Blue Badges
Blue badge delays
We are currently experiencing a very high volume of applications. The current waiting time is up to 12 weeks from the time we receive your completed application.
Please note that this includes all supporting documents, including proof of address and medical evidence.
Please be aware that you may also be required to attend a mobility assessment.
To find out what you need to include, visit Blue Badge application process.
Blue Badges
Apply for a Blue Badge
If you are disabled you can apply for a Blue Badge to help you park close to your destination. The badge costs £10.
You can use a Blue Badge as a driver or as a passenger. You do not need to own your own car.
Before you apply, check if you are eligible for a Blue Badge.
About the application process
We aim to process applications quickly, but we are currently experiencing waiting times of up to 12 weeks. Delays can occur if you need further assessment or we do not receive the right documents.
- You need to submit all mandatory documents and a photo.
- If you apply online and provide a current email address, you will be kept updated about the progress of your application.
- If you prefer to apply using a paper application form, see below.
For full details about what you need to do, see: Blue Badge application process.
Using the digital assistant
You can get answers to common questions by using our digital assistant. If you know your application number, you can also use it to check the progress of your application and submit documents online.
The digital assistant is located on the right-hand side of the Blue Badge website pages. You will need to say yes to cookies for 'communications and marketing' to see it – update your cookie settings.
More on Blue Badges
- Blue Badge application process
- Am I eligible for a Blue Badge?
- Renew your Blue Badge
- Return a Blue Badge
- Report misuse of a Blue Badge
- Lost or stolen Blue Badges
- Contact the Blue Badge team
- Disabled parking bays
Paper application forms
These organisations hold paper application forms and can also help you with filling them in:
The following places have application forms but cannot help you to complete them:
Am I eligible for a Blue Badge?
If you are disabled or have a health condition that limits your mobility you can apply for a Blue Badge.
There are two types of eligibility:
Eligible without further assessment
If you meet one or more of the following you may be eligible for a Blue Badge without further assessment. We will need proof of your entitlement.
- Higher rate mobility component of the Daily Living Allowance
- Registered blind
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with 8 or more points in the ‘moving around’ category
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with 10 points for category E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity, because you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress
- Armed Forces Compensation scheme (tariff 1 to 8 with a permanent or substantial disability)
- War pensioners mobility supplement
Hidden disabilities
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with 10 points for category E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity, because you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress or significant mental distress.
Eligible subject to further assessment
You may still be eligible for a Blue Badge if you do not qualify automatically. This is determined by an assessment.
You may qualify if:
- you drive regularly but have a severe disability that affects both arms
- you have a permanent or substantial disability that means walking is either very difficult or impossible
- you cannot walk or have considerable difficulty walking due to a permanent or substantial physical disability
Hidden disabilities
You may qualify if you:
- cannot undertake a journey without there being a risk of serious harm to you or another person
- cannot undertake a journey without it causing you very considerable psychological or mental distress
- have very considerable difficulty when walking (both the physical act and experience of walking)
We may contact you to arrange an assessment once we have received your application.
Children under the age of 3
You can apply if your child has a specific medical condition which means they:
- must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty
- need to be kept near a vehicle at all times so that they can, if necessary, be treated for their condition in the vehicle or taken quickly to a place where they can be treated
How to apply
If you think you are eligible, apply for a Blue Badge
Read more about the Blue Badge application process
Blue Badge application process
You can apply online for a Blue Badge for yourself, someone else or an organisation.
Before you apply, check if you are eligible for a Blue Badge.
If you wish to fill in a paper application form, see the list of organisations that provide these.
What you will need to provide
You need to know your National Insurance number.
You'll need to provide the following:
- One recent passport size photo (taken in the last 3 months) showing your head and shoulders. This should measure 3.5 cm wide x 4.5 cm high on a plain white background.
- A copy of a document proving your identity (passport, driving licence, birth or adoption certificate, marriage / civil partnership or divorce certificate)
- A copy of a document proving your current address (less than 12 months old). This can be a hospital letter or utility bill. Mobile phone bills are not accepted.
- Proof of benefits that automatically qualify you for a Blue Badge. This must show all pages of your benefit letter, including the breakdown of points and not just the first page.
