with the difficulties they experience, then a local authority may consider this in their decision making.

My Health Professional or Support Worker recommended I apply, but my application has been rejected. Why?

The local authority, North Yorkshire Council, has the final decision when it comes to deciding if a person meets the blue badge eligibility criteria. They have guidelines to follow and need to ensure the integrity of the scheme is maintained.

If your application has been rejected, you have the right to appeal to your Local Government Ombudsman. You can phone or write.

They’ll take another look at your application, and decide whether your council made the wrong decision.

The Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH

Tel: 0300 061 0614

Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, closed weekends. Calls cost 12p per minute from a landline, and from 3p to 45p from a mobile.

It's worth applying as you might still be able to get a badge. You will have to complete an extra part of the application to show why you need one, and may be asked to attend a mobility assessment or provide evidence to support your application.
You should do this if:

• you have permanent problems with walking
• You drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate or have severe difficulty in operating all or some types of parking meter

Children under the age of three may be eligible for a badge if they fall within either or both of the following descriptions:

• a child who, on account of a condition, must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around with the child without great difficulty
• a child who, on account of a condition, must always be kept near a motor vehicle so that, if necessary, treatment for that condition can be given in the vehicle or the child can be taken quickly in the vehicle to a place where such treatment can be given

If you're not automatically eligible, you can still apply online. If you would like help completing an application you can contact us.

As part of your application you will need to upload documents and make an online payment.  Before you apply, make sure you have:

• your National Insurance number
• if renewing your existing badge - the reference number on the front of your badge, expiry date and local council on your current blue badge
• your original decision letter from the Department of Work and Pensions along with your annual uprating letter if you have been issued one of these. One of these documents must be dated within the last 12 months to show you are still currently in receipt of the benefit) - if you're automatically eligible for a badge
• proof of identification, for example a birth or adoption certificate, passport, ID card or valid driving licence
• proof of address, such as a current council tax bill or a utility bill dated within the last three months that show your name and address
• a passport style photograph
• a debit or credit card to make the £10 payment

Please ensure you have provided all the information required as not doing so can lead significant delays to your Blue Badge application being processed.

An individual's eligibility for a blue badge is considered in terms of being ‘eligible without further assessment’ (previously known as ‘automatic’) or ‘eligible subject to further assessment’ (previously known as ‘discretionary’).

The ‘eligible without further assessment’ criteria

• Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
• receives eight points or more under the “moving around” activity of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment
• is registered blind (severely sight impaired)
• receives a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
• has been both awarded a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1 to 8 of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking

Be aware that Armed Forces Independence Payment awards are not included in the Type 1 eligibility criteria.

Under government guidance, when a badge is issued under Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment it will be issued in line with your benefit expiry date. If your benefit expiry date is less than three years, this may mean you receive a badge for less than three years.

The ‘eligible subject to further assessment’ criteria

People who may be issued with a badge after further assessment are those who are more than two years old and fall within one or more of the following descriptions:

1. Drives a vehicle regularly, has a severe disability in both arms and is unable to operate, or has considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter.
2. Has a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

In addition, children under the age of three may be eligible for a badge if they fall within either or both of the following descriptions:

1. A child who, on account of a condition, must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around with the child without great difficulty.
2. A child who, on account of a condition, must always be kept near a motor vehicle so that, if necessary, treatment for that condition can be given in the vehicle or the child can be taken quickly in the vehicle to a place where such treatment can be given.

*‘further assessment’ means customers will be required to complete the online assessment and may be asked to attend a walking assessment.

If you're disabled or have a health condition that affects your mobility, you can apply for a blue badge.

You can also apply for a badge if you care for a child with a health condition. 

The cost of a blue badge is £10.

If you get certain benefits you'll automatically be able to get a blue badge. The application process is straightforward.

You don't need to be able to drive to apply for a blue badge, unless you're applying because of problems with both of your arms.

Follow the advice on this page to renew your blue badge, too. You can’t use an expired badge, so make sure you apply in plenty of time. You can submit your renewal when your expiry date is within 60 days.

