Check Vehicle Fines – How to view a charge
Have you received a parking fine and are not sure about your rights, if it’s enforceable, or what steps you should take next? You’re in the right place.
Each month, more than 130,000 people visit our website for guidance on fines and parking tickets. You’re certainly not alone in this. In fact, over 19,000 parking fines are issued each day in the UK.1
In this easy-to-understand article, we’ll provide information on:
- What it means to get a Penalty Charge Notice or a Parking Charge Notice.
- Whether you have to pay these fines or not.
- How to check your fine details online.
- What happens if you don’t pay a parking ticket.
- How to appeal a parking ticket if you believe it’s unfair.
Receiving a parking fine can be really frustrating. But don’t worry; we have a lot of helpful advice and examples to guide you through the process.
Most Ticket Appeals Succeed
In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your fine.
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Not only did I save £50 on solicitor fees, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.
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*According to Martin Lewis, 56% of people who try to appeal their ticket are successful and get the charge overturned, so it’s well worth a try.
How to Check if you have a Parking Charge Notice
Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are issued by the police or a traffic warden in accordance with UK parking regulations for parking infringements on public land. These fines are enforceable by law. When you need to check vehicle fines, it’s best to look at the ticket number and check it online. You’ll find all the information you need on the Penalty Charge Notice.
What you will need
You can check the ticket online on an operator’s website. You must provide the ticket reference number. If you’ve lost the ticket, you can get the information on the operator’s website, but you must provide the date and the place you received the ticket, and your car registration details.
How do I pay for a lost parking ticket?
Contact the issuer if you lose the Penalty Charge Notice. You’ll need to provide as much information as possible, including when and where you received the PCN and your car registration.
Whether you want to contest, appeal, or pay the fine, you need this information. Whatever you do, don’t avoid the issue because there is usually a time limit of 28 days to appeal or pay a council-issued PCN.
Successful Appeal Case Study
Situation
| Initial Fine | £100 |
| Additional Fees | £171 |
| Total Fine | £271 |
The Appeal Process
Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.
| Total Fine | £271 |
| Cost of legal advice | £5 |
JustAnswer helped Scott craft the best appeal possible and he was able to win his case.
Scott’s fine was cancelled and he only paid £5 for the legal help.
In partnership with Just Answer.
Online payment of parking fines
If you have received a parking Penalty Charge Notice from a local council, and you have it on hand, you can pay online via the gov.uk website. However, if you have received a Parking Charge Notice for parking on private land, you will have to contact the ticket issuer or check the ticket for their parking ticket payment methods.
Do I have to pay?
A Parking Charge Notice is an invoice raised by a private operator or a landowner for a breach of contract. It is not the same as a Penalty Charge Notice or a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), which are enforceable by law. A Parking Charge Notice is not enforceable unless you are ordered to pay by a Judge.
However, the amount charged differs between private operators but is never usually more than £100.
When faced with a Parking Charge Notice, you have two choices. You can either pay the fine or you can appeal it. Never ignore it!
You must provide a valid reason for appealing the Parking Charge Notice. Here are the usual steps during an appeal process.
| Process: | Steps you should take: |
|---|---|
| When you receive the ticket… | You should gather as much evidence as you can to support your appeal claim and prove that the ticket was unfairly issued. |
| If you were given the ticket in person/attached to your car… | You must make an informal appeal (sent to the local authority/council that issued the PCN) within 14 days. This should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given. |
| If it was posted to you… | You will be given 21 days to submit an informal appeal (from the day you received the letter). Your informal appeal should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given. |
| If the informal appeal is rejected… | You will receive a Notice to Owner and will have 28 days to respond to this with a formal appeal. You can conduct the formal appeal online or via paper form. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal can send you one of these forms. |
| If the formal appeal is rejected… | You will receive a Notice of Rejection. From here, you are free to challenge the council’s verdict at an independent tribunal. |
| If the independent tribunal disagrees with your appeal… | You should pay the ticket within 28 days of the tribunal rejecting your appeal. If you don’t, the fine will be increased by 50%. If you don’t have the money to pay the fine, you should contact Citizens Advice or another debt charity. |
What happens if I don’t pay?
