Apply for a Blue Badge
Check eligibility and apply for a Blue Badge.
The process for applying for a badge is the same whether a new or renewal application. Renewal applications take approximately 4 weeks to process and new applications may take up to 8 weeks to process, this can be extended to up to 12 weeks if you are required to attend a mobility assessment.
Apply online
Blue Badge applications are made online via www.gov.uk
Applications can be processed quicker if you apply online and upload your supporting documents directly to the application form. If you experience difficulties please email: blue.badges@staffordshire.gov.uk
Apply by phone
If you are unable to apply online and require an assisted service, please contact us on 0300 111 8000. You will need to supply supporting documents to us after the application is complete. We will not look at your application until these have been supplied.
Apply in person
(details to be added later)
The following information will guide you through the process to help make your application as simple as possible. Before you apply for a Blue Badge, we advise you check your eligibility. You then must:
- Have proof of identity and proof of address
- Gather the evidence to support your application
- Find or take a passport-style photo
It is important that you provide supporting evidence, not providing sufficient information can delay your application.
Blue Badge Application Guide 658KB
Check if you are eligible for a Blue Badge
Before you start your application, you need to know under which criterion you are going to apply so that you can prepare the documents you must provide with your application. Check the Blue Badge eligibility criteria.
Applying on behalf of another adult or a child
The adult or child who needs the Blue Badge is the 'applicant'. Give their details in the form - not your own. We will refuse an application with incorrect information.
Awaiting or recovering from surgery or treatment
If you have had surgery within the past three months, we won't consider your application unless surgery is not expected to have improved your walking ability.
If you are awaiting surgery or treatment, you should give the date you expect to have surgery on your application form and detail if you expect this to improve your waking ability.
Check your eligibility before you apply for a Blue Badge.
Terminal Illness
If you have been given a terminal medical prognosis or have a DS1500/SR1, please make a fast track application
Disability Living Allowance Mobility Component
You automatically qualify if you are:
- In receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component – this will be confirmed in the letter from the DWP.
You do not qualify if you are in receipt of:
- Low or Middle Rate Mobility Component
- The Care Component at any rate (unless you are also in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component)
- Attendance Allowance at any rate
- Pension Credit.
You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion.
Personal Independence Payment
You automatically qualify if your PIP decision letter matches at least one of the benefits below. When you apply, you must provide a photo or scanned image of your decision letter showing the matching benefit.
You qualify if you receive either of these two benefits:
- Mobility - Moving around - 8 points (or more)
- Mobility - Planning and following journeys - exactly 10 points with descriptor E - You cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress.
Please note that you do not automatically qualify if you receive either of the following:
- 'Planning and following journeys' with 10 points and descriptor D - you cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid.
- 12 points and descriptor F - you cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid.You also do not automatically qualify if you are in receipt of:
You also do not automatically qualify if you are in receipt of:
- a score of 7 or less under the ‘moving around’ activity of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment
- the Daily Living Component of Personal Independence Payment (unless you are also in receipt of a score of 8 points or more of the Mobility Component).
You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion.
Lump sum at tariff 1-8 from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
You automatically qualify if you:
- have been awarded a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and certification of having a permanent and substantial difficulty which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.
You do not automatically qualify if you:
- have been awarded a lump sum benefit at tariff 9 – 15 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme
- are in receipt of a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme without certification of having a permanent and substantial difficulty which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.
You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion.
War pensioners mobility supplement
You automatically qualify if you are:
- in receipt of the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. This is confirmed on the award letter from Veterans UK.
You do not automatically qualify if you are:
- in receipt of a War Disablement Pension without a mobility component.
You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion.
Registered blind or severely sight impaired
You automatically qualify if you are either:
- registered blind/severely sight impaired with your local authority
- have a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI – previously known as the BD8 form) signed by a consultant ophthalmologist.
You do not automatically qualify if you are partially sighted.You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion.
Unable to walk or find walking difficult
This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. You'll need to answer some questions about your condition and provide evidence to support your application. The outcome may include attending a face-to-face mobility assessment.
Unable to walk
- being unable to walk means that they cannot take a single step
- the applicant needs to show that, because of their enduring and substantial disability, they cannot walk during the course of a journey
- walking involves always having one foot on the ground. If the applicant’s only way of getting about is to swing through two elbow crutches, then they will be considered unable to walk (provided it is due to an enduring and substantial disability and not due to a temporary impairment, such as their legs being in plaster).
Enduring and substantial disability
You may qualify if you have an enduring and substantial disability that:
- is likely to last for the next three years
- has been an ongoing issue
- means you are unable to walk or causes you to experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking.
No single factor determines eligibility, but these factors are considered together.
Very considerable difficulty whilst walking is likely to manifest through one or more of the following:
- the level of pain experienced by an individual when they are walking, or as a consequence of walking
- the degree of breathlessness they incur when, or as a result of, walking• the distance over which an individual is able to walk
- the speed at which an individual is able to walk
- the length of time that an individual is able to walk for
- he manner in which the applicant walks
- an applicant’s use of walking aids
- the applicant’s outdoor walking ability
- whether the effort of walking presents a danger to the applicant’s life or would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in their health
You do not qualify if:
- you have a temporary disability or intermittent mobility issues that do not affect your ability to make a journey on a more often than not basis.
- you are frail due to old age, unless you are also unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress
- you are under two years old
- you require a wide parking bay to open the car door, unless you are also unable to walk, or you also have very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress in addition to your condition
- you struggle to get in or out of a vehicle, unless you are also unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress in addition to your condition
- you need access to facilities to manage bowel or bladder incontinence, unless you are also unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress in addition to your condition.
- you struggle to carry shopping, unless you are also unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress in addition to your condition.
Non-visible (hidden disability)
This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. When applying under this criteria, you'll need to answer some questions about your condition and provide evidence to support your application.
Enduring and substantial disability
You may qualify if you have an enduring and substantial disability or condition that:
- is likely to last for the next three years
- has been an ongoing issue
- means you are unable to walk or causes you to experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking.
This could include one or more of the following when walking.
- You experience very considerable psychological distress
- You are at risk of serious harm
- You pose a risk of serious harm to another person
Driver with a disability in both arms
This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. You'll need to answer some questions about your condition and provide evidence to support your application. The outcome may include attending a face-to-face assessment.
You may qualify if you meet all the following:
- Regularly drives an adapted or non-adapted vehicle
- Have a severe disability in both arms
- Are unable to operate, or has considerable difficulty operating, all or some types of parking meter
You do not qualify if you have:
- a permanent and severe disability in both arms but don't drive a vehicle regularly
- a permanent and severe disability in only one arm
- a severe disability in both arms which is not permanent
Child under 3 who needs to be kept near to a vehicle
This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. You'll need to answer some questions about your child's condition and provide evidence to support their application.
A child may qualify if they have a condition which means that they 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.
Examples include:
- Children with tracheostomies
- Children with severe epilepsy/fitting
- Children with highly unstable diabetes
- Terminally ill children who can only access brief moments of outside life and need a quick route home
Child under 3 who needs bulky medical equipment
This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. When applying under this criteria, you'll need to answer some questions about your child's condition and provide evidence to support their application.
A child may qualify if they have a medical condition which means that they must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty.
Examples of equipment include:
- Ventilators
- Suction machines
- Feed pumps
- Parenteral equiptment
- Syringe drivers
- Oxygen administration equiptment
- Continuous oxygen saturation monitoring equiptment
- Cast and associated medical equipment for the correction of hip dysplasia