Leicestershire County Council administers the Disabled Persons' Parking (Blue Badge) Scheme in Leicestershire on behalf of the Department for Transport (DFT).

The Blue Badge Scheme provides a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties, who travel either as drivers or passengers. The object of the concessions is to assist those qualifying for badges to lead a normal life by making it easier for them to visit shops, restaurants and other local amenities by parking closer to their destination.

For further information about the scheme, please visit the GOV.UK  website

A new style application form has been introduced for both first time applicants and those renewing. The new form asks in-depth questions about your disability and also requires a number of declarations to be signed and documents to be produced before an application can proceed.  These additional checks are part of efforts to eliminate fraudulent applications, as fraudulent use of Blue Badges adversely affects genuinely disabled people who are using the scheme correctly.

If we are unsure whether you are eligible, we may ask you to attend a mobility assessment carried out by a qualified person appointed by the council. This replaces the certification of Blue Badge forms by GPs.

From 1 January 2012, the government  introduced a new style of Blue Badge with improved anti-fraud features.  Because the printing of these new Badges is specialist, Badges are being produced by a contractor appointed by the government.  The new style is compulsory for Badges issued after 1 January and will be introduced gradually as existing Badges are renewed.

Blue badge applicants will be required to pay a £10 fee, which will cover up to three years.  This is in line with other local authority areas across the country and will help pay for producing the new Blue Badges and to carry out more robust checks on applicants.

Please do not send the fee with your application. If your application is successful we will contact you to collect the fee.

The County Council reserves the right to cancel your application if you do not respond within one month to a request we make in connection with your application, such as for you to supply further information, or attend a mobility assessment, or pay the fee.