Extra concessions if you have a blue badge

If you've got a blue badge you might be eligible for extra concessions, like exemption from road tax, road tolls or access to town centres where other vehicles are restricted

Road tax

Road tax is also known as Vehicle Excise Duty, vehicle tax or car tax. 

Many blue badge holders are also eligible for exemption from paying road tax. People who don't have a blue badge might also be able to get a road tax exemption. 

You'll automatically get a refund for any full remaining months of road tax when you apply for exemption.

Find out more about getting free vehicle tax if you're disabled on GOV.UK. 

Disabled parking place close to your home

If you're a blue badge holder, you can ask for a disabled parking place to be created near to your home. You'll need to contact the roads department in your local council for an assessment.

The disabled parking place for blue badge users does not belong to you, other badge holders can park there when displaying their blue badge. 

You might be able to get a disabled space outside your own home that only you can use. The following will need to apply to your situation:

• you have a valid disabled person's badge - blue badge

• it is not possible to create a driveway or other hard parking surface near or within your property

• you have a permanent medical condition which affects mobility

• you're the driver of a private vehicle or you're assisted by a carer who is the driver of a private vehicle, and the carer lives at the address stated

• you have to keep the vehicle at the address stated in the application form

• you have difficulty in getting a parking space on the public road.

You should contact your local council to find out if you can get a dedicated disabled parking space as there might be different local rules.

Wheel clamping

If your vehicle is displaying a valid blue badge, it must not be wheel clamped on public land.

Wheel clamping on private land is illegal in Scotland for all vehicles, not just vehicles displaying valid blue badges.

Tolls at road bridges and tunnels

There are no tolls in Scotland. But there are still tolls at some bridges and tunnels in other parts of the UK. If you have a valid blue badge, you might not have to pay tolls at certain road bridges and tunnels.

You can find the latest information about where you are exempt from tolls on GOV.UK.

Low Emission Zones

If you're a Blue Badge holder, you're eligible for exemption from Low Emission Zone (LEZ) requirements in Scotland.

If the vehicle you're travelling in is registered with a disabled or disabled passenger vehicle tax class, you're automatically exempt.

You'll need to register online for exemption before you travel into an LEZ if the vehicle you're travelling in:

• doesn't comply with LEZ emission standards, and

• doesn't have disabled or disabled passenger vehicle tax status.

You can find out more and apply for exemption on the Low Emission Zones Scotland website.

Other concessions your local council might provide

Your local council might provide extra parking facilities for blue badge holders, like:

• free parking places in off-street car parks

• access to town centres where other vehicles are restricted.

You can find out more about any of these by contacting your local council.

You can find your local council on mygov.scot.

Check what benefits you can get

You can check if you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to. 

The blue badge scheme in other parts of the UK

To find out more about how the blue badge scheme works in other parts of the UK, you will need to look at the pages for the part of the UK that you are interested in.

More about the blue badge scheme in Scotland

There's more information about the blue badge scheme on mygov.scot.