The AA has called for a crackdown on blue badge misuse as new figures show one in 15 adults in England now hold the parking permits. Data from the Department for Transport (DfT) revealed 3.07 million badges were held as of 31 March last year, representing more than 6% of the adult population. The permits, which must be renewed every three years, allow disabled people to park closer to shops and services, and in London exempt holders from the £18 daily congestion charge.
Edmund King, the AA's president, described the blue badge scheme as a "mobility lifeline" for millions of legitimate users, but expressed concern that up to one in five badges may be used by someone other than the holder. "Fraud is an issue which can include family misuse, use after death, counterfeit badges and theft and resale of badges," he said. The National Fraud Authority, a now-defunct Home Office agency, estimated the cost of blue badge fraud at £46m per year in 2011.
DfT figures show the north-east has the highest proportion of badge holders at 6.1% of adults, while London has the lowest at 3.5%. The eligibility criteria were extended in 2019 to include people with non-visible conditions such as Parkinson's, dementia and epilepsy. More than two-fifths of badges issued in 2024/25 were awarded without further assessment.
Recent prosecutions illustrate the problem. Croydon council in south London said in January that seven offenders were ordered to pay a total of nearly £6,000 in fines, court costs and a victim surcharge for using stolen, counterfeit or borrowed badges. In Oxfordshire, a man was convicted last September for using his dead grandmother's badge.
The Local Government Association said the vast majority of badges are used correctly but urged residents to report suspected misuse. "Bearing in mind people's need for a badge might not be obvious," a spokesperson said. A DfT spokesperson called exploitation and abuse of the scheme "completely unacceptable" and noted that local authorities have been given improved powers to crack down on fraud and misuse.
