Parking charges: how to challenge and beat unfair parking fines

As the AA highlights how legislation brought in six years ago to protect drivers against aggressive parking firms has still not been implemented, we explain how you can challenge unfair parking fines.

One in 20 drivers 'would pay an unfair parking fine'

Private parking operators can be so aggressive in chasing down alleged parking fines that some drivers will agree to pay unfair charges, even when they are without merit. 

A new survey by the AA of nearly 14,000 motorists found that one in 20 (5%) would agree to pay the charge, even if it was incorrect. 

The breakdown organisation said private parking operators were 'shark-like businesses' preying on drivers and frightening them into paying unfair Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) with letters threatening bailiff visits. 

Many private car parks, including those at leisure centres and supermarkets, are now run by private companies, which often use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to determine when drivers have gone over their permitted parking time. 

A number of these firms have been accused of charging unreasonable fees, deliberately leaving customers without the means to pay as meters are left broken and using aggressive debt collection methods. 

Motorists also displayed a lack of confidence in the current appeals process for parking fines. Of those surveyed who said they would pay an unfair PCN, 53% said they would do so to get 'rid of the hassle' involved. 

Meanwhile, 13% felt they would not get a fair hearing at an appeal, while 11% were concerned about lawsuits. 

Legislation meant to crack down on rogue operators abandoned

The previous Conservative Government tried to introduce a new ‘code of practice’ for private parking firms, with the bill receiving royal assent in 2019.  It was meant to keep ‘cowboy’ operators in check, as well as reduce the charges motorists face.

The code was designed to ensure that parking charge levels mirrored the local authority system for publicly accessible car parks, meaning that charges would be capped for most offences at £50.

However, the code was withdrawn in June 2022 after a legal challenge was brought by parking companies.

"The delay in implementing the official government code is scandalous," Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, told the Daily Mail.

"Six years on, no part of the legislation has been introduced to protect and safeguard drivers from an aggressive industry.

"The fact that drivers are willing to pay up when they have done nothing wrong, nor have any confidence in the current appeals process, shows why urgent action is needed.

"We are hugely concerned that the Government is standing idly by while drivers continue to receive threatening letters from a sector that works on the basis of guilty until proven innocent.

"Urgent action is needed, and introducing the rules by the end of the year will help wrestle back some of the balance in favour of the motorist.

"Until the measures within the Act are in place, drivers will continue to be attacked by these shark-like businesses.'"

Rocketing parking fines

Private parking firms are handing out a whopping 15 million fines a year, 

A Freedom of Information request made by the RAC to the DVLA found that parking operators had made 7.2 million requests for driver information from the agency in the six months to the end of September 2024. 

This was a 12% increase on the same period in 2023 and an average of 41,000 requests a day. 

Parking operators request driver details from the DVLA to use to pursue them over alleged parking charges. 

Each ticket can be as much as £100, meaning the total cost to drivers could be up to £4.1 million per day. 

'Five minute payment rule' dropped

Earlier this year, private parking firms were banned from issuing fines to drivers who take longer than five minutes to pay for their parking. 

Since February 2025, drivers using private car parks monitored by ANPR or CCTV will not be fined if they take longer to pay. 

The change follows the case of motorist, Rosey Hudson, who was fined almost £2,000 for taking longer than five minutes to pay for her parking in Derby after a machine in the car park was broken. 

Hudson was forced to use her phone to pay via an app and walk some distance to improve her phone's mobile reception. 

She later received 10 Parking Charge Notices (PCNs), totalling £1,906.

Meanwhile, nearly half of motorists who contest a private parking fine often see those charges dropped entirely.

That’s according to the ‘Parking on Private Land Appeals’ (POPLA) report from Ombudsman Services, which oversees complaints about potentially unfair parking fines issues on private land.

Over the course of 2020-21, the Ombudsman processed 58,522 appeals. Of these, 23,771 (41%) resulted in the parking charge being cancelled.

Challenging an unfair parking fine

What’s the difference between a Penalty Charge Notice and a Parking Charge Notice?

A Penalty Charge Notice is issued by the local council and are legally enforceable.

A Parking Charge Notice is issued by a private firm for breaking the rules in a private car park. These aren’t legally enforceable unless they decide to take you to court.

To state the obvious, parking tickets should only really be challenged if you think they're unfair.

You can usually contact the parking operator to challenge the parking ticket within 28 days of receiving it. However, if you do so, you may miss out on the opportunity of a discount for settling it within 14 days.

