Understanding the Penalty Charge appeals process

You can challenge a parking ticket if you believe:

• the ticket should not have been issued, or
• that there are special reasons why it should be cancelled.

The Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) appeals process has three stages.

If you have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) or a PCN relating to a CCTV bus lane contravention and you are not happy you can challenge the notice.

A challenge made within 14 days from the date of the notice, will be put on hold at the discount amount.

A challenge received after the 14 days will be put on hold at the full amount and the case will be on hold until a reply has been issued.

Please ensure you provide or attach:

• PCN number
• Vehicle Registration (VRM)
• Name and address
• Any supporting evidence i.e. blue badge, payment voucher or medical proof.

Failure to provide this information may delay the appeals process.

What happens next?

If your challenge is successful, the PCN is cancelled and no further action is taken. 

If your challenge is unsuccessful and rejected, you have another chance to pay at the reduced rate if your challenge was received within 14 days. 

If received after the 14 days you may have to pay the full amount.

If you are not satisfied with the decision, the DVLA registered keeper must wait until a Notice to Owner or an Enforcement Notice (for a bus lane PCN)  has been received.

The registered keeper can then make a formal representation. At this stage, representations are made against the full PCN charge. The reduced rate will no longer be available.

You can make a formal representation regarding your PCN within 28 days, if you are the DVLA registered keeper/hirer and have received:

• a Notice to Owner (NTO), relating to a PCN issued by a CEO (traffic warden)
• an enforcement notice, relating to bus lane contraventions
• a PCN served by post (except bus lane contraventions).

Each document lists the specific grounds on which representations can be made.

Your representations will be reviewed by an appeals officer and a reply sent to the registered keeper/hirer of the vehicle.

If representation is received from someone other than the registered keeper/hirer, the reply will be sent to the registered keeper/hirer and not the person who wrote in.

What happens next?

If the representation is successful, the PCN is cancelled and no further action is taken.

If the representation is unsuccessful, a formal notice of rejection is sent to the registered keeper/hirer. This includes payment instructions and a form allowing a further appeal to the independent adjudicator. Full instructions are noted in the letter.

You may appeal to the adjudicator if you have received;

• a postal PCN/Notice to Owner/Enforcement Notice from an enforcement authority; and
• you have made formal representations to that authority challenging the Penalty Charge Notice; and
• you have received a Notice of Rejection from the authority.

You can send your form to the Environment and Traffic Appeals Service (ETA) and ask an Independent Parking Adjudicator to review the decision.

Once you have submitted your appeal to the adjudicator, a hearing date will be set. You can choose to receive the adjudicator’s decision by post or attend the hearing in person.

The adjudicator’s decision is binding, there is no appeals process after this stage.

What happens next?

If an appeal is unsuccessful, the full PCN charge is payable.

If the PCN is not paid a Charge Certificate (CC) (A notice issued to motorists who have not paid a penalty charge within the set time limits) will be issued. You cannot appeal at the charge certificate stage. This is just an advisory notice.

For further information on the process for challenging a PCN please visit the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators (ETA) website.

Failure to follow the appeals process or make payment may result in your case progressing and it will be passed to a debt recovery company (Enforcement Agent) to collect the debt.