Fake blue badge abuse fuels calls for national crackdown

The schemes have reached a new high in usage, with one in 20 people in England now holding a permit.

The AA is calling for a clampdown on offences involving stolen, counterfeit, or misused badges, warning that up to one in five may not be used by the legitimate holder.

Blue badges are intended to help people with disabilities park closer to shops and services.

Calls for a crackdown on the misuse of blue badges

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “The blue badge scheme is a mobility lifeline for millions of legitimate users and their families.

“Our concern is not the absolute number of badges issued but the estimates that up to one in five badges may be used by someone other than the holder or authorised user.

“Fraud is an issue which can include family misuse, use after death, counterfeit badges and theft and resale of badges.

“We would welcome a crackdown on illegitimate use of badges to safeguard the deserving users.”

New figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) reveal that 5.2 per cent of people in England held a blue badge as of March 31, 2025.

The use of blue badges has hit a record high. (Image: Getty Images)

This equates to 3.07 million badges and marks an eight per cent increase compared to the previous year.

The highest proportion of badge holders was recorded in the north east, at 6.1 per cent of the population, while the lowest was in London at 3.5 per cent.

The surge in badge holders may be partly due to expanded eligibility.

In 2019, the scheme was broadened to include people with non-visible disabilities such as Parkinson’s, dementia, and epilepsy.

More than two-fifths of badges issued in 2024/25 were granted without further assessment.

Blue badge holders can often park for free in pay-and-display bays and are permitted to park on single and double yellow lines for up to three hours, depending on local regulations.

In London, blue badges also exempt users from the daily £18 congestion charge.

While there are no recent figures for the cost of blue badge fraud in the UK, the National Fraud Authority – a now-closed Home Office agency – estimated it to be £46 million per year in 2011.

Recent prosecutions highlight the ongoing problem.

In January, Croydon Council said seven offenders were ordered to pay a total of £6,000 in a combination of fines, court costs, and a victim surcharge.

The cases involved badges which were stolen, counterfeit or belonged to someone else.

Barking and Dagenham Council in east London reported four convictions for illegal use of blue badges in December last year.

Gateshead Council also prosecuted a driver that month for using another person’s permit.

In September 2025, Oxfordshire County Council reported two convictions, including a man caught using his deceased grandmother’s badge.

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A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: “Although the vast majority of badges are used correctly, there is a small minority who fraudulently use other people’s, either to save money by parking in disabled bays or through laziness, depriving someone with a genuine need.

“It is important to catch these criminals in the act.

“To help councils win the fight against blue badge fraud, residents must keep tipping councils off about people they suspect are illegally using a badge, bearing in mind people’s need for a badge might not be obvious.”

A spokesperson for the DfT said: “Exploitation and abuse of the blue badge scheme is completely unacceptable and is a criminal offence.

“Local authorities have been given improved powers to crack down on fraud and misuse in their area and work closely with the police.”

Do you think enough is being done about the misuse of blue badges? Let us know in the comments.