Disability exemptions differ more between schemes than almost anything else. Some are automatic, some need you to register first, and some have ended. Many penalties reach disabled drivers because a discount was not registered, not because the law expects them to pay.
By scheme
| Scheme | Blue Badge | Disabled tax class |
|---|---|---|
| ULEZ | Not exempt on its own; grace periods to 24/25 Oct 2027 for qualifying people and vehicles | Grace period to 24 Oct 2027, automatic for UK vehicles |
| Congestion Charge | 100% discount after registering | Exempt without registering |
| Blackwall & Silvertown tunnels | 100% discount after registering | Exempt without registering |
| Dartford Crossing | Not stated | Free if you get free UK vehicle tax because of a disability (automatic) |
| Mersey Gateway | Unlimited trips after £5 registration | Check merseyflow's exempt vehicle list |
| English Clean Air Zones | Bath and Bristol Blue Badge exemptions have ended | National exemption |
| Scottish LEZs | Exempt as driver or passenger; register with Transport Scotland first | Automatic if tax-exempt; may not be automatic for a reduction |
If you were exempt but got a penalty
Send the Blue Badge number or the V5C showing the tax class, and the registration confirmation if one was needed. The ground is that no charge or penalty was payable (England, London) or that the contravention did not occur (Scotland).
Where a discount needed registration and you had not registered, the legal ground is weaker, but explain the circumstances: outside London as compelling reasons, with TfL as mitigation, and in Scotland as extenuating circumstances, which is a full legal ground there.
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Questions people ask
My passenger has a Blue Badge. Am I exempt in Glasgow?
The Scottish regulations exempt a vehicle carrying a passenger who holds a badge (SSI 2021/177 reg 3(1)(c)). Register the journey with Transport Scotland to avoid a PCN.
Sources
Last checked: 13 November 2026. Every fact on this page was checked against these official pages. How we check