Apply for or renew a Blue Badge

Applications are processed in the order they are received and can take up to 6 weeks to review. 

If additional information is required, you will be contacted by email and will have 28 days to provide the additional evidence or complete a Mobility or Hidden self-assessment.

To avoid delays in processing your application, please provide all relevant evidence regarding your disability or mobility needs at the time of submission. Documents submitted after submission may add 3 to 4 weeks to review. 

Once reviewed and all relevant information received, you will be notified of our decision by email. 

Successful applications will be issued a Blue Badge and delivery within 10 working days.

Unsuccessful applications will receive an email explaining why they did not meet the eligibility criteria, and provide guidance on our appeals process.

You will be required to submit:

• a recent, colour, digital photo of yourself (passport-style, showing your head and shoulders, on a clear background)
  • find further guidance on acceptable digital photos
• proof of address dated within the last 12 months - copy of a utility bill, council tax bill, benefit award letter, bank statement or an official letter in your own name
• proof of identity - showing your full name and date of birth (such as a birth certificate, valid photo card driving licence or a passport)
• medical evidence dated within the last 12 months - such as letters or documents from your Consultant, Specialist Consultant, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist or other qualified healthcare professionals, and medical records which highlight:
  • the challenges and risks you face related to your mobility
  • any treatments you’ve previously tried without success, or current treatments with realistic expectations for improvement
  • a description of how severe and long-term your condition is, and how it affects your ability to move around
  • a medical history that specifically outlines how your condition impacts your mobility
  • information about your current physical and cognitive abilities

A mobility self-assessment is often requested as part of a Blue Badge application in the UK when an applicant's eligibility is not automatically clear from benefits or medical documentation. 

Here’s why it’s important:

• To understand the impact of your condition: The blue badge scheme is based on how a condition affects your mobility, not just the diagnosis itself. The self-assessment helps us understand how far you can walk, whether you experience pain or breathlessness, and how your condition affects your ability to make journeys.
• To provide supporting evidence: If you don’t receive qualifying benefits (like the higher rate of the mobility component of DLA or a certain score on PIP), the self-assessment acts as additional evidence to support your application.
• To ensure fair and consistent decisions: We use the self-assessment to apply consistent criteria when evaluating applications. It helps us determine whether your mobility challenges meet the threshold for a Blue Badge.
• To speed up the process: Providing a detailed self-assessment upfront can reduce the need for follow-up questions or further medical evidence, helping to avoid delays in processing your application
   

A hidden disability self-assessment may be requested during a Blue Badge application to help local authorities fairly evaluate eligibility when a person’s condition is not immediately visible. 

Here’s why it’s important:

• To understand non-visible impacts: Hidden disabilities—such as autism, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic fatigue—can significantly affect a person’s ability to travel, even if they appear physically able. The self-assessment helps applicants explain how their condition causes considerable psychological distress or poses a risk of harm when making journeys.
• To provide personal context: Since hidden disabilities vary widely in how they affect individuals, the self-assessment allows applicants to describe their specific challenges, such as difficulty navigating unfamiliar environments, sensory overload, or panic attacks.
• To support fair decision-making: Councils use this information to apply the expanded eligibility criteria introduced in 2019, which now include people with non-visible conditions. The self-assessment ensures that decisions are based on functional impact, not just diagnosis.
• To reduce stigma and misunderstanding: By encouraging applicants to share their experiences, the process helps validate the needs of people with hidden disabilities and promotes greater awareness and inclusion.