Is a parking ticket from the council the same as one from a private company?

No — and the difference decides everything. A council or TfL Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is a statutory charge under the Traffic Management Act 2004, with a fixed appeal route to an independent tribunal. A private 'parking charge notice' is a contractual invoice issued on private land, with a different appeal route (POPLA or the IAS). This tool keeps the two separate.

How long do I have to appeal a council PCN?

You usually have 28 days from the notice to pay or make an informal challenge, then 28 days to make formal representations after a Notice to Owner, then 28 days to appeal to the tribunal if the council rejects you. Paying within 14 days usually gives a 50% discount. The deadline ladder page walks through each stage with its source.

What are the grounds I can appeal on?

For a council PCN, the grounds are set out in the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) Representations and Appeals Regulations 2007 — for example that the contravention did not occur, that you were not the owner, that there was a procedural impropriety, or that the charge exceeded the amount applicable. The grounds page lists each one, quoted from the legislation.

Will you write and submit my appeal for me?

No. We are free and we never submit on your behalf. The letter builder creates a draft in your browser that you read, edit and send yourself through the authority's own channel. For complex cases that need real advice, we point you to Citizens Advice or a qualified solicitor.

Is the information here reliable?

Every code meaning, charge band, ground and deadline is cited to a primary source — legislation.gov.uk, gov.uk, London Councils, or the appeal bodies — with the date we last checked it. Where a figure varies by authority, the figures on your own notice govern, and we link you to the issuing authority's page.

UK parking PCNs · 18 common codes · 9 statutory grounds

Understand your parking ticket — and appeal it calmly.

Decode the contravention code, see which grounds for appeal apply, follow the deadline ladder, and draft a representations letter you send yourself. Free, cited to the legislation, and never logged.

Decode a PCN code Open the letter builder

Cited to the legislationCouncil & private ticketsFree letter, never logged

A calm, cited answer — not an upsell.

No tabloid theatrics, no paywall. We explain the rules and quietly hand you the letter.

pcnappeal.uk explains UK PCN codes and appeal grounds for informational purposes. Procedural deadlines are time-critical — always check the date on your PCN. This site is not affiliated with TfL, London Councils, any local authority, the Traffic Penalty Tribunal or London Tribunals. For complex or contested appeals, consult Citizens Advice or a qualified solicitor.

How it works

Four calm steps, start to finish

From the code on your notice to a letter in your hand — each step cited, each deadline flagged.

Step 1

Find your code

Every council PCN carries a contravention code. Look it up to see what it means in plain English and which penalty band it sits in.

Step 2

See the grounds

We show the statutory grounds for appeal that most often apply to that code — each quoted from the regulations, with what evidence supports it.

Step 3

Mind the deadlines

The deadline ladder shows the 14-day discount, the formal-representation window, and the appeal stage — and what happens if you miss each one.

Step 4

Draft your letter

Build a representations letter in your browser, copy it, and send it yourself. Nothing is logged, and we never charge for it.

Common codes

Start with the code on your notice

These are some of the most-looked-up contravention codes. Select one for its meaning, the grounds that apply, and the deadlines.

12Higher level

Parked in a residents' or shared-use parking place or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit, voucher or pay & display ticket where required, or without payment of the parking charge.

See the answer

01Higher level

Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours.

See the answer

24Lower level

Not parked correctly within the markings of the bay or space.

See the answer

46Higher level

Stopped where prohibited (on a red route or clearway).

See the answer

30Lower level

Parked for longer than permitted.

See the answer

16Higher level

Parked in a permit space or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit where required.

See the answer

The full list

Every common contravention code, in one table

Search by number or meaning, filter to higher-level codes, and sort. Each row links to its full answer.

Higher-level only18 codes

	Meaning		Detail
01	Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours.	Higher-level	View
02	Parked or loading / unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading / unloading restrictions are in force.	Higher-level	View
05	Parked after the expiry of paid-for time.	Lower-level	View
06	Parked without clearly displaying a valid pay & display ticket or voucher.	Lower-level	View
12	Parked in a residents' or shared-use parking place or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit, voucher or pay & display ticket where required, or without payment of the parking charge.	Higher-level	View
16	Parked in a permit space or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit where required.	Higher-level	View
19	Parked in a residents' or shared-use parking place or zone with an invalid virtual permit or displaying an invalid physical permit, voucher or pay & display ticket, or after the expiry of paid-for time.	Lower-level	View
21	Parked wholly or partly in a suspended bay or space.	Higher-level	View
23	Parked in a parking place or area not designated for that class of vehicle.	Higher-level	View
24	Not parked correctly within the markings of the bay or space.	Lower-level	View
25	Parked in a loading place or bay during restricted hours without loading.	Higher-level	View
30	Parked for longer than permitted.	Lower-level	View
40	Parked in a designated disabled person's parking place without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge in the prescribed manner.	Higher-level	View
45	Stopped on a taxi rank.	Higher-level	View
46	Stopped where prohibited (on a red route or clearway).	Higher-level	View
47	Stopped on a restricted bus stop or stand.	Higher-level	View
48	Stopped in a restricted area outside a school, a hospital or a fire, police or ambulance station when prohibited.	Higher-level	View
99	Stopped on a pedestrian crossing or crossing area marked by zigzags.	Higher-level	View

Cited to the source

Every code meaning, charge band, ground and deadline traces to legislation.gov.uk, gov.uk, London Councils, or the appeal bodies — with a last-verified date. The full list lives on the Sources page.

Free, and never on your behalf

We publish for free and never charge to write or submit an appeal. The letter builder runs in your browser; you send it yourself. For paid help, we point to Citizens Advice — not to us.

Honest about the unknown

Where an authority doesn't publish a figure, we say so rather than guess. The figures on your own notice always govern.

Professional review in progress. Covering 17 issuing authorities and counting. See our verification methodology.

Questions

Common questions

Start with the code on your notice.

The meaning, the grounds, the deadlines, and a letter you send yourself — in one calm, cited place.

Decode a PCN code