Blue Badge holders can be hit with £1,000 fines for one key mistake. The Blue Badge scheme is overseen by local authorities and allows people with certain disabilities to park for free in certain areas, Citizens Advice explains.
The badge helps those with "disabilities or health conditions park closer to their destination", the GOV.UK website explains. "You can apply for a badge for yourself, on behalf of somebody else or an organisation that transports people that need a Blue Badge."
What the badge allows
The badge allows holders to park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours, "but in general not where there are restrictions on loading or unloading – indicated by yellow kerb dashes and / or signs on plates", park for free at 'on-street' parking meters and pay-and-display machines, and 'on-street' disabled parking bays with signs featuring a blue wheelchair symbol.
These rules apply to England, and may vary slightly depending on whether you're in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
Misuse rules and penalties
While you can use the badge when you're with someone who is driving you somewhere, they are strictly prohibited from using it without you present. The GOV.UK website warns that the badge must be used properly, and its concessions are for the badge holder only.
It flags that you or anyone else misusing it is a criminal offence that could lead to a £1,000 fine and the badge being confiscated.
"Making sure that the scheme is not abused will benefit genuine badge holders, such as yourself. If you are using the parking concessions as a passenger, it is your responsibility to make sure that the driver is aware of all the rules set out in this guidance.
"You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to have the benefit of the parking concessions. You must never use a copied badge to park or try to change the details on a badge.
"The badge remains the property of the issuing local council. They can ask for the badge to be returned if it is being misused."
You can find out more detailed information about the eligibility criteria for the blue badge, and the rules surrounding its use on the Government's website.