• don't apply for a blue badge from anywhere other than your council or GOV.UK
• North Yorkshire residents should always apply for a blue badge through North Yorkshire Council
• No one else can provide a genuine Blue Badge - if you think you’ve been scammed, you should report it to Consumer advice

If you applied for a blue badge online using your North Yorkshire Council Customer Account you will be sent an automatic reminder to the email address supplied.

For online renewals, we recommend that you apply for blue badge no more than 30 days before your current one expires.

You should continue using your old badge until it expires. If you have received your new badge, you shouldn't use it until the old one has expired.

Processing renewals and new applications received by post or email can take up to 6 to 12 weeks. Please ensure you have provided all the information required as not doing so can lead to significant delays to your Blue Badge application being processed.

Renewal reminder letters are no longer sent in the post.

Your blue badge usually lets you park for free:

• on streets with parking meters or pay-and-display machines for as long as you need to
• in disabled parking bays on streets for as long as you need to, unless a sign says there is a time limit
• on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours unless there’s a ‘no loading’ sign

You cannot use your blue badge everywhere - for example in some areas of London.

Find out more about parking in North Yorkshire here.

For parking information in other areas of the UK you should check before you park on GOV.UK to avoid getting a ticket.

You might have to pay for parking if you are parking in a private car park, for example at a supermarket or hospital. You will need to check the signs in the car park.

Having a blue badge does not let you park anywhere - you still have to follow the usual parking regulations. For example, you can still get a fine if you park somewhere that endangers people, like outside a school or near a junction. 

You can check the parking rules on GOV.UK.

Make sure your badge:

• is the right way up
• is clearly visible through the windscreen
• hasn’t expired

If you park somewhere with a time limit, always set the parking time clock on your blue badge to show the 15 minute period that you arrived.

If you get a parking ticket even though you have displayed your badge properly, you can appeal it.

If your badge has expired, has been damaged, or is lost or stolen, you should contact the local authority to tell them and ask for a replacement.

The badge is for your use and benefit only. It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected or dropped off.

It is a criminal offence to misuse a badge. This includes people other than the badge holder taking advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme.

If someone else is driving you, it is your responsibility to tell them about the rules.

Do not allow other people to use the badge to do something on your behalf, such as shopping or collecting something for you.

You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to park for free, even if they are visiting you.

You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car.

You can still get a parking fine when you are using your badge.

If you misuse your badge on purpose you could be fined up to £1,000, for example if you:

• give it to someone else to use if they are not your driver
• keep using your badge when you no longer need it
• use your badge to park if you are just waiting, and do not plan to leave your car

If someone else is driving you, you must let them know the rules - if they do not follow them the council can take your badge away.

In cases where an applicant makes a fraudulent application (providing false information), it may be possible to prosecute the individual under section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006. This carries a penalty of a fine of up to £5,000 and/or up to 12 months imprisonment on summary conviction. If a badge has been issued, the local authority can require its return under Regulation 9(2)(b) of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles)(England) Regulations 2000.

Where a badge holder simply parks in the wrong place or parks for too long with a valid badge, a penalty charge may be issued for any parking contravention.

In cases where a badge holder lets a third party use a badge, the issuing local authority can withdraw the badge under regulation 9(2)(a) of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000, but only after a relevant conviction has been obtained (a penalty charge may also be issued for any parking contravention that has occurred during the badge misuse). In such circumstances, a relevant conviction requires that the non-badge holder is using the badge with the holder's knowledge. It should be remembered, however, that whilst this may make it difficult to withdraw a badge that is being systematically abused by a friend or family member, a local authority may refuse to reissue a badge if it has reasonable grounds for believing that the applicant would permit another person to use it (Regulation 8(2)(d)(ii)).

Other types of legislation exist relating to misuse of blue badges.

Types of abuse / misuse

Badges can be abused in a multitude of ways. The following is not an exhaustive list, but illustrates several ways in which badges can be misused, from minor to more serious transgressions:

By the badge holder:

• parking in the wrong place or parking for too long where there is a time limit
• use of a badge that is no longer valid
• use of a badge that has been reported as lost or stolen
• letting a friend or relative use the badge
• use of a copied badge
• altering the details on the badge, for example, the expiry date
• making a fraudulent application, for example providing false information on the application form, or using a badge obtained fraudulently

By a third party:

• using someone else’s badge, with or without the badge holder’s knowledge, without the badge holder being present in the vehicle at some point during the trip
• using a badge belonging to someone who has died
• copying, altering or faking badges
• using a stolen badge
• using a fake badge

If you have a blue badge you can park in places other drivers cannot, for example parking spaces for blue badge holders.

