Blue 'P' Symbol Parking Sign

Parking (England)

PCN / Appeal Process

Blue 'P' Symbol Parking Sign

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.

 

If you have received a PCN,
don’t just ignore it!

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

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.

 

If you have received a PCN, don’t just ignore it!

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

Your options after getting a PCN

You cannot appeal to the
Traffic Penalty Tribunal
straight away

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

Your options after getting a PCN

You cannot appeal to the
Traffic Penalty Tribunal
straight away

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

PCN for up to £70

(depending on the
type of contravention)

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

Put on windscreen of vehicle
or handed to driver

OR

Graphic showing a Penalty Charge Notice from a Council

Sent by post to the Registered Keeper
of the vehicle

White arrow pointing downwards

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

White arrow pointing downwards

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)

White arrow pointing downwards
Icon showing a Notice to Owner

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

Notice to Owner (NtO) requesting the full penalty charge

** 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 discount period (14 or 21 days)

White arrow pointing downwards

PAY

the Authority

the penalty
outstanding

without delay

OR

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]).

White arrow pointing downwards

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

White arrow pointing downwards
Traffic Penalty Tribunal Logo in White

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 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.

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

Traffic Penalty Tribunal Logo in White

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 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.

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.

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.

Traffic Penalty Tribunal Logo in White