Disabled person's bus pass

Where and when you can use your bus pass

A disabled person's bus pass provides free travel on local buses anywhere in England, from:

9:30am to 11pm on weekdays
all day at weekends and on bank holidays

Eligibility and evidence for a disabled person's bus pass

Before you apply, confirm your residence is in West Northamptonshire.

You will need to provide proof of eligibility to support your application:

Proof of age

This includes:

current driving licence
current passport
birth certificate
hospital or doctor’s letters, prescriptions, or other official medical correspondence that clearly state the applicant’s date of birth

Proof of address

This includes:

household bill or bank statement which has your name and address on and is no more than three months old

Proof of disability

This includes the information as detailed in the proof of eligibility table below.

Find further guidance on assessing eligibility for concessionary bus travel.

Please be aware that if you request a signed letter from your GP to confirm a diagnosis, this may be considered a private service and could incur a fee.

Criteria for bus pass	Evidence required
Category A - is blind or partially sighted	Any one of the following: yellow card or registration card medical evidence signed by a medical professional letter from Social Services certificate of Vision Impairment signed by a Consultant Ophthalmologist
Category B - is profoundly or severely deaf (over 70 decibels Hearing Level)	Any one of the following: an Audiological Evaluation or report from an aural specialist a signed letter or evidence from a medical professional a letter from Social Services
Category C - is without speech	Any one of the following: registration card medical evidence signed by a medical professional letter from Social Services
Category D - has a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk	Any one of the following: disabled residents Blue Parking Badge (issued by West Northamptonshire Council) letter from the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) showing entitlement to the Higher Rate Mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) awarded 8 points or more for the "Moving around" activity for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) medical evidence signed by a medical professional letter from Service Personnel and Veterans Agency certifying “permanent or substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking” war pensioners mobility supplement
Category E - does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms	Any one of the following: medical evidence signed by a medical professional letter from Social Services
Category F - has a learning disability You may be eligible if you have a learning disability that affects both intellectual ability and social functioning. This includes conditions such as: Down’s Syndrome certain Autistic Spectrum disorders other learning disabilities that result in: difficulty understanding new or complex information difficulty acquiring new skills challenges in coping independently Please note: Coping independently does not necessarily mean living alone without support. An individual may live independently but still require assistance with specific aspects of daily life. You will not be eligible if your condition is due to: Dyslexia, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), as these do not meet the criteria for a significant impairment of intelligence or social functioning Dyspraxia, which is considered a physical developmental condition rather than a cognitive one Mental health conditions Note: You may still qualify if your condition is severe enough that you would be refused a driving licence. For more details, please refer to the guidance under Category G.	Any one of the following: letter from a learning disability co-ordinator at a mainstream school or college where you are studying for a child, a Statement of Special Educational Needs for a child or student, a letter from the head of a special school or college where they are studying letter from social services, or another appropriate organization providing support services (for example, Mencap) letter from the manager of residential home or sheltered accommodation where you are resident medical evidence signed by a medical professional. As this is a private service, you may be charged for a letter Important: Any letter provided as evidence must clearly describe your disability. This is necessary to determine whether the eligibility criteria apply to you.
Category G - would have their application for a grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle refused. Applications within this category would fall under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The refusal would be pursuant to Section 92 of the Act. This would pertain to physical fitness, excluding the persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol. Under Section 92, a driving licence may be refused if the applicant has a relevant disability, defined as a condition likely to make driving a source of danger to the public. This includes: Epilepsy, unless it is of a type and frequency that does not pose a risk (only night-time seizures or well-controlled epilepsy may not result in refusal) Severe mental disorder, such as dementia or other psychiatric conditions that impair judgment or awareness liability to sudden attacks of giddiness or fainting, whether due to cardiac issues or other causes inability to read a vehicle registration plate in good daylight from 20.5 metres, even with corrective lenses other physical or neurological disabilities that could impair safe vehicle control and pose a danger to the public	Any one of the following: letter from Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) medical evidence signed by a medical professional Important: Any letter provided as evidence must clearly describe your disability. This is necessary to determine whether the eligibility criteria apply to you.

