Apply for a Blue Badge

The Blue Badge scheme helps you park closer to your destination if you have a disability or health condition that affects your mobility or you care for a child with a health condition.

If your application is successful, there is a cost of £10 for the badge.

If your badge is lost, damaged, stolen, or if you need to amend details on it, there is a £10 charge.

We are no longer accepting cheques or postal orders as a form of payment, and we will explain how payment should be made if your application is successful.

What you need to apply

You will need:

  • proof of address, which could be a Council Tax bill, utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months 
  • proof of your identity, which could be a copy of your passport, drivers licence, birth or marriage certificates
  • proof of any benefits you receive

If you are not using a passport or driving licence for proof you will need to send us a passport standard photograph.

If you want to apply for a Blue Badge by post, please get in touch with us. 

Blue badge expiry and application processing time

There is a 5-week grace period from the expiry date on your current Blue Badge.

This only applies in Sheffield for:

  • on street parking
  • Council car parks
  • this does not apply to private parking eg in hospitals, shopping centres, retail parks or supermarkets

Due to a high demand on our resources, applications can take up to 12 weeks to process. We are unable to check more recent requests. If you require any further information please get in touch with us.

What information we need and how we'll use it

We have a duty to protect the public funds we administer and as may use information that you provide us for the prevention and detection of fraud. We may also share this information with organisations responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

Checking personal information records

The Cabinet Office is responsible for carrying out data matching exercises. Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match.

This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it may indicate that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.

Information we provide

We participate in the Cabinet Office's National Fraud Initiative. It's a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for matching for each exercise, as detailed here.

The Cabinet Office's use of data in data matching

The use of data by the Cabinet Office in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998.

New Blue Badge criteria and people with hidden disabilities

People with hidden disabilities, including autism and severe mental health conditions, will be able to apply for a Blue Badge from 31 August 2019.

The Blue Badge scheme already means those with physical disabilities can park closer to their destination than other drivers, as they are less able to take public transport or walk longer distances.

The new criteria will extend eligibility to people who:

  • cannot undertake a journey without there being a risk of serious harm to their health or safety or that of any other person (such as young children with autism)
  • cannot undertake a journey without it causing them very considerable psychological distress
  • have very considerable difficulty when walking (both the physical act and experience of walking)

If you want to apply under this criteria should apply on or after the 31 August.

Where you can park

Disabled parking bay

These are subject to any time limit indicated. Your parking clock must be displayed if there is a time limit.

If you are eligible you can apply for a disabled parking bay outside your home.

Pay and display bays and limited waiting bays on street

These are free of charge to blue badge holders and without time limit.

There is however a 20 minute maximum stay bay on Norfolk Street, this time applies to blue badge holders too.

Sheffield City Council car parks

Pay and display is free of charge.

Some of our car parks are for permit holders. Even if you park in a disabled bay in one of these car parks you must display a valid permit as well as your blue badge.

You should not park in restricted areas of the car parks – including hatched areas, yellow lines, or areas outside of bay markings.

Please be aware

If a Blue Badge is being misused, the badge may be taken away and a parking fine issued. Drivers could also be prosecuted for misuse of a Blue Badge with a fine of up to £1000.

Be sure to check signs in privately operated car parks as badge holders may have to pay.

Single or double yellow lines

You can park for a maximum of 3 hours:

  • where there are no loading/unloading restrictions that apply
  • providing you don’t cause an obstruction to other road users or pedestrians
  • your parking clock must be displayed

Permit bays/loading bays

Park for a maximum of 3 hours. Your parking clock must be displayed.

Where you cannot park with a Blue Badge

You cannot park:

  • where there is a loading ban in place
  • on pedestrian crossings, including areas marked by zig-zag lines
  • in restricted bus stops and taxi ranks
  • on school keep clear restrictions
  • in bus, tram and cycle lanes
  • on no stopping (24 hour) clearways
  • on a red route (unless in a signed bay)
  • in bays designated for other users (for example motorcycles or voucher holders). If using an electric vehicle charging bay the vehicle must be charging (which is subject to charging fees)
  • in suspended parking bays
  • more than 50cm from the edge of the carriageway (unless fully within a marked bay)
  • in front of a dropped kerb for a driveway
  • in front of a kerb that has been dropped or raised or to assist pedestrians crossing the road, or on a cycle route
  • on a cycle track

If you park in these areas you will be treated like any other driver and may be issued with a parking fine.

Similarly, if a Blue Badge is being misused, the badge may be taken away and a parking fine issued. Drivers could also be prosecuted for misuse of a Blue Badge (with a fine of up to £1000).

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