Dozens of heartless drivers have been caught breaking blue badge rules in Birmingham this year, exclusive data has shown. It comes amid fears blue badge fraud is becoming more common across the UK, with more motorists prepared to park in disabled bays when they have no right to. Some brazen drivers are even using blue badges belonging to dead people, our investigation found.
Offences Recorded by Birmingham City Council
A total of 64 offences have been recorded by Birmingham City Council so far in 2026. Most cases involve a badge being displayed without its owner being present. This is often people who have taken or borrowed badges from friends or relatives and used them to circumvent parking rules. This can include parking on double yellows or in disabled parking bays, getting closer to entrances of supermarkets and other shops. But most seriously, it denies spaces to disabled people who genuinely need them.
Breakdown of Violations
Freedom of information data from the city council showed 41 offences involved the blue badge holder not being present. There are known to be cases where blue badge holders allow friends or relatives to use their badges. There were another 11 cases where the blue badge clock had been altered to allow them to park for longer. Most shockingly, there were eight cases where the badge of a dead person had been used.
Wider Trend of Misuse
Article continues below. This could involve a family member continuing to use it, or it could have been sold online. Our investigation comes after figures from the British Parking Association (BPA) showed cases of blue badge misuse have skyrocketed by over 1,000% since 2016.
