Appealing a parking ticket

You need to take the following steps to appeal a PCN.

Write to the council

Write to the council clearly explaining why you object – this is called making an informal appeal. You’ll have 14 days to make an informal appeal from when you were given the notice, or 21 days if it was sent to you by post.

Include any evidence you have, because this will give you a greater chance of success. This could be:

• a valid pay and display ticket

• photos to show there were no road markings to restrict parking

• photos of signs that are hard to see or understand

• a letter from someone who was with you saying what happened – write ‘Witness statement’ at the top of this

• a repair note, if your car broke down

Make sure you include:

• the date the ticket was issued

• your address

• your vehicle registration number

• the penalty notice number

It’s best to send copies rather than originals in case they’re lost in the post. Send the documents by recorded delivery, so you’ll be able to prove they arrived.

If your appeal is successful, your PCN or ECN will be cancelled and you won’t have to pay.

Make a formal appeal

You’ll be sent a letter and a form called a ‘notice to owner’. Don't be put off if the letter sounds final – you still have 28 days to make a formal appeal, called ‘making formal representations’. It’s free to appeal and the notice to owner will tell you how.

You can usually get a 50% discount if you pay soon after your informal appeal is rejected. It's a good idea to pay at this point if the council have a strong reason for objecting your appeal. If you don’t appeal and don’t pay within 28 days, the penalty will go up by another 50%.

Appeal to a tribunal

If your formal appeal's rejected, you’ll be sent a letter called a ‘notice of rejection’. You can challenge the council’s decision at an independent tribunal. It’s free to do and you don’t have to go to the tribunal – you can submit your reasons and evidence in writing. Appeal online on the website of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (outside London) or London Tribunals (in London).

You should pay your PCN if the independent tribunal disagrees with your appeal. If you don’t pay within 28 days, the penalty will go up by another 50%. The council can then take you to court – your credit rating might be affected and you might also have to pay court costs.

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice for help if you can't afford to pay your PCN. 

You need to take the following steps to appeal an ECN.

Make an appeal

You have at least 7 days to make an appeal. It’s free to appeal and the ECN will tell you how.

You can usually get a 50% discount if you pay soon after your informal appeal is rejected. It's a good idea to pay at this point if the council have a strong reason for objecting your appeal.

If your appeal’s rejected

If your appeal’s rejected and you don’t pay, the council can take you to the Magistrates’ Court. You can tell the court why you don’t think you have to pay.

If the court decides against you, your credit rating might be affected and you might also have to pay court costs.

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice for help if you can't afford to pay your ECN.

Take the following steps to appeal a Parking Charge Notice:

Check if the parking company is a member of an accredited trade association (ATA)

If the parking company put the ticket on your car and it isn’t an ATA member, don’t contact them unless they write to you first. They probably won’t be able to find your details - only ATA members can get your name and address from the DVLA.

Check the British Parking Association (BPA) or International Parking Community (IPC) websites to see if a parking company is a member of an ATA.

You can also call the BPA on 01444 447 300 to check if a company is a member.

If you get a ticket in the post from a non-ATA member

If you get a ticket in the post from a non-ATA member, they have got your address and you should reply.

They might have got your details illegally. You can complain to the DVLA about them possibly sharing your data illegally by writing to Data Sharing Strategy and Compliance Team, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DY. If you’re not happy with their response, you can report the breach to the Information Commissioner.

Write to the parking company

You can find a parking company’s contact details on the BPA or IPC websites or on the Parking Charge Notice. Check on the notice if you must use the parking company’s website or if you can write to them with your reasons for objecting. You must write to them before you make a formal appeal to an independent appeals service.

You can use our template letter to write to the parking company.

Include any evidence you have, for example:

• a valid pay and display ticket

• photos of signs that are hard to see or understand, or where the information is misleading

• a letter from someone who was with you saying what happened – write ‘Witness statement’ at the top of this

• a repair note, if your car broke down

• permission from the landowner

For a hospital parking ticket, you should send evidence to the parking company if your appointment was running late. Ask the hospital receptionist to print a note on headed paper, saying there were delays.

Appeal to an independent appeals service

If the parking company isn’t an ATA member, there’s no formal appeals process but there are other things you can do.

If the parking company is an ATA member, you can appeal to an independent appeals service. It’s free to do, so it’s worth trying if you still think your ticket was unfair. They might see things differently to the parking company and agree that your ticket should be cancelled. They won’t cancel a ticket because of an unexpected event, for example if you were delayed because you were feeling unwell.

The way to appeal will depend on if the parking company that gave you the ticket is a member of the BPA or IPC approved operators scheme. Make a formal appeal to Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) if they’re a BPA parking company. If they’re an IPC member, make a formal appeal to the Independent Appeals Service.

For a ticket from a BPA member, you have 28 days from when your informal appeal was rejected to make a formal appeal.

For a ticket from an IPC member, you can make a formal appeal for free within 21 days. After 21 days, you can still appeal within 1 year of your formal appeal being rejected if you pay a £15 fee.

Make sure you include any evidence that will support your case.

If your formal appeal is rejected or you can't appeal

There are still things you can do but you’ll risk having to pay more money in the end. You might be better off just paying your parking ticket.

Let the parking company take you to court

You can choose not to pay your parking ticket and the parking company will decide if it’s worth taking you to court.

If the parking company takes you to court and you lose:

• you’ll have to pay the fine, which could go up by then

• you might have to pay court costs - these could be expensive

If you win:

• you won’t have to pay the fine

• the parking company might have to pay court costs

Reporting the parking company

If you think your ticket was unfair, you can report the parking company to Trading Standards. To complain to Trading Standards, contact the Citizens Advice consumer service.

Check the Fixed Penalty Notice to see if it was issued by the council or the police. Write to them, clearly explaining why you object – this is called making an informal appeal.

Include any evidence you have, because this will give you a greater chance of success. This could be:

• a photo to show road markings or signs were confusing

• a letter from someone who was with you saying what happened – write ‘Witness statement’ at the top of this

• a repair note, if your car broke down

Make sure you include:

• the date the ticket was issued

• your address

• your vehicle registration number

• the penalty notice number

To write to the police, send your letter to the Central Ticket Office closest to where the notice was issued. Not all areas allow you to raise informal appeals. Call the issuing police force – or any number listed on the notice – to check.

To write to the council, use the address on the notice or letter.

If your informal appeal is rejected

You’ll be sent a letter saying your notice won't be cancelled.

It’s a good idea to pay the Fixed Penalty Notice if your informal appeal is rejected. The only other option is to ask for a hearing in a magistrates’ court.

This can be expensive as your fine will increase by 50% if you lose, and you’ll have to pay court costs. It can also be quite stressful – you’ll need to go to the hearing to plead not guilty.

You'll receive a refund for the Fixed Penalty Notice if your appeal is successful.

You should get legal advice if you decide to appeal through a magistrates’ court. A legal adviser can help you prepare for court and may be able to go to the hearing with you.

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice to get help hiring a legal adviser.