Whether you’ve been handed a parking ticket, a PCN has been left on your vehicle, or you’ve had one drop through the letterbox, one of the first things that probably comes to mind is how you can go about paying.
Many motorists don’t realise that they have options to consider when it comes to receiving a parking ticket. That’s why in today’s guide, we’ll cover:
- Whether you need to pay your parking ticket
- The easiest ways of paying your parking ticket
- Whether you can appeal your parking ticket
- How to avoid getting a parking ticket in the first place
Getting a parking ticket can be frustrating, but your next steps don’t have to be! Let’s take a look at our complete guide on paying a parking ticket!
What types of parking ticket are there?
There are two types of parking ticket that you might receive here in the UK, and it will depend on where you parked and allegedly committed an offence.
If you parked on land that’s owned by the local council, you’ll receive what’s known as a penalty charge notice (PCN). It might be handed to you, left on your vehicle, or even sent through the post.
If you parked on privately owned land, you’ll be issued a parking charge notice (PCN). Much like a penalty charge notice, it could be handed to you, left on your vehicle, or send through the post. It’s worth keeping in mind that parking companies that aren’t members of an Accredited Trade Association (ATA) cannot legally request your address from the DVLA, so if you have had a PCN left on your windshield, they cannot contact you at your home address, which means you’ll never hear from them again.
You can easily check if a parking company is a member of an ATA by calling the International Parking Community (IPC) or the British Parking Association (BPA).
Essentially, if the company isn’t a member of an ATA, don’t make contact with them.
Why do both parking tickets use the PCN abbreviation?
You may have noticed that both council issued and privately issued tickets have the same abbreviation of “PCN”. This is thought to have been intentionally set by private parking operators to confuse and scare motorists into paying, but more on that reasoning later.
Do you have to pay a parking ticket?
Not necessarily, and there are a few reasons for this.
You might not have to pay a parking ticket if you don’t believe you broke any parking rules to begin with. If this is the case, you’ll need to start an appeal against the parking ticket, which we will go into detail for each type of parking ticket later in the article.
However, if you realise that you did accidentally break a parking rule and have been issued a penalty charge notice, you will have to pay the fine one way or another. This is because the fine is legally enforceable, and the issuing council could take you to court to force you to pay the fine.
When it comes to a parking charge notice, you might not have to pay. As mentioned earlier, if the parking company isn’t a member of an ATA, then it’s very unlikely that they will ever be in contact again. However, most private parking operators in the UK are a member of an ATA!
A parking charge notice is not legally enforceable when it’s issued. However, the private parking operator might choose to pursue this ticket and take court action, which could make it legally enforceable.
As mentioned earlier, it’s thought that private parking operators use the same “PCN” abbreviation to scare motorists into paying their fine. This is because their fine isn’t legally enforceable right away. However, when motorists see “PCN”, they may become confused and pay up anyway.
In short, while you might not have to pay the parking ticket, you’re better off addressing it by appealing. Ignoring the ticket could escalate it as far as court action, which could result in it being even more costly to you, not to mention the stress involved too.
How can I pay my parking ticket?
The ways you can pay will be listed on the parking ticket itself. However, the easiest and most convenient way of paying is by using an online payment portal. Both councils and private parking operators will have a dedicated site to make a payment.
However, there are other ways you can pay too, such as:
- Over the phone (there will be a number on the PCN)
- Sending a cheque in the post (there will be an address on the PCN)
Don’t forget that you’ll need to have your PCN number on hand (this will also be on the PCN) as well as your vehicle registration number.
Remember that if it’s not clear how to make a payment, get in touch with the issuing authority and they will be able to direct you.
Can I pay my parking ticket in instalments?
Not as a rule. Both penalty charge notices and parking charge notices usually ask for full payment of the parking ticket.
But, if you’re struggling financially and reach out to the issuing authority, they may be able to set up a payment plan for you. Keep in mind that if you do this, you might lose out on the chance to pay a reduced fine if you don’t pay within 14 days.
It’s not a very common thing to happen here in the UK, but it’s not unheard of either.
How much should I expect to pay for a parking ticket?
The amount you’ll pay for your parking ticket will depend on what kind of ticket it is, as well as your location.
For example, for a penalty charge notice, you can expect to pay anywhere between £60 and £80. You will also be given a chance to pay within 14 days in exchange for 50% off the price of the ticket, which could mean you’ll only pay £30 depending on where you got the ticket.
For a parking charge notice, things are slightly different. The price of a private parking ticket has recently been capped to £50, with the charge being up to £80 in areas like London. You must also be given the chance to pay within 14 days here too, but the discount might only be 40% off the price.
Either way, if you’re choosing to pay for your parking ticket, you’re better off paying within 14 days. Remember that if you’re not offered the chance of a reduced price, that could be grounds for appeal.
Can I appeal my parking ticket?
Yes!
If you believe that you’ve been wrongly issued your parking ticket, then you have every right to appeal. The process for each ticket is different, so we’ll outline these below.
Penalty charge notice
If you have a penalty charge notice and want to appeal, you’ll need to write a formal appeals letter to the issuing authority. We have a free and easy to use parking ticket appeal template that’s helped thousands of motorists like you make a successful appeal.
You have 28 days from the date the ticket was issued to submit your appeal. The letter you write is what’s known as a representation letter, and it will need to include:
- The PCN number
- Your vehicle registration number
- Your reason(s) for appealing the ticket
- Evidence to back you up, such as pictures or videos you’ve taken to prove your innocence.
The issuing council will then have 56 days to make a decision. If that amount of time passes and you haven’t heard anything, you automatically win your appeal!
We have full guides on the next steps you can take if your penalty charge notice appeal is rejected!
Parking charge notice
The process is slightly different for a parking charge notice. In this instance, you can only make an informal appeal. You can use the same parking ticket appeal template to write an informal appeal letter within 28 days of the ticket being issued to the private parking operator. You will also need:
- The PCN number
- Your vehicle registration number
- Your reason(s) for appealing the ticket
- Evidence to back you up, such as pictures or videos you’ve taken to prove your innocence.
The issuing operator will then have 56 days to make a decision. Much like a penalty charge notice, if that amount of time passes and you haven’t heard anything, you automatically win your appeal!
We have full guides on the next steps you can take if your parking charge notice appeal is rejected!
How can I avoid getting a parking ticket in the future?
Getting a parking ticket is often unexpected, but there are things you can do to avoid having one in the future:
- Read signage carefully.
- Park correctly.
- Pay the parking ticket for the correct amount of time.
You can also protect yourself by taking pictures of your vehicle when you park anywhere that’s owned by the council or managed by a private parking operator. This might help you appeal in the future if you’re issued another ticket and you don’t think it’s fairly issued!