Disabled parking permit (blue badges)

You may be entitled to a permit if:

• you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
• you receive the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment and have eight points or more under the ‘moving around’ activity
• you receive the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment and have 10 points specifically for ‘Descriptor E’ under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity on the grounds you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress
• you receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• you’ve been awarded a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1-8 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
• you use a vehicle for disabled people supplied by a government health department
• you are registered blind
• you have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter
• you have been certified by an expert assessor as having an enduring and substantial disability which during the course of a journey, causes you to:
  • be unable to walk
  • experience considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include considerable psychological distress
  • be at risk of serious harm when walking or pose a risk of serious harm to any other person when walking
• you use a vehicle for disabled people supplied by a government health department.

You can apply online for a blue badge on the GOV.UK website. There is a £10 charge for all disabled parking permit applications.

You can find more information about applying for a blue badge on the Citizens Advice website.

If you need help with photocopying documents you can visit the Town Hall in Weston-super-Mare.

You should allow up to eight weeks for your blue badge to arrive.

If you have a badge that is due to expire in the next eight weeks, you’ll need to reapply for a new one.

If you have moved to North Somerset from another area, you should start a new application eight weeks before your current badge expires.

Expired badges can be returned by post to:  North Somerset Council Blue Badges Town Hall Weston-super-Mare BS23 1ZX

If you have a blue badge, you don’t need to tell us if you change your vehicle. You can use your blue badge in whatever vehicle you’re travelling in, so long as you are getting out of the vehicle when it is parked and displaying your badge.

Having a disabled parking permit is not a licence to park your vehicle anywhere – some restrictions still apply. We cannot accept responsibility for fines incurred by permit holders who park their vehicles illegally.

You must not lend your parking permit to friends or family members or allow them to abuse the scheme. If you do, your permit may be withdrawn and you could face prosecution.

It is a criminal offence for able-bodied people to use a disabled parking permit and any offence can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

An organisational blue badge may be issued to an organisation to use when a vehicle or vehicles are used to carry disabled people who would be eligible for a badge.

An ‘organisation’ is defined as meaning an organisation concerned with the care of disabled persons to which a disabled person’s badge may be issued in accordance with section 21(4) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

We have to examine applications from organisations for badges to ensure that they are genuine and necessary. Examples of organisations that may be eligible include residential care homes, hospices or  social services departments that transport groups of people who would meet the eligibility criteria for an individual blue badge.

You can apply for an organisation blue badge on the GOV.UK website. It will cost you £10 to apply.

You should allow up to eight weeks for your blue badge to arrive.