- Current medical evidence which indicates that the condition affects the walking part of any journey you undertake. This must be from a health care professional who is involved in your care or treatment. Examples include: diagnosis letters, care plans, patient summaries, Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans or proof of disability benefits.
- Payment of £10 by cheque, postal order or online. If you wish to pay online, please ensure you provide a valid email address for us to contact you. You do not pay until your application is approved.
How to pay
We will contact you and ask for payment if your application is successful. You can choose to pay for your badge online or by cheque / postal order.
Please include your email address if you wish to pay online.
How to send us your documents
Please send us all your supporting documents within 14 days, or let us know that there will be a delay. If you do not respond to our requests for information, your application will be cancelled. It is quicker to send us documents online.
Sending documents online
- If you apply online, you can add digital photos or scans of your documents to the application.
- If you’ve already applied and know your application number, you can submit missing documents and your photo online using our digital assistant. This automated service is located on the right-hand side of the Blue Badge website pages. You will need to say yes to cookies for 'communications and marketing' to see it – check your cookie settings.
Sending documents by post
Copies of your documents can be posted to:
Blue Badge Team
East Sussex County Council
3rd floor, St Mary’s House
52 St Leonard’s Road
Eastbourne BN21 3UU
How long it takes
It can take up to 12 weeks for a new application to be processed. Further delays may occur if you do not send the correct documents or need an assessment.
After we receive payment, your application will be submitted to the national issuing office for processing.
Keeping you informed
If you apply online and supply us with a current email address, you'll be kept updated about the progress of your application.
If you know your application number, you can check the progress of your application online using the digital assistant on the right-hand side of the Blue Badge website pages. This automated service is available 24 hours a day.
The digital assistant will only appear on the Blue Badge website pages if you say yes to cookies for 'communications and marketing' – check your cookie settings.
How to take photos
If you are unable to get to a photo booth, you can take a photo using a mobile, tablet or digital camera.
Follow the advice on how to take a good photo for your Blue Badge.
What to do if you are not sure about eligibility
When you apply online you'll be asked questions to check that you are eligible for a Blue Badge. Based on your answers, you may be told that you are not eligible.
If you still think you are, please email us at: BlueCarBadge@eastsussex.gov.uk
Contact the Blue Badge team
To get in touch with us:
Change of address
If you have moved then you can email us with your new address:
Email: BlueCarBadge@eastsussex.gov.uk
The address is held on file so you do not need to return your badge.
You can also write to us at the address above.
Renew your Blue Badge
Blue Badges last for a maximum of 3 years from the date of issue.
We do not automatically renew badges.
All badges are reviewed to check whether you are still eligible for one. In some instances you may be asked to undergo a mobility assessment when your Blue Badge is due for review.
Renew online
You can renew your badge online. But if you have already sent a paper review form to us, do not use the online form to send another one. This delays your application.
If you apply online and supply your email address, you'll be kept informed of progress. Please ensure that you upload the right documents.
Using the digital assistant
If you’ve already applied and know the application number on your renewal, you can use the digital assistant on the right-hand side of this website page to check progress and to upload documents and your photo. You will need to say yes to cookies for 'communications and marketing' to see it – update your cookie settings.
Renewing using a paper form
We will send you a review form approximately six weeks before your badge expires. If you have already applied online, please do not fill out this paper form.
Change of address
If you have moved home since your last badge was issued, please email us with your new address. Include your full name and date of birth, plus your old address and postcode.
Photo for your badge
You'll need a recent photo taken in the last 3 months to go with your application. The requirements for this photo are the same as a photo for your passport.
Paying for your badge
If your renewal is successful, we will contact you to ask you to pay for your new badge. It will cost £10.
After we receive payment, your application will be submitted to the national issuing office for processing.
What to do if your badge expires before you receive a new one
You must not use an expired Blue Badge under any circumstances.
If your badge has expired and you have not received a new one, this means we have not received your form and documents.
If your application is not successful
If your Blue Badge renewal is not successful, we will tell you why. If you have sent a cheque or postal order to pay for your badge this will be returned to you.
You will need to return your expired Blue Badge to us.
What to do with your expired badge
All expired Blue Badges should be sent back to us. See: Returning a Blue Badge.
Moving from another county
If you have moved from another county where your badge was issued, you cannot renew your badge. You will need to apply as a new badge holder, but you can still use your current badge until it expires.
