England · Councils · Disabled parking

Blue Badges by Council

Blue Badges are disabled parking cards that councils issue to help people with mobility issues park closer to the goods and services they need to use, in DfT’s words. They are issued by county councils, unitary councils, and metropolitan and London boroughs, not by district councils.

England, 31 March 2025: 3,065,000 badges held, 5.2 per cent of residents

Issued in the year to March 2025: 1,273,500

Badges held: Up 228,100 (8.0 per cent) on 31 March 2024 (2,836,900)

In the year to March 2025, 6,600 badges were reported lost or stolen in England: 5,200 lost and 1,400 stolen (DfT). DfT does not publish these figures by council.

Who qualifies

Some people qualify automatically, which DfT calls “without further assessment”: people who get the higher rate of the mobility part of Disability Living Allowance, or who meet the moving around or journey planning criteria of Personal Independence Payment, and people who are registered blind, get the War Pensioner’s Supplement or are covered by the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme.

Everyone else who applies is assessed by their council against the scheme’s criteria, which DfT calls “subject to further assessment”. Since 30 August 2019 this has included people whose disabilities cannot be seen. Each council page shows how many of its badges were held each way.

This summary is from the notes to DfT’s Blue Badge data tables.

Apply for or renew a Blue Badge on GOV.UK

Share of residents holding a badge

Rank	Council	Badges held	Share (per cent)
1	Sunderland	23,900	8.3
2	Staffordshire	73,900	8.1
3	Dorset	31,300	8.0
4	Cumberland	22,100	7.9
5	Derbyshire	63,900	7.8
6	Blackpool	10,900	7.6
6	St Helens	14,400	7.6
8	Barnsley	18,300	7.3
8	East Riding of Yorkshire	25,900	7.3
8	Lincolnshire	57,900	7.3
11	North Lincolnshire	12,300	7.2
11	Redcar and Cleveland	10,000	7.2
11	Stockton-on-Tees	14,800	7.2
14	Isle of Wight	10,100	7.1
15	Torbay	9,800	7.0
15	Worcestershire	43,200	7.0
17	Hartlepool	6,800	6.9
17	North Yorkshire	44,100	6.9
19	Rotherham	18,800	6.8
19	Wakefield	25,000	6.8
19	Wigan	23,400	6.8
22	Halton	8,900	6.7
22	Somerset	39,500	6.7
22	Westmorland and Furness	15,500	6.7
25	City of Doncaster	21,100	6.6
25	Darlington	7,400	6.6
25	Swindon	16,100	6.6
28	Dudley	21,600	6.5
29	Bury	12,700	6.4
29	Cornwall	37,200	6.4
29	Durham	34,200	6.4
29	Sefton	18,300	6.4
29	Solihull	14,200	6.4
29	South Tyneside	9,600	6.4
35	Calderdale	13,200	6.3
35	Cheshire East	26,700	6.3
35	Cheshire West and Chester	23,600	6.3
35	Hertfordshire	77,800	6.3
35	Knowsley	10,200	6.3
35	Northumberland	21,000	6.3
35	Telford and Wrekin	12,300	6.3
42	Devon	52,600	6.2
42	North East Lincolnshire	9,900	6.2
42	North Northamptonshire	23,000	6.2
42	Nottinghamshire	52,800	6.2
46	Lancashire	78,600	6.1
47	Stoke-on-Trent	16,100	6.0
47	Wirral	19,900	6.0
