Parking fines and debt. What should I do?

Types of parking fines

There are three common types of traffic penalties:

1. Fixed penalty notice (FPN) issued by the police

FPNs are issued for parking, dangerous driving and other minor offences.

Consequences include points being added to your licence, as well as a financial penalty.

How long you have to pay the fine depends on where you are.

• England and Wales – 28 days
• Northern Ireland – 21 days

If you do not pay:

• You may get a summons to a magistrates’ court
• The amount you owe will increase

The only way to appeal against a FPN is to go to a hearing at the court.

2. Penalty charge notice (PCN) issued by local authority traffic wardens

These are issued for parking and other driving issues like driving in a bus lane.

If you do not pay:

• The amount you owe increases
• The debt may be registered in the County Court
• The local authority can use bailiffs or enforcement agents
• Extra fees will be added

You can appeal a PCN. First through the council and then through a formal tribunal process.

3. Invoices issued by private companies for parking on private land

These are issued for overstaying in car parks, like at the supermarket, hospital, or other private car parks.

If you do not pay:

• The parking company will write to you
• They may apply for a County Court judgment

It has been illegal for these companies to clamp cars since 2012.

My penalty charge notice is unfair. How do I challenge it?

You may be able to challenge a penalty notice if you think it is unfair.

Before you start your appeal, think about why the penalty is unfair. Also make sure to gather evidence to support your case, like car park receipts or photos of the parking meter.

You can send your appeal either as a letter to the address on your parking fine ticket or via the parking enforcer’s website.

In your appeal letter, make sure you include:

• Your address
• The date of the offence
• Your vehicle registration number
• The PCN number
• The reason for appeal and why you believe it has been issued unfairly
• All evidence that can support your appeal

How do I write my appeal letter?

You want to clearly get your point across in your appeal letter.

1. Explain why you are writing. Remember to reference your PCN number and the date, time and location of the penalty
2. Explain why you got a parking fine
3. Explain why you do not think this is fair

Some examples of an unfair penalty include:

• Unclear or incorrect road signs
• You were not driving when the fine was issued
• You did not own the vehicle at the time. This means the offence was committed by the previous owner and you will need evidence of ownership from the DVLA to prove this
• You can prove you were allowed to park in a certain place within the timeframe of the fine
• You have a Blue Badge due to a disability. That means you are allowed to park where you got the fine
• Mitigating circumstances, like parking on a double line for an emergency

Send your appeal within 14 days of being fined. This gives you time to pay a reduced fine if your appeal is rejected, but it does not guarantee your appeal will be successful.

What is the difference between a penalty charge notice and a parking charge notice?

Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are issued by your local council. They can be confused with Private Parking Invoices, also called a Parking Charge Notice.

The main difference is that a PCN can be enforced with bailiffs.

A private parking operator cannot issue bailiffs, but they can pursue the debt through County Court and apply for a County Court Judgment against you.

Struggling to pay your parking fine?

Need help with parking fine debt?

Struggling to pay a parking fine could be the sign of a larger debt problem.

Use our online debt advice tool to find the best help for you.