Contact us
If you need to get in touch with us:
Return a Blue Badge
You must return a Blue Badge if any of the following happen:
- Your badge has expired.
- Your condition has improved and you no longer need the badge.
- If you inform us that your badge is lost or was stolen, we will cancel the badge. If you find the badge afterwards, you must return it. Do not attempt to use a badge that’s been reported lost or stolen. Cancelled badges are reported to the police and parking services.
- The badge holder dies.
Please return your badge by post to:
Blue Badge Team
East Sussex County Council
3rd floor, St Mary’s House
52 St Leonard’s Road
Eastbourne BN21 3UU
If you continue to use a Blue Badge when you are no longer eligible, you may be prosecuted and fined.
Change of address
If you have moved, you only need to tell us your new address so we can update our records. You do not need to return your badge.
Email: BlueCarBadge@eastsussex.gov.uk
You can also write to us at the address above.
Lost or stolen Blue Badges
If a Blue Badge has been lost, stolen, or damaged so that is no longer legible then we will replace it. Please tell us about the loss as soon as possible so that the badge can be cancelled.
Replacement badges cost £10.
Lost blue badge
Once a badge is reported as lost it will be cancelled. Make sure you have checked all the places it could possibly be before you report it.
If you still cannot find the badge, please contact us immediately:
Stolen blue badge
If your badge is stolen then you must report it to the police to get a crime reference number. Once you have this number, please contact us immediately:
Damaged blue badge
If the badge has become damaged, please send it to us in the post with a new passport sized photo and the £10 fee. Our address is on our contact page.
We will send a replacement badge as soon as possible.
Report misuse of a Blue Badge
If you suspect misuse or fraudulent use of a badge, then either:
- phone the Blue Badge enforcement officer on 01323 466 508; or
- email BadgeFraud@eastsussex.gov.uk with as much information as possible, including the serial number of the badge or just the first 6 digits of that number
All allegations of misuse are taken seriously and will be thoroughly investigated. Your details will not be disclosed to anyone.
We are unable to share information with you about any ongoing investigation.
Our enforcement officer cannot answer any questions about Blue Badge applications. For advice, please see the Blue Badge application process.
You must never display a photocopied badge.
Contact the Blue Badge team
If your query is about an ongoing application, please include your full name, date of birth and postcode.
Digital assistant: You can ask questions about Blue Badges using our digital assistant. If you know your application number you can also:
- check the progress of your application
- upload supporting documents and your photo
The digital assistant is located on the right-hand side of the Blue Badge website pages. Click on it to start using it. The digital assistant will only appear if you say yes to cookies for 'communications and marketing' – check your cookie settings.
Email: BlueCarBadge@eastsussex.gov.uk
Phone: 01323 464 244 (Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm)
If the line is busy, please call back.
Write to:
Blue Badge Team
East Sussex County Council
3rd Floor, St Mary’s House
52 St Leonard’s Road
Eastbourne BN21 3UU
Disabled parking bays
Where you can and cannot park using a blue badge
Blue Badge scheme: Where can I park explains where a blue badge can and cannot be used to park. A copy is sent to all badge holders with their blue badge.
In our civil parking areas, blue badge holders can also park for free without time limit in:
- shared use bays
- pay and display bays
- permit bays, in Lewes only
Restrictions in car parks are different, you should refer to the signs in the car park when parking.
Apply for a disabled parking bay
A disabled parking bay is a reserved space on a public road that can only be used by blue badge holders.
We only provide bays where there is a proven hardship caused by being regularly unable to park your vehicle near your property, and not just for convenience.
You can apply online for an on-street disabled parking bay.
If you would like a hard copy of an application form or need any help applying, please email the parking team.
Types of disabled parking bays
Disabled parking bays are not reserved for a specific person or vehicle. They can be used by any blue badge holder.
We provide two types of disabled bays, advisory and formal.
- Advisory bays are not legally enforceable. Most motorists appreciate the purpose of them and leave the bays clear for the people who need them.
- Formal bays have a Traffic Regulation Order which means they can be enforced. These bays are installed where there are on-street parking restrictions.
Faded disabled parking bay markings
If the disabled parking bay lines have faded, please contact our Highways Team to arrange for them to be renewed.