If it was on private land, check the Private Parking Sector Code of Conduct for more information. 

If you have received your parking ticket on private land, you can appeal via POPLA, the Parking on Private Land Appeals service, which is free to all motorists.

The parking company must not pursue you for payment while your case is with POPLA, although if you are found to be liable for the fine, it can add additional fees on top of the original charge. 

In the following situations, it's a good idea to appeal.

You were parked correctly

Appeal the ticket if you think you were parked correctly (i.e at the right time and place) and if you've got photographic evidence, all the better.

The parking signs or road markings were unclear

Your ticket should be cancelled if you can prove that:

• You couldn't see any road markings or signs;
• The markings or signs were hard to read such as being covered by a tree;
• The signs were misleading or confusing or there weren't any signs saying that parking was suspended.

You may also be able to win if there weren't any signs saying CCTV or an automatic number plate recognition system was in use where you parked.

There was no way to pay

If the meter was broken and there was no other way to pay, you should be let off. Send evidence of the broken machine to the company who issued the ticket. But, if there was a sign there telling you not to park if there's no way to pay, your appeal will probably be rejected.

You were charged too much

Of course, it's right to appeal if you've been charged too much. Penalty Charge Notices work on a higher band and lower band system, so if you've been charged a higher band fine for parking for longer than your ticket allows, it should be cancelled. 

Rules state that you shouldn't be paying any more than £100 unless the parking company can prove your dodgy parking made them lose this much money. If the extra cost is unjustified, appeal. 

You weren't driving when the ticket was issued

You weren't guilty, so you shouldn't pay. Use crime reference numbers, car sale receipts, DVLA registration certificates and whatever other evidence you deem useful, depending on who was driving the car.

You couldn't get back to your car

People who find it difficult to walk because they're disabled, are pregnant or have a very young baby can appeal as getting back to their car in time might have been more difficult.

Your car broke down

This one's pretty obvious. Your ticket will be cancelled if you can prove you were waiting for your car to be fixed or towed away when you got it.

You became ill, a medical appointment overran or you had childcare issues

It's common sense that if you became unwell or had a medical appointment that took too long that you shouldn't have to pay a penalty. 

You typed in the incorrect registration number

Under the code of conduct, it's recommended that if you input the wrong registration number for your car that you shouldn't receive a fine. 

You were only just out of time

And this one is the most frustrating. There's often a five to 10 minute 'grace period' after your parking runs out.  

It can be tricky, though – some companies will time it from when you park, while others will time your stay from the moment you enter the car park. 

All this said, most parking rules state that you must clearly display a valid ticket inside your vehicle.

If you fail to do this or lose your ticket, then the weight of evidence is against you. Nevertheless, appealing the decision by producing a valid ticket will often win you a pardon.

Take on the challenge

It's free to make a formal appeal by contacting whoever gave you the parking ticket.

You can't be taken to court if you're appealing informally so it won't affect your credit rating. It's only if your appeal is unsuccessful and you don't pay a ticket or appeal to a tribunal that you'll be taken to court, which may impact your credit score.

In terms of the council parking fines, you can challenge them through your local council website. 

There are six different types of Penalty Charge Notice, so make sure you know which one you've got before you go ahead.

Challenging a council PCN

Local council PCNs are received on the spot. 

If you appeal within 14 days of receiving the fine and your challenge is rejected, you may only have to pay 50% of the fine.  

It's usually a case of completing an online form or writing to the address on the reverse of the PCN and being as clear as possible in explaining why you've decided to appeal. 

You have 28 days to formally challenge (known as a 'representation') a Penalty Charge Notice. The process will start with a 'notice to owner,' which will explain how to make a formal challenge.

Make sure you go into as much detail as you can about why you're challenging the PCN and provide copies of any evidence or documents to support your challenge.

You won't have to pay a thing if your challenge is accepted but if you receive a 'notice of rejection', you'll have 28 days to cough up the cash.

Then again, standing firm by appealing a penalty often proves successful. Thus, if you've made an honest mistake or been treated unfairly, then your fine stands a good chance of being cancelled on appeal.

How to spot a dodgy parking firm

Don't recognise the company name? Check to see if they're an Accredited Trade Association (ATA) member as if they're not, they can't take you to court.

Check the British Parking Association (BPA) or International Parking Community (IPC). If they're not on there, report it to Action Fraud, as the company might have your details illegally.