Parking (England)

PCN / Appeal Process

Parking (England)

PCN / Appeal Process

Find out what happens after you have received a
Parking Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
issued by a local authority in England (outside London),
including how you can either pay or challenge the penalty.

Important: Before you begin

Don’t ignore your PCN!

The penalty charge may go up
and be registered as a debt,
subject to enforcement by bailiffs.

You can’t appeal straight away!

If you don’t agree with the PCN,
you must first challenge it directly
with the enforcement authority.

Find out what happens after
you have received a
Parking Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
issued by a local authority in England (outside London), including how you can either pay or challenge the penalty.

Important:
Before you begin

Don’t ignore your PCN!

The penalty charge may go up
and be registered as a debt,
subject to enforcement by bailiffs.

You can’t appeal straight away!

If you don’t agree with the PCN,
you must first challenge it directly
with the enforcement authority.

Your options after getting a PCN

Yellow Penalty Charge Notice Icon, with a warning 'Do not Ignore'

PAY

PCN for up to £70
(depending on the
type of )

OR

If you don't agree with the PCN, or don't think you are liable to pay it,
you can 'make ' against it

Representations should be made as soon as possible
(within 28 days of the NtO, or PCN issue date [if the PCN was sent by post]).

If Unsuccessful

PCN remains payable
(usually still at 50% rate
if it was challenged
within 14 days)

If unsuccessful and you do not pay the PCN
OR
the PCN has remained unpaid or unchallenged
for 28 days after it was first issued, the Authority
will issue a

** A PCN issued by post is sent instead of an NtO
– follow the instructions with your PCN to pay
or make representations to the Authority
(see onward process below). The PCN will also
contain details of any applicable
(14 or 21 days)

OR

If Successful

The Authority will
cancel the PCN.
There's nothing to pay

issued.
Full PCN amount usually due

Make an Informal Challenge

CHALLENGE

If Unsuccessful

If Successful

CHALLENGE

If you don't agree with the Parking PCN,
you can make an
to the local authority that issued it

The challenge should be made as soon as possible
(within 28 days of the PCN issue date)*

* If a challenge is made within 14 days of the PCN issue date,
the Authority will usually hold the PCN at the 50% discounted rate

Put on
windscreen
of vehicle
or handed
to driver

Make representations

Graphic showing a Penalty Charge Notice from a Council

** Click here if your PCN
was sent by post

Sent by post
to the
of
the vehicle

PAY

OR

Pay the Authority the
penalty outstanding
without delay

If you accept the PCN,
pay the Authority at the
of
50% of the penalty
within 14 days

Your options after getting a PCN

PCN for up to £70

(depending on the
type of contravention)

Put on windscreen of vehicle
or handed to driver

OR

Sent by post to the Registered Keeper
of the vehicle

** Click here if your PCN was sent by post

PAY

If you accept the PCN,
pay the Authority at the
discounted rate of
50% of the
penalty
within 14 days of the
PCN issue date

OR

CHALLENGE

Make an Informal Challenge

If you don’t agree with the Parking PCN, you can make an Informal Challenge to the local authority that issued it

The challenge should be made as soon as possible (within 28 days of the PCN issue date)*

* If a challenge is made within 14 days of the PCN issue date, the Authority will usually hold the PCN at the 50% discounted rate

If Successful

The Authority will
cancel the PCN.

There’s nothing to pay

If Unsuccessful

PCN remains payable

(usually still at 50% rate
if it was challenged
within 14 days)

CHALLENGE

Make representations

If you don’t agree with the PCN, or don’t think you are liable to pay it, you can ‘make representations‘ against it

Representations should be made as soon as possible (within 28 days of the NtO, or PCN issue date [if the PCN was sent by post]).

If Successful

The Authority will
cancel the PCN.
There’s nothing to pay

If unsuccessful

Notice of Rejection of Representations issued.

Full PCN amount usually due

Pay or appeal?

Graphic showing Notice of Rejection of Representations and appeal information

If the Authority rejects your representations,
they will send you a

Notice of Rejection
(NoR) of Representations

This can take up to 56 days.

At this stage, you have 28 days to either pay
the PCN or appeal to the Tribunal

For an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal to be successful…
one or more specific grounds (reasons) must apply.

Please review the grounds of appeal carefully before deciding
whether to appeal to us or pay the penalty charge.

View the grounds of appeal that apply to this PCN

View past cases before you begin?

Selected Traffic Penalty Tribunal decisions, along with those
from other UK traffic penalty adjudicating bodies,
are published on the external Traff-iCase key cases website.

These ‘key cases’ have been curated due to the common facts,
issues and points of law they include, providing a reference
for motorists who may have received similar penalty charges.

View key cases on the Traff-iCase website

Submit an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal now

Important: The PCN will need to be paid in full if your appeal to us is unsuccessful.

Pay or appeal?

If the Authority rejects your representations, they will send you a

Notice of Rejection (NoR) of Representations

This can take up to 56 days.

Graphic showing Notice of Rejection of Representations and appeal information

At this stage you have 28 days to either pay the PCN or appeal to the Tribunal

For an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal to be successful…one or more specific grounds (reasons) must apply

Please review the grounds of appeal carefully before deciding whether to appeal to us or pay the penalty charge.

View grounds of appeal that apply to this PCN

View past cases before you begin?

Selected Traffic Penalty Tribunal decisions, along with those from other UK traffic penalty adjudicating bodies, are published on the external Traff-iCase key cases website.

These ‘key cases’ have been curated due to the common facts, issues and points of law they include, providing a reference for motorists who may have received similar penalty charges.

View key cases on the Traff-iCase website

Submit an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal now

Important: The PCN will need to be paid in full if your appeal to us is unsuccessful.

Am I too late?
Charge Certificates and Orders for Recovery

If you have received a Charge Certificate, Order for Recovery or a letter from a Bailiff (now referred to as Civil Enforcement Agents) regarding an unpaid Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), you no longer have the right to make representations to the authority.

The authority has already started more serious action to recover the penalty charge; however, you may still be able to submit an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, if you have received a Notice of Rejection (NoR) of Representations letter.

Find out what to do next

Am I too late?
Charge Certificates and Orders for Recovery

If you have received a Charge Certificate, Order for Recovery or a letter from a Bailiff (now referred to as Civil Enforcement Agents) regarding an unpaid Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), you no longer have the right to make representations to the authority.

The authority has already started more serious action to recover the penalty charge; however, you may still be able to submit an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, if you have received a Notice of Rejection (NoR) of Representations letter.

Find out what to do next