Overview
- The Department for Transport says lending a Blue Badge when the registered holder is not present counts as misuse and can lead to a fine of up to £1,000 and withdrawal of the permit.
- Guidance lists specific offences including expired, lost, stolen, copied or altered badges, use of a deceased person’s badge, and fraudulent applications.
- Enforcement officers can inspect badges, check holder details and, under rules changed in 2013, retain or seize a badge without police if they have reasonable grounds to suspect misuse.
- A coordinated local campaign this week inspected hundreds of vehicles and removed improperly used permits, with Bath and North East Somerset checking about 559 cars and seizing nine badges and Mid Sussex reporting more than 30 seizures since January.
- There are around three million badges in England and Wales and 235,700 in Scotland so councils must balance tougher checks with support for genuine users and travellers should check local rules in some European areas that require additional documents or time discs.