Apply for or renew a Blue Badge

Find out how to apply for a Blue Badge, the documents you'll need and answers to frequently asked questions.

If you contact our team, we’re happy to help with your enquiry. We have a zero-tolerance policy to verbal abuse or aggressive behaviour. So, we will stop dealing with your enquiry if you’re aggressive to our staff.  

Delays with Personal Independence Payment

We're aware that there's a backlog of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims being assessed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). We understand the worry this can cause if you're trying to apply for your Blue Badge renewal.

If there's a delay with your DWP award, you can apply for your renewal under the Walking (Mobility) category or the Hidden Disability (invisible disability) category. You'll need to provide the necessary medical information to support this. This will be quicker than waiting for a PIP award. We will assess your application and then contact you.

You can still contact us during this process if you have heard from the DWP.

Apply for a Blue Badge

Please apply online whenever possible and contact us online in the first instance. This will help us keep within our timescales and ensure the best customer service delivery. We appreciate your patience.

Applications can take up to 12 weeks to process once all required documents have been received. Your application may be delayed if you do not submit the correct documents. The information we request needs to be included before we can start to assess your application. 

If you have applied less than 12 weeks ago, please do not contact us to chase your application. You will be contacted by our team if we require any information from you

If your application is approved by an officer, the Blue Badge will be ordered as quickly as possible.

Please be aware that Blue Badges are not made at Hove Town Hall.  They are ordered and dispatched through the post directly to your home address. 

To find out what you need to include, please read the information below.

To apply, you will need:

  • proof of your disability
  • proof of your identity
  • proof of your address
  • a photograph of you - please email this where possible

If you are sending documents by post, please only send photocopies. Brighton & Hove City Council cannot be held responsible for documents that are lost in the post.

We will usually email you or write to you by post if more information is needed.

You may need to have an eligibility assessment as part of the application process. We'll arrange an appointment for you by phone as quickly as possible. You will be booked for a walking assessment at Hove Town Hall, which normally lasts up to 30 minutes.

Replacing a Blue Badge

You can request a replacement for a lost, stolen, or damaged Blue Badge. There will be a £10 fee unless you have a crime reference number for a stolen badge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a Blue Badge?

You may be eligible for a Blue Badge if you have any enduring (lasting for at least 3 years) and substantial disability that means you:

  • drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all, or some types of parking meter
  • have been certified by an expert assessor as having an enduring and substantial disability which causes you, during a journey, to be unable to walk, experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress
  • may be at risk of serious harm when walking - or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person

How do I renew my Blue Badge?

Please note that it remains the responsibility of the badge holder to be aware of when the badge is expiring, and to ensure it is renewed in time. 

Our team send out renewal letters as a reminder explaining what is needed to renew. If you have not received a renewal letter 4 weeks before your badge is due to expire, contact our team below. 

Each renewal is treated like a new application to make sure we only issue Blue Badges to those who meet the criteria.

If you have moved address within the last 3 years and have not informed us, then we may not hold your current contact details. Contact us if your details have changed.

What do I do if the Blue Badge is no longer required?

If the Blue Badge is no longer required, it must be returned to Brighton & Hove City Council.

You can return it by post to the address below. Please include a covering note explaining why the badge has been returned.

The customer service centre counter is closed.

If you are visiting from abroad with a valid Blue Badge

You can use your foreign Blue Badge in Brighton & Hove, but you need to tell us before you visit.

To notify us, phone 01273 296 622.

You will need your:

  • vehicle registration
  • Blue Badge number
  • contact details
  • dates of visit

Your blue badge must be valid and in date before your visit.

Our team will add an exemption to your vehicle to allow you to park within Brighton & Hove.

You can't use it to park in private car parks.

Find out where you can use your blue badge and where you can park.

If you do not tell us about your foreign blue badge and use it during your stay, we may give you a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

Contact us

To contact us, you can:

  • post documents to; the Blue Badge Team, G39 Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ
  • phone 01273 296 622 - during our operating hours of 9am to 1:30pm Monday to Friday
  • send us a message

You can also visit us in person at one of our help desks in Brighton and Hove.