Blue Badge scheme

A Blue Badge parking permit will allow you to park in many disabled parking bays in town centres and car parks for free and without a time limit. It also allows you travel through the Tyne Tunnel for free.

You can apply for a Blue Badge on the GOV.UK website.

You can apply for a badge for yourself, on behalf of somebody else (including a child) or an organisation that transports people that need a Blue Badge.

A Blue Badge costs £10.

They usually last up to 3 years.

You must reapply for a Blue Badge at least 8 weeks before your current one expires.

Where you can park

On the street, you can park for free where there are:

• Parking meters
• Pay and display machines
• Places for disabled people with a blue wheelchair symbol

You may be able to park for free in the following places. Please check before you park.

• Car parks (some car parks allow disabled people to park for free)
• Places where anyone can park on the street for a certain time
• Private roads (for example, at an airport)

You will also get a blue parking clock with your Blue Badge. You will need to display this in places with a time limit.

You can also park on yellow lines for up to 3 hours (unless there is a loading ban). You will need to display your blue parking clock showing when you arrived. You also have to wait for at least 1 hour before you go back and park there again.

Using your Blue Badge at the Tyne Tunnel

From November 2021, the Tyne Tunnel will operate a new Tyne Pass which allows people to drive through without stopping. This is to speed up travel time and reduce congestion.

Blue Badge holders will continue to receive exemption but will need to register your vehicle.

To register your vehicle, see TT2: Blue Badge Exemption Application

Inspection lanes will be available at Tyne Pass as a temporary measure until you register your vehicle.

If your situation changes

You need to tell us if something changes, such as:

• your condition changes, so you don't need the badge
• the badge is lost, stolen or damaged
• you change address
• your name changes
• the holder of the badge dies

Call the Customer Contact Centre on 0191 427 7000 or email: BlueBadge@southtyneside.gov.uk

Opening hours are 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday.

Reporting lost, damaged or stolen Blue Badges

If you have lost or damaged your Blue Badge, please report it to the Customer Contact Centre on 0191 427 7000, or email BlueBadge@southtyneside.gov.uk.

If your Blue Badge has been stolen, you will need to get a crime reference number from the police and then call the Customer Contact Centre.

If a badge holder dies

If a Blue Badge holder dies, their badge should be returned to us at:

Let's Talk Blue Badges,
Town Hall and Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

Misusing a Blue Badge

It is illegal for anyone to misuse a Blue Badge. You could be fined up to £1000 and have your badge taken off you.

Examples of Blue Badge misuse include:

• using someone else's badge without the badge holder being in the car or if the badge holder has died
• letting someone else use the badge
• parking in the wrong place or parking for too long where there is a time limit
• using a badge that has expired
• using a badge that has been reported as 'lost' or 'stolen'
• using a copied badge
• changing the details on the badge, for example, the expiry date
• providing the wrong information on the application form
• using a fake badge

For more information on how to use your Blue Badge, visit GOV.UK: The Blue Badge scheme