Introduction
You may be able to challenge your ticket if you think it’s wrong.
If you lose your ticket, contact the ticket issuer to find out how to challenge.
Challenging a penalty charge notice (PCN)
You have 28 days to challenge a PCN. If you do it within 14 days and your challenge is rejected, you may only have to pay 50% of the fine.
Check the ticket – there are different rules for some types of PCN. See ‘challenging a ticket from a private company’ below if you have received a parking ticket
| Type of PCN | How you usually challenge it |
|---|---|
| Local council PCN – received on the spot, for example on your windscreen | Make an informal challenge with the council |
| Local council PCN – received in the post, for example you were sent a ‘notice to owner’ | Make a formal challenge (called a ‘representation’) with the council |
| Dart Charge PCN | Make a representation with Dart Charge |
| Red route PCN | Make a representation with Transport for London (TfL) |
| Congestion charge PCN | Make a representation with TfL |
| Low emission zone PCN | Make a representation with TfL |
You will not have to pay the fine if your informal challenge is accepted.
If your informal challenge is rejected
You’ll get a ‘notice to owner’. It will explain how to pay or make a formal challenge.
Making a formal challenge
You have 28 days to make a formal challenge (called a ‘representation’) after you get a notice to owner. You must:
- explain your reasons for challenging the PCN in as much detail as possible
- provide copies of any evidence or documents to support your challenge
You will not have to pay the fine if your representation is accepted.
If your formal challenge is rejected
You’ll get a ‘notice of rejection’ – it will give you 28 days to pay or appeal to an independent tribunal.
If you do not pay or appeal, you’ll have to pay a late penalty (‘charge certificate’).
Challenging a fixed penalty notice (FPN)
You need to go to a magistrates’ court. The back of the ticket will tell you how to do this.
You’ll be sent a summons with a date to attend a court hearing.
Challenging a standard or excess charge notice
Check the ticket or contact the ticket issuer for:
- ways to challenge
- what you can do if your challenge is rejected
Challenging a ticket from a private company
Check the ticket to find out who the issuer is. Contact them to find out how to challenge the private parking ticket.
Private parking companies have no official right to fine you, though they may try to make you think that they do. All they’re doing is sending you a notice of what they deem to be a breach of the conditions of the right to park.
When you park in a private car park you’re entering into a contract with the landowner. They’re allowing you to park, while you’re agreeing to meet their conditions. Under UK contract law, if you break those conditions, they can argue you broke the contract.
The Government is currently working on a new code of practice which will be set out in law, in an effort to improve standards in the private parking industry and make it harder for firms to unfairly charge motorists
If your challenge is rejected, you can appeal to an independent appeals service. Find out if the ticket operator is a member of an accredited trade association by looking at the ticket or their website.
Appeal to:
- POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), if the operator is a member of the British Parking Association (BPA)
- IAS (Independent Appeals Service), if the operator is a member of the International Parking Community (IPC)
If the parking company make a claim through the small claims court see defending a small claim
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 by Ashford Advice