A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) can be issued to any driver for a parking contravention (disobeying parking restrictions). Common reasons for receiving a PCN include:
- parking in a parking space without the required permit or payment
- parking on a double yellow line
- driving in a lane or street provided for buses only
- stopping in a yellow box junction.
View full list of contraventions that PCNs are issued for.
Drivers are responsible for paying attention to road markings, signs and notices about parking and driving restrictions and acting accordingly. Vehicles can also be removed if parked in contravention.
Parking Charge Notices issued by private parking companies can look similar to council issued Penalty Charge Notices. We are not able to give advice about these as they are not issued by us. Useful information on appealing these parking tickets can be found on the Citizens Advice website
You can use our online systems
- check the current amount outstanding on your PCN
- pay a PCN
- challenge or appeal a PCN
- view photographic evidence
- find a lost or missing PCN
Bus lanes or bus-only roads
We use CCTV cameras to monitor bus lanes and streets. A PCN will be sent to the DVLA registered keeper of a vehicle that use bus lanes or bus route (a road just for buses). Hackney carriages (taxis) can use a bus lane however motorcycles and private hire vehicles must not.
Mobile CCTV and parking restrictions
It’s difficult to enforce parking restrictions in some areas using only Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO) patrolling on foot. Mobile CCTV assist us in upholding parking restrictions to improve safety for road users and pedestrians. Mobile CCTV may be used when vehicles are:
- in a bus lane
- parked in a bus stop clearway or bus stand clearway
- parked in a Keep Clear zig-zag area outside schools
- parked on a red route.