It depends on whether you received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) or a Parking Charge Notice.
Suppose an enforcement authority takes you to court for non-payment of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). In this case, you’ll be sent an Order for Recovery and a Witness Statement Form. Do not ignore this because a Warrant of Execution will be drawn up against you if you do.
Suppose you don’t pay a Parking Charge Notice you got for parking on private land. In this instance, the issuer could start legal proceedings to recover the debt. They could also pass your details to a debt collection agency. In my experience, letting things get this far is not a good idea. Either contest the fine by filing an informal appeal or pay it.
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How much is the fine?
The amount of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) varies depending on the local council and the severity of the offence. In all cases, the amount will reduce by 50% if you pay the fine within 14 days. If you ignore the penalty and don’t pay within 28 days, you’ll get a Notice to Owner if you are the registered keeper.
You’ll receive a Charge Certificate if you don’t pay within 28 days. You will then have 14 more days to pay the fine, plus an extra 50%.
Is there a cap on parking fines?
According to the National Debtline, private parking companies, who are members of the IPC or BPA, must follow a code of practice per their accredited trade association. A parking charge notice should not be more than £100 in most cases.
Note: Legal proceedings against you cannot start while there is an ongoing appeal. However, if you lose an appeal, the issuer can start proceedings to recover the debt. You could receive a County Court Judgement for non-payment.
Can you appeal?
If you haven’t already paid the ticket, you can appeal against local council parking fines and Parking Charge Notices. In both situations, you must submit your appeal by a specific deadline.
Appealing a Parking Charge Notice
The appeals process can differ depending on which company issued the ticket. If the parking company is a member of an accredited trade association (ATA), you should write a letter stating your reasons for objecting. You should include any evidence that will support your case. You usually have to do this within 28 days of receiving the notice.
Check the Parking Charge Notice to see if you can appeal a parking ticket online or if you need to write to them.
If the private company rejects your appeal, you can escalate the appeal to an independent appeals service. If this is rejected, you can either pay the fine or wait and see if the private company takes you to court.
Going to court could incur court charges, and if you lose, your fine may increase.
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Is the parking company a member of an accredited trade association (ATA)?
You should only appeal to a parking operator that is a member of an accredited trade association (ATA). If they are not a member, do not respond unless they have written to you first. Only ATA members can ask DVLA for a driver’s personal details.
Appealing a PCN
You have 14 days from the date you were given a Penalty Charge Notice to make an informal appeal and 21 days if this notice was sent by post. Include all relevant information regarding the ticket and any evidence to back your appeal. If you have already been sent a Notice to Owner, you have 28 days to make a formal appeal.
You will receive a Notice of Rejection if your formal appeal is rejected. At this point, you can go to an independent tribunal to challenge the council’s decision. Should the independent tribunal disagree with your appeal, you need to pay your PCN.
I have collated some helpful information about appealing different types of parking tickets to help you appeal. I have even drafted a UK parking fine appeal letter template to help you get started.
Is the registered keeper responsible for parking fines?
The vehicle’s registered keeper can check unpaid parking tickets online if the original is lost. Unless you can prove you were not driving when a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) was issued, you’ll have to pay it.
What happens if you don’t pay a PCN?
There are penalties and deadlines associated with PCNs. You have to pay within 28 days of receiving the fine. If you don’t, you’ll receive a ‘charge certificate’. Then you have a further 14 days to pay with an additional 50% added to the original amount. In short, later payments are more expensive!
In addition, if you fail to pay the PCN within 14 days, you’ll receive a court order demanding the payment!
Hire a Parking Solicitor for less than a coffee.
If you’re thinking about appealing your parking ticket then getting some professional advice is a good idea.
Getting the support of a Solicitor can make your appeal much more likely to win.
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