49	Walsall	17,400	5.9
50	Suffolk	45,600	5.8
50	Windsor and Maidenhead	9,300	5.8
52	Tameside	13,600	5.7
53	Bolton	17,500	5.6
53	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	22,700	5.6
53	Derby	15,300	5.6
53	Kent	92,400	5.6
53	Thurrock	10,200	5.6
58	Gateshead	11,200	5.5
58	Medway	16,100	5.5
58	North Somerset	12,400	5.5
58	South Gloucestershire	16,800	5.5
62	Cambridgeshire	38,400	5.4
62	Herefordshire	10,400	5.4
62	Rochdale	12,800	5.4
62	Rutland	2,200	5.4
62	Warwickshire	34,100	5.4
62	Wiltshire	28,200	5.4
68	Hull	14,600	5.3
68	West Sussex	48,300	5.3
70	Gloucestershire	34,800	5.2
70	Middlesbrough	8,100	5.2
70	Shropshire	17,300	5.2
70	Stockport	15,800	5.2
70	Warrington	11,200	5.2
75	East Sussex	28,600	5.1
75	Leicestershire	38,100	5.1
75	Plymouth	13,900	5.1
75	Sandwell	18,200	5.1
79	Sheffield	29,300	5.0
80	Blackburn with Darwen	8,000	4.9
80	Redbridge	15,800	4.9
82	Bath and North East Somerset	9,600	4.8
82	Essex	75,500	4.8
82	Kirklees	21,400	4.8
82	Leeds	40,700	4.8
82	Leicester	18,500	4.8
82	Peterborough	10,700	4.8
82	Southend-on-Sea	8,900	4.8
82	West Northamptonshire	21,300	4.8
90	Bedford	9,200	4.7
90	Buckinghamshire	27,300	4.7
90	Hampshire	68,300	4.7
90	North Tyneside	10,100	4.7
94	Central Bedfordshire	14,600	4.6
94	Enfield	15,200	4.6
94	Wolverhampton	13,000	4.6
97	Birmingham	53,500	4.5
97	Brighton and Hove	12,700	4.5
97	Havering	12,400	4.5
97	Hillingdon	14,700	4.5
97	Milton Keynes	13,900	4.5
97	West Berkshire	7,400	4.5
103	Barking and Dagenham	10,200	4.4
103	Bristol	21,900	4.4
103	Coventry	16,200	4.4
103	Liverpool	22,400	4.4
103	Oldham	11,100	4.4
103	Salford	12,900	4.4
103	Trafford	10,600	4.4
110	Bexley	10,900	4.3
110	Wokingham	8,000	4.3
112	Barnet	16,700	4.1
112	Islington	9,100	4.1
112	Norfolk	38,600	4.1
112	Southampton	10,600	4.1
112	Surrey	50,700	4.1
112	Waltham Forest	11,500	4.1
118	Brent	14,200	4.0
118	Haringey	10,600	4.0
118	Sutton	8,500	4.0
121	Bracknell Forest	5,100	3.9
121	City of York	8,200	3.9
123	Bradford	21,300	3.8
123	Bromley	12,600	3.8
123	Croydon	15,400	3.8
123	Harrow	10,300	3.8
123	Portsmouth	8,100	3.8
128	Camden	8,100	3.7
128	Ealing	14,300	3.7
128	Luton	8,900	3.7
128	Manchester	21,900	3.7
128	Oxfordshire	28,400	3.7
133	Newcastle	11,200	3.5
133	Nottingham	11,600	3.5
135	Hackney	8,800	3.3
135	Reading	6,000	3.3
137	Richmond upon Thames	6,300	3.2
137	Slough	5,400	3.2
139	Kingston upon Thames	5,400	3.1
139	Newham	11,800	3.1
141	Greenwich	9,100	3.0
142	Hounslow	8,600	2.9
142	Southwark	9,000	2.9
142	Westminster	6,100	2.9
145	Lewisham	8,000	2.7
145	Merton	6,000	2.7
147	Hammersmith and Fulham	5,000	2.6
148	Tower Hamlets	8,300	2.5
149	Lambeth	7,600	2.4
150	Wandsworth	7,900	2.3
151	Kensington and Chelsea	3,000	2.1
152	City of London Corporation	100	0.7
not ranked	Isles of Scilly	a low value but not a real zero (DfT)	a low value but not a real zero (DfT)

Badges held at 31 March 2025. England: 5.2 per cent.

Change on the year

Rank	Council	Change (per cent)	Badges held, 2024 to 2025
1	Newham	up 20.4	9,800 to 11,800
2	Bradford	up 18.3	18,000 to 21,300
3	Brent	up 15.4	12,300 to 14,200
4	Luton	up 14.1	7,800 to 8,900
5	Sefton	up 13.7	16,100 to 18,300
6	Waltham Forest	up 12.7	10,200 to 11,500
7	Enfield	up 12.6	13,500 to 15,200
8	North East Lincolnshire	up 12.5	8,800 to 9,900
9	Islington	up 12.3	8,100 to 9,100
9	Oxfordshire	up 12.3	25,300 to 28,400
11	Birmingham	up 12.2	47,700 to 53,500
12	Barking and Dagenham	up 12.1	9,100 to 10,200
12	Hertfordshire	up 12.1	69,400 to 77,800
12	Redbridge	up 12.1	14,100 to 15,800
15	Calderdale	up 11.9	11,800 to 13,200
16	Lambeth	up 11.8	6,800 to 7,600
17	North Yorkshire	up 11.6	39,500 to 44,100
17	Somerset	up 11.6	35,400 to 39,500
19	Hackney	up 11.4	7,900 to 8,800
19	Sheffield	up 11.4	26,300 to 29,300
21	Kent	up 11.3	83,000 to 92,400
22	City of Doncaster	up 11.1	19,000 to 21,100
22	Reading	up 11.1	5,400 to 6,000
22	Southwark	up 11.1	8,100 to 9,000
25	Barnsley	up 10.9	16,500 to 18,300
25	Gateshead	up 10.9	10,100 to 11,200
25	Newcastle	up 10.9	10,100 to 11,200
28	North Northamptonshire	up 10.6	20,800 to 23,000
29	Haringey	up 10.4	9,600 to 10,600
29	Suffolk	up 10.4	41,300 to 45,600
29	Warwickshire	up 10.4	30,900 to 34,100
32	Bath and North East Somerset	up 10.3	8,700 to 9,600
32	Swindon	up 10.3	14,600 to 16,100
34	Slough	up 10.2	4,900 to 5,400
35	Solihull	up 10.1	12,900 to 14,200
36	West Sussex	up 10.0	43,900 to 48,300
37	Rotherham	up 9.9	17,100 to 18,800
38	Havering	up 9.7	11,300 to 12,400
38	Knowsley	up 9.7	9,300 to 10,200
40	Camden	up 9.5	7,400 to 8,100
40	Coventry	up 9.5	14,800 to 16,200
40	Manchester	up 9.5	20,000 to 21,900
43	Cheshire East	up 9.4	24,400 to 26,700
43	Derbyshire	up 9.4	58,400 to 63,900
43	Walsall	up 9.4	15,900 to 17,400
43	Worcestershire	up 9.4	39,500 to 43,200
47	Croydon	up 9.2	14,100 to 15,400
47	Wolverhampton	up 9.2	11,900 to 13,000
49	Devon	up 9.1	48,200 to 52,600
49	Essex	up 9.1	69,200 to 75,500
49	Leeds	up 9.1	37,300 to 40,700
52	Hounslow	up 8.9	7,900 to 8,600
53	Tameside	up 8.8	12,500 to 13,600
54	Hammersmith and Fulham	up 8.7	4,600 to 5,000
54	Redcar and Cleveland	up 8.7	9,200 to 10,000
54	Wakefield	up 8.7	23,000 to 25,000
57	Richmond upon Thames	up 8.6	5,800 to 6,300
57	Sunderland	up 8.6	22,000 to 23,900
59	Bracknell Forest	up 8.5	4,700 to 5,100
59	Southend-on-Sea	up 8.5	8,200 to 8,900
61	Lancashire	up 8.4	72,500 to 78,600
62	Cumberland	up 8.3	20,400 to 22,100
63	Staffordshire	up 8.2	68,300 to 73,900
64	Blackburn with Darwen	up 8.1	7,400 to 8,000
64	Gloucestershire	up 8.1	32,200 to 34,800
64	Hull	up 8.1	13,500 to 14,600
64	Windsor and Maidenhead	up 8.1	8,600 to 9,300
68	Middlesbrough	up 8.0	7,500 to 8,100
69	Blackpool	up 7.9	10,100 to 10,900
69	Telford and Wrekin	up 7.9	11,400 to 12,300
71	Milton Keynes	up 7.8	12,900 to 13,900
72	Cambridgeshire	up 7.6	35,700 to 38,400
72	Leicester	up 7.6	17,200 to 18,500
72	Surrey	up 7.6	47,100 to 50,700
72	Westmorland and Furness	up 7.6	14,400 to 15,500
72	Wirral	up 7.6	18,500 to 19,900
77	Durham	up 7.5	31,800 to 34,200
77	Ealing	up 7.5	13,300 to 14,300
77	Kirklees	up 7.5	19,900 to 21,400
80	Cheshire West and Chester	up 7.3	22,000 to 23,600
81	Cornwall	up 7.2	34,700 to 37,200
81	Halton	up 7.2	8,300 to 8,900
81	West Berkshire	up 7.2	6,900 to 7,400
84	Kensington and Chelsea	up 7.1	2,800 to 3,000
84	Nottinghamshire	up 7.1	49,300 to 52,800
84	Trafford	up 7.1	9,900 to 10,600
87	Bedford	up 7.0	8,600 to 9,200
87	Derby	up 7.0	14,300 to 15,300
87	Leicestershire	up 7.0	35,600 to 38,100
87	South Gloucestershire	up 7.0	15,700 to 16,800
87	Westminster	up 7.0	5,700 to 6,100
92	Dudley	up 6.9	20,200 to 21,600
93	Bromley	up 6.8	11,800 to 12,600
93	Stockport	up 6.8	14,800 to 15,800
93	Wigan	up 6.8	21,900 to 23,400
96	Lewisham	up 6.7	7,500 to 8,000
96	Oldham	up 6.7	10,400 to 11,100
96	Rochdale	up 6.7	12,000 to 12,800
96	St Helens	up 6.7	13,500 to 14,400
96	Wokingham	up 6.7	7,500 to 8,000
101	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	up 6.6	21,300 to 22,700
101	Buckinghamshire	up 6.6	25,600 to 27,300
101	Northumberland	up 6.6	19,700 to 21,000
101	Portsmouth	up 6.6	7,600 to 8,100
105	Dorset	up 6.5	29,400 to 31,300
105	West Northamptonshire	up 6.5	20,000 to 21,300
107	Bristol	up 6.3	20,600 to 21,900
107	Hartlepool	up 6.3	6,400 to 6,800
107	Sutton	up 6.3	8,000 to 8,500
110	Bolton	up 6.1	16,500 to 17,500
110	Plymouth	up 6.1	13,100 to 13,900
112	Southampton	up 6.0	10,000 to 10,600
113	Lincolnshire	up 5.9	54,700 to 57,900
113	Stoke-on-Trent	up 5.9	15,200 to 16,100
115	Brighton and Hove	up 5.8	12,000 to 12,700
115	Bury	up 5.8	12,000 to 12,700
115	Central Bedfordshire	up 5.8	13,800 to 14,600
115	Greenwich	up 5.8	8,600 to 9,100
115	Sandwell	up 5.8	17,200 to 18,200
120	Darlington	up 5.7	7,000 to 7,400
121	Shropshire	up 5.5	16,400 to 17,300
121	South Tyneside	up 5.5	9,100 to 9,600
123	Torbay	up 5.4	9,300 to 9,800
124	Merton	up 5.3	5,700 to 6,000
124	Wandsworth	up 5.3	7,500 to 7,900
126	Medway	up 5.2	15,300 to 16,100
126	North Tyneside	up 5.2	9,600 to 10,100
128	City of York	up 5.1	7,800 to 8,200
128	Herefordshire	up 5.1	9,900 to 10,400
130	East Riding of Yorkshire	up 4.9	24,700 to 25,900
131	Rutland	up 4.8	2,100 to 2,200
132	Nottingham	up 4.5	11,100 to 11,600
133	Wiltshire	up 4.4	27,000 to 28,200
134	North Lincolnshire	up 4.2	11,800 to 12,300
135	Isle of Wight	up 4.1	9,700 to 10,100
135	Thurrock	up 4.1	9,800 to 10,200
137	Bexley	up 3.8	10,500 to 10,900
138	Warrington	up 3.7	10,800 to 11,200
139	East Sussex	up 3.6	27,600 to 28,600
140	Hillingdon	up 3.5	14,200 to 14,700
141	Norfolk	up 2.7	37,600 to 38,600
142	Salford	up 2.4	12,600 to 12,900
143	Hampshire	up 1.9	67,000 to 68,300
143	Kingston upon Thames	up 1.9	5,300 to 5,400
145	Barnet	up 1.8	16,400 to 16,700
145	Liverpool	up 1.8	22,000 to 22,400
147	North Somerset	up 1.6	12,200 to 12,400
148	Harrow	up 1.0	10,200 to 10,300
149	Peterborough	up 0.9	10,600 to 10,700
150	Stockton-on-Tees	up 0.7	14,700 to 14,800
151	City of London Corporation	no change	100 to 100
152	Tower Hamlets	down 3.5	8,600 to 8,300
not ranked	Isles of Scilly	not published	a low value but not a real zero (DfT) to a low value but not a real zero (DfT)

England: up 8.0 per cent.

About these figures

Badges held are valid badges at 31 March. Badges can also be issued to organisations that transport disabled people, and these are included. Badges issued in the year to 31 March include badges for people who did not hold one before and badges from reapplications by existing holders (badges usually last three years). Share of residents is worked out by Open Govt from DfT's figures and the population DfT uses. DfT rounds council figures to the nearest 100, so they may not add up exactly to the figure for England. Where DfT gives no figure it describes it as a low value but not a real zero (DfT), and the council is not ranked.

Source: Department for Transport, Blue Badge scheme statistics, April 2024 to March 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Blue Badges by council last updated 28 October 2026. Source: DfT Blue Badge scheme statistics (DIS0105, DIS0108).