Disabled persons' car badges

The blue badge scheme offers national on-street parking concessions for severely disabled people. Blue badge holders do not need to be the driver of the vehicle to use the badge.

Eligibility

The Department for Transport guidelines state you automatically qualify for a blue badge if you are over two years old and:

are registered blind (not partially sighted)
are receiving a War Pensioner’s Mobility supplement
are receiving the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance

You'll also automatically qualify if you've received a lump sum benefit from the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (within tariff levels 1-8). You must also have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.
See the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for more information about tariff levels.

If you do not automatically qualify we will assess your eligibility and decide whether you can have a Blue Badge based on guidelines set out by the Department for Transport. You may be asked to attend an independent mobility assessment undertaken by an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.

Anyone over two years old may be eligible for a Blue Badge, if they either:

have a permanent and substantial disability which means they cannot walk, or makes walking very difficult
drive a motor vehicle regularly and have a severe disability in both arms, making it very difficult or impossible to operate parking meters

Special rules for children under three years old

If you’re a parent of a child who is younger than three years old, you may also apply for a Blue Badge.

To get a Blue Badge your child must have a specific medical condition which means that they either:

must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty
need to be kept near a vehicle at all times to get treatment for a condition when necessary

You can check whether you are likely to be eligible for a Blue Badge on the Directgov website before making an application.

How to apply

The Blue Badge application process has changed as of 1st January 2012.

Complete the Blue Badge application form on the Directgov website. The application needs to be completed in full whether the applicant has previously held a Blue Badge or is applying for the first time. Please note that to complete the form you will need the following information (where relevant):

National Insurance Number
Your driving license number
Expiry date of Higher Rate Mobility Allowance or War Pension
Details of your doctor and any specialists you see
Details of any medication you take including the dosage

Please make a note of the tracking reference number. You can upload a photo online (passport photo rules apply) and from April 2012 you will also be able to pay online.

Once you have completed the application, please send us the following documentation and quote your tracking reference number:

Proof of address, as stated in the application
Proof of identity, as stated in the application
Other supporting documentation requested during the application (proof of HRM, War Pension etc.)
£2 cheque or postal order made payable to Buckinghamshire County Council
1 recent photo (if not submitted online)

to:

Blue Badge
Buckinghamshire County Council
County Offices
Easton Street,
High Wycombe
HP11 1NH

Check the progress of your application online (using your tracking reference number)

If you are making a renewal application we recommend applying 4 weeks before the expiry date on your current badge. We process all applications, with the exception of critically ill applicants, in the order that they are received.

Please note; you don't need to contact your doctor as part of the application process. We will contact your doctor directly if we need to. However you may be asked to attend an independent mobility assessment undertaken by an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.

Organisational blue badge

These can be issued to organisations with responsibility for the continuous care of 6 or more disabled people who meet the qualifying criteria for the personal blue badge.

They can only be issued for use in vehicles taxed under the disabled passenger vehicle (DPV) taxation class. Organisations must submit a photocopy of the road tax disc to the Blue Badge Team (details below).

Organisations with less than 6 qualifying individuals are advised to help individual clients apply for their own blue badges.

To apply for an organisational Blue Badge, complete the Blue Badge application form on the Directgov website and select that you are applying for your organisation.

Lost or stolen badges

You will need to contact us for a replacement badge. You can download the form below or call us and we'll send you a form. You will need to include a crime number or a lost property number from your local police station, a new replacement photograph and a specimen signature.

Using a Blue Badge

In England, Blue Badge holders may generally park:

on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours, unless there is a ban on loading or unloading
at 'on-street' parking meters and pay-and-display machines for free and for as long as they need to
in disabled parking bays

Report fraud or misuse

We are committed to tackling blue badge misuse. Any information will be treated with the strictest confidence.
You can contact us in the following ways: