Blue Badge scheme in Scotland

Overview

The blue badge scheme supports those with a disability to lead independent lives. The badge provides parking concessions for on-street parking, allowing badge holders to park close to where they need to go. 

Our Responsibilities

We are responsible for the legislation which sets out the framework for the scheme and provides support to local authorities to help them deliver it.

This includes:

  • the prescribed descriptions of disabled people to whom a badge may be issued i.e. the eligibility criteria
  • the maximum fee that can be charged by local authorities for the issue, or reissue of a badge
  • the period of issue of a badge
  • the grounds for refusal to issue a badge and the grounds to withdraw a badge
  • the circumstances in which a badge should be returned to the local authority
  • the circumstances in which an applicant may appeal against a local authority's decision to refuse to issue or to withdraw a badge
  • the design of the badge and the manner in which it should be displayed
  • the concessions available nationally under the scheme to badge holders

How the Scheme is administered

We work closely with local authorities to ensure the scheme is delivered consistently and fairly across the country and also provide local authorities with a platform to share experiences, pose questions and seek guidance from their peers.

We do not intervene in individual cases. If you want to know the status or discuss any aspect of your application, contact your local authority directly. Additionally, we do not consider application appeals. Where the disagreement is about the way an application has been handled, then the local authority complaints procedure applies. This provides for independent oversight by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. More information about this process, which has a number of stages, is available at www.spso.org.uk.

Local authorities are responsible for the day-to-day administration and enforcement of the scheme. They are responsible for determining and implementing administrative, assessment and enforcement procedures which they believe are in accordance with the governing legislation. 

Enforcement

The Disabled Person’s Parking Badges (Scotland) Act 2014 strengthens enforcement powers for local authorities when dealing with blue badge misuse. 

In summary, the provisions:

  • allow confiscation of blue badges which are no longer valid or are being misused by third parties
  • provide a power for local authorities to cancel a blue badge which is no longer in the possession of the holder, for example where it has been reported as lost or stolen
  • make it an offence to use a cancelled badge or one which should have been returned to the issuing local authority under the blue badge regulations
  • allow local authorities to use plain clothes officers carrying identification and authorisation to inspect and confiscate badges
  • introduce a requirement for local authorities to have a review process in place for applicants who have been refused a blue badge.

Further information for blue badge users and the public is available at mygov.scot. 

Useful Links

You may find the following links helpful: