Disabled parking permit

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A disabled parking permit, handicapped permit or disabled badge is a permit that can be displayed in a vehicle carrying a person who suffers from a disability that causes severe walking difficulties, or who is blind. The permit allows concessions, such as dedicated parking bays, relaxed on-street parking rules, free off-street parking in some areas, and reduced or waived tolls.

In the UK, this scheme of permits was originally introduced by the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act 1970

Since 2000, all general disabled parking permits in the European Union have been standardised to a blue colour, leading to the name 'blue badge'. Prior to that date, national disabled permits in the United Kingdom were coloured orange, and often referred to as 'orange badges'. In central London local colour schemes are used to restrict concessions to local residents, for example the permits are green in Camden, white in Westminster, purple in Kensington and Chelsea, and red in the City of London.

Similar local schemes operate in other large towns or cities in the UK, for example Norwich operates a 'green badge scheme'.

In the United Kingdom the national (blue badge) permit concessions are not available at major airports, the centres of some large cities, and in central London.