Blue Badge scheme

You are eligible for a Blue Badge if you:

• are registered blind
• get War Pension Mobility Supplement
• get the higher rate for moving around with Disability Living Allowance
• score 8 points or more in 'Moving Around' with Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• receives PIP for “planning and following a journey” for descriptor E (cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress)
• receive a lump sum from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme at tariffs 1 to 8, and have been assessed by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency as being unable or virtually unable to walk

You may qualify if you:

• have an enduring and substantial disability that prevents you from walking, or makes walking very difficult
• drive a motor vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms, and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meters, or would find it very difficult to operate them
• experience considerable difficulty whilst walking which may include considerable psychological distress (hidden disabilities)
• are at serious risk of harm when walking or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person (hidden disabilities)

Children under 3 may qualify if they:

• must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty
• must be near a vehicle at all times, so that they can be treated in the vehicle or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated (such as a hospital)

Find out more about applying for a Blue Badge.

Organisations caring for disabled people may apply for a Blue Badge. Contact us by emailing disabledtravel@southwark.gov.uk for an application form.

If you have a valid Blue Badge, or you are driving someone who does, you can park:

• in disabled bays, making sure to follow the time limits posted on signs if it is a short-stay bay
• in pay-by-phone bays for free without a time limit
• in permit holder or pay-by-phone shared use bays, again for free with no time limit
• on yellow lines for up to 3 hours with a clock card on display set to your arrival time

You cannot park:

• in bays reserved for permit holders only
• any place that blocks the road
• at yellow lines with loading restrictions (look for yellow kerb stripes and white signs)

As a Blue Badge holder, you are eligible for certain exemptions.

Different areas might have different rules. If you are parking in another district or borough, you should check with the relevant local council. 

Your Blue Badge is also accepted in many European countries. Check using the Blue Badge in the European Union and European Economic Area.