Criteria for bus pass

Evidence required

Category A - is blind or partially sighted

Any one of the following:

yellow card or registration card
medical evidence signed by a medical professional
letter from Social Services
certificate of Vision Impairment signed by a Consultant Ophthalmologist

Category B - is profoundly or severely deaf (over 70 decibels Hearing Level)

Any one of the following:

an Audiological Evaluation or report from an aural specialist
a signed letter or evidence from a medical professional
a letter from Social Services

Category C - is without speech

Any one of the following:

registration card
medical evidence signed by a medical professional
letter from Social Services

Category D - has a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk

Any one of the following:

disabled residents Blue Parking Badge (issued by West Northamptonshire Council)
letter from the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) showing entitlement to the Higher Rate Mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
awarded 8 points or more for the "Moving around" activity for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
medical evidence signed by a medical professional
letter from Service Personnel and Veterans Agency certifying “permanent or substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking”
war pensioners mobility supplement

Category E - does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms

Any one of the following:

medical evidence signed by a medical professional
letter from Social Services

Category F - has a learning disability

You may be eligible if you have a learning disability that affects both intellectual ability and social functioning.

This includes conditions such as:

Down’s Syndrome
certain Autistic Spectrum disorders
other learning disabilities that result in:
- difficulty understanding new or complex information
- difficulty acquiring new skills
- challenges in coping independently

Please note: Coping independently does not necessarily mean living alone without support. An individual may live independently but still require assistance with specific aspects of daily life.

You will not be eligible if your condition is due to:

Dyslexia, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), as these do not meet the criteria for a significant impairment of intelligence or social functioning
Dyspraxia, which is considered a physical developmental condition rather than a cognitive one
Mental health conditions

Note: You may still qualify if your condition is severe enough that you would be refused a driving licence. For more details, please refer to the guidance under Category G.

Any one of the following:

letter from a learning disability co-ordinator at a mainstream school or college where you are studying
for a child, a Statement of Special Educational Needs
for a child or student, a letter from the head of a special school or college where they are studying
letter from social services, or another appropriate organization providing support services (for example, Mencap)
letter from the manager of residential home or sheltered accommodation where you are resident
medical evidence signed by a medical professional. As this is a private service, you may be charged for a letter

Important:

Any letter provided as evidence must clearly describe your disability. This is necessary to determine whether the eligibility criteria apply to you.

Category G - would have their application for a grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle refused.

Applications within this category would fall under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The refusal would be pursuant to Section 92 of the Act.

This would pertain to physical fitness, excluding the persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.

Under Section 92, a driving licence may be refused if the applicant has a relevant disability, defined as a condition likely to make driving a source of danger to the public.

This includes:

Epilepsy, unless it is of a type and frequency that does not pose a risk (only night-time seizures or well-controlled epilepsy may not result in refusal)
Severe mental disorder, such as dementia or other psychiatric conditions that impair judgment or awareness
liability to sudden attacks of giddiness or fainting, whether due to cardiac issues or other causes
inability to read a vehicle registration plate in good daylight from 20.5 metres, even with corrective lenses
other physical or neurological disabilities that could impair safe vehicle control and pose a danger to the public

Any one of the following:

letter from Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
medical evidence signed by a medical professional

Important:

Any letter provided as evidence must clearly describe your disability. This is necessary to determine whether the eligibility criteria apply to you.

Apply for a disabled person's bus pass

Apply now

You can also apply by visiting your nearest library. Please bring your proof of eligibility documents with you.

Your photograph will also be taken at the library as part of the application process.

Once your application is approved, your pass will typically arrive within 10 working days.

Lost or stolen bus pass

If your pass is lost or stolen, please contact us as soon as possible.

telephone: 0300 126 7000
email: [email protected] (Public Transport Team)

Renewing your bus pass

Unfortunately, online renewal for a disabled person’s bus pass is not currently available, as updated proof of eligibility documents must be resubmitted.

To renew your pass, please email your supporting documents to [email protected]. You can do this up to 60 days before your current pass expires.

Alternatively, you can apply in person at your nearest library. Please bring your proof of eligibility documents with you.

Last updated 02 October 2025