Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge Scheme provides parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel either as drivers or passengers.

The advantages for badge holders in Stockton are:

• Free use of the Council's Pay and Display car parks
• Up to three hours on a yellow line, except where loading restictions are in place - indicated by kerb marks

Legislation changes (2007) mean that eligibility for the blue badge scheme has been amended in the following ways:

• Introducing a new category of eligibility for children under the age of two with specific medical conditions
• Revoking the spent elibility criteria relating to people supplied with a vehicle at public expense
• Allowing for badges to be issued for a period of less than three years to people who are awarded the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance for less than three years
• Changing the current criterion for the issue of badges to people with severe congenital disabilities in both arms

Eligibility Criteria

Under the 2007 Regulations anyone may be eligible for a badge if they are more than two years old and fall within one or more of the following descriptions:

• Receives the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
• Is registered blind
• Receives a War Pension Mobility Supplement
• Drives a vehicle regularly, has severe congenital disability in both arms, and is unable to operate, or has considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter
• Is unable to walk or has considerable difficulty in walking becuase of a permenant and substantial disability

Also the 2007 Regulations specify that children under the age of 2 may be eligible for a badge if they fall within either of the following descriptions

• A child with a condition that requires that they are always accompanied by medical equipment which is too heavy or bulky to carry in person
• A child with a condition that requires that they need to be kept near a motor vehicle to be quickly assisted (within the vehicle) if needed, or can be quickly taken to a place that will help the medical condition

If you receive the Higher Rate of Mobility Allowance you must enclose evidence of this with an application, such as; an award notice letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), which must have been issued recently and showing an expiry date of the allowance.   Contact the DWP if you require this evidence (website link available below).

To apply for a blue badge simply download the application form available in the additional resources section below or contact us.

Once the form is completed simply return to us with two passport type photographs of yourself with your signature on the reverse side along with a £2 administration fee.**

How to pay

You can pay the administration fee by using one of the following methods:

• Cash 
• Cheque - made payable to Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
• Postal Order - made payable to Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

You can make payment by post (cheques and postal orders only) or by calling into the Parking and Concessionary Fares office (click here for office opening hours).

**We may contact your GP to verify the information you have given.  Information about your health provided by your GP may result in your application being unsuccessful.  You will be notified in writing and your photographs returned.  The £2 administration fee is non-returnable.

Organisations caring for disabled people may be able to get a badge at the Council's discretion and the conditions for using such a badge must be strictly observed. Please contact us for more information about this scheme.