The blue badge is linked to you rather than a vehicle, so you can use it with any car. This includes taxis and hire cars that you are driving, or travelling in as a passenger. 

You are always advised to check local restrictions before using your Blue Badge abroad. You can find guidance on using a blue badge in the European Union and European Economic Area on the government website.

If you visit a country outside of the European Union, you will need to check the local arrangements with the relevant embassy before using your Blue Badge.

There may be circumstances when a blue badge is no longer required. If the badge holder has passed away you can use the tell us once process and hand the badge in at the time of registering the death.

If the badge holder has passed away but the tell us once process is not used, please post the badge with a covering letter including the following information:

• name of badge holder
• badge reference number
• reason badge is no longer required - deceased, moved, surplus to requirements and so on

Please post to: Service Delivery Team, North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Racecourse Lane, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 8AD.

Returning individual/organisational badges

An organisational badge must be returned to the issuing authority if:

• the organisation has ceased to exist
• the organisation no longer cares for people who would qualify for a blue badge in their own right
• the badge becomes damaged or illegible
• a replacement badge has been issued for one that is lost or stolen and the original is found / recovered (then the original badge must be returned)
• the badge ceases to be required by the organisation

Please post with a covering letter to: Service Delivery Team, North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Racecourse Lane, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 8AD.

In certain circumstances, on-street parking bays can be created in residential areas for disabled drivers who are blue badge holders and who don't have access to off street parking, such as a drive or garage.

Find out more, including how to make an application, on our residential disabled parking bays page.

Customers who qualify for a blue badge may also be eligible for a disabled person’s bus pass. You can apply for a disabled person's bus pass online here.

Please be aware there are scam websites that claim to assist with a blue badge application at a cost of £50.

Applying for a blue badge costs £10 and this fee is taken as part of the application process. If your application is unsuccessful, the cost will be refunded.

If you have been refused a blue badge, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed.

It is worth doing this if you cannot walk more than 80 metres - about the length of seven double decker buses, or if you cannot use a parking meter because of problems with your arms.

If you already have a blue badge and have been refused a renewal, if it is still valid you can use it until your badge expires. You could face a fine if you continue to use your blue badge after this date.

To appeal a decision, contact us with further information supporting your application.

What to write

Write an email asking for a review of the decision. You have 30 days to appeal.

Explain why the reasons listed on your response are wrong, in as much detail as you can.

Include any details you might have missed the first time. For example, if you have mobility problems, explain why using parking meters is painful or why it’s difficult for you to walk very far to get from your car to a shop.

You will receive a response to your appeal within 20 workings days, and may be required to attend a walking assessment to support your application.

If your application was rejected because you have misused a badge

It is still worth asking for a review if you broke the rules because of a situation out of your control. Explain what happened in as much detail as you can.

You can follow the steps above to ask for it back - for example, if it has been taken away because you have misused it or because you’ve moved from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment and no longer automatically qualify for a blue badge.

You can make a complaint if you are unhappy with the way your application has been dealt with.

Details of the complaint process can be found here.

If you are not happy with the response to your complaint, you can phone or write to the Local Government Ombudsman.

They will take another look at your application, and decide whether your council made the wrong decision.

The Local Government Ombudsman 

PO Box 4771

Coventry 

CV4 0EH

Telephone: 0300 061 0614

Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, closed weekends 

Calls cost 12p per minute from a landline, and from 3p to 45p from a mobile.

Misuse of a disabled person’s parking badge, also known as a blue badge, is an offence, and in some cases may constitute fraud.

We are committed to taking action against blue badge fraud and misuse and in serious cases offenders will be prosecuted.

It's a criminal offence to display a blue badge unless the badge holder is in the vehicle, or the vehicle is being used to pick up or drop off the holder.

Find out how to report Blue badge fraud.