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
• Other minor offences

Consequences include:

• Points added to your licence
• A financial penalty

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

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

• Supermarket car parks
• Hospital car parks
• 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
• Gather evidence to support your case, like
• Car park receipts
• 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

• Reference your PCN number
• Reference the date, time and location penalty

2. Explain why you got a parking fine

3. Explain why you do not think this is fair. Some examples are:

• 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
• You 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
• 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.