Parking charge notice or penalty charge notice?

How to tell which one you have

1. Who issued it? Councils, TfL and (in Northern Ireland) the Department for Infrastructure issue public PCNs. Private notices name a company or landowner.
2. What does it call itself? Council notices say “Penalty Charge Notice” and usually mention a contravention. Private notices often say “Parking Charge Notice”, “parking charge” or “notice to keeper”.
3. Which setting? Yellow lines, on-street bays and council car parks point to a public PCN. Retail, hospital, station and private office car parks often point to a private operator.
4. What does the notice say about its route? Check the issuer and follow the dates printed on your own notice.

Council penalty charge notices

England and Wales

1. PCN: you usually have 28 days to pay. In England, paying within 14 days normally reduces the charge by 50%; many camera/postal PCNs give 21 days for the reduced charge.
2. Challenge: if the PCN was put on the vehicle, challenge early. A camera/postal PCN can act as the Notice to Owner.
3. Formal representations: a Notice to Owner gives 28 days to make representations. If rejected, you can normally appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (outside London and Wales) or London Tribunals (London).
4. Do not ignore it: a charge certificate can increase the penalty by 50%. Check your notice and the issuer’s instructions.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Rules and public bodies differ. In Scotland, decriminalised parking appeals can go to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. Northern Ireland public parking PCNs are issued for the Department for Infrastructure and appeals go to the Northern Ireland Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Follow the dates and route on the notice.

Private parking charge notices

A private parking charge notice is a civil claim: the operator says you broke the terms displayed at a car park. It is not a council penalty, but do not dismiss it. Keep evidence such as photos of signs, your payment record or an appointment letter. Our checklists cover what to record if a payment fails and what to check when you arrive at a hospital car park.

How to challenge

1. Appeal to the operator first, in writing, and save a copy.
2. If the operator rejects you, use the independent service named in its rejection letter: POPLA for BPA members or the Independent Appeals Service (IAS) for IPC members.
3. Both services normally allow 28 days after the rejection, but the deadline in your letter is decisive.

Keeper liability

In England and Wales, Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 can allow an operator to pursue the registered keeper if it meets strict conditions. The rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This is general information, not advice on your own notice.

The industry Single Code of Practice

The BPA and IPC joint code sets rules for members, including a £100 charge cap, at least a 40% early-payment discount within 14 days, periods to read signs and leave after a permitted stay, and standards for appeals. It is an industry code, not the government’s statutory code. The government’s new code, laid before Parliament on 20 October 2026, will replace it once in force. Check the current code and your notice before relying on an amount or deadline.

What is changing?

Status as of 30 October 2026. The government laid a new statutory Private Parking Code of Practice before Parliament on 20 October 2026 (Commons written statement HCWS393). It covers private car parks in England, Scotland and Wales. It includes a minimum 5 minutes to decide whether to park, a 10-minute grace period to leave, a £100 maximum charge (£60 if paid within 14 days), and £20 for some honest mistakes on appeal. It is not in force yet: Parliament has a 40-day scrutiny period, and the code takes effect 21 days after it is issued, replacing the industry code described above.

In April 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority wrote to the government with recommendations for the new code. The minister’s statement says a further consultation will follow, covering debt recovery fees and the remaining topics the CMA raised.

Read our summary: New Private Parking Code: what changes for drivers.

Avoiding the next one

• Read the time plate, entrance signs and bay signs—not just the road marking.
• Type your registration carefully and keep payment confirmation.
• Set a reminder before a permitted stay ends; do not treat a grace period as extra parking time.

Park Shield is in early access. Its AI Sign Scan is a reading aid to help you understand a parking sign; the physical sign and operator terms still control. Join the waitlist.