Birmingham PCN: Payment, Challenges and Appeals

If you’ve just received a Birmingham Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and you’re not sure whether to pay it or challenge it, this article is here to help. Every month, more than 130,000 people visit our site for guidance on fines and parking tickets. Believe it or not, Churchill Motor Insurance reports that in 2022, UK councils issued an average of 19,631 daily parking fines, a 12% increase from the previous year.¹

In this guide, we will provide clear information on:

What a Birmingham PCN is.
If you need to pay Birmingham parking fines.
How to appeal a Birmingham PCN.
How to avoid a PCN in Birmingham in the future.
What can happen if you don’t pay the fine.

We know that getting a PCN can be a bit upsetting. But don’t worry; we’re here to help with lots of useful advice and examples. We understand your situation and want to help you make the best decision.

Let’s get started.

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What is a PCN?

A Penalty Charge Notice – shortened to PCN – is a fine issued by local authorities in the UK. They are predominantly issued for parking violations but can also be issued for some driving offences and not paying road tolls. Therefore a Birmingham PCN is one of these fines issued by Birmingham City Council.

The type of driving offence that could get you a PCN from Birmingham City Council is:

Driving in bus lanes
Stopping on a red route
Turning right or left when not allowed.

Some of the reasons for receiving a PCN for parking offences include:

Parking in a parking space without the required permit or payment
Parking on a double yellow line.

A valid private parking charge may be legally owed before a court case. It is a civil contractual claim, separate from a council PCN. Court enforcement measures require a judgment and the appropriate enforcement process.

What is the Clean Air Zone?

The Government and local authorities are working to tackle air pollution in Birmingham by encouraging owners of the most polluting vehicles to avoid the zone or upgrade to replace these vehicles to improve air quality.

You can check if you have to pay to enter a Clean Air Zone by entering your vehicle registration number.

If you still enter one of these zones and own a vehicle that does not meet the required vehicle emission standards, then you will have to make a payment.

The Clean Air Zone covers an area of the city centre inside the A4540 Middleway (but not the Middleway itself). Road signs mark these zones as you approach the zone.

Here you can see that this forum member on MoneySavingExpert has received two PCNs whilst in Birmingham and wants to know whether it is worth challenging them.

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How much is a fine?

Ordinary council parking penalties in Birmingham use the prescribed £50 lower level or £70 higher level, depending on the contravention. They do not increase beyond those initial amounts merely because an officer regards the parking as more serious. Other schemes, such as the Clean Air Zone, have different penalties.

The Penalty Charge Notice fine for not paying the Birmingham Clean Air Zone charge is £120.

An early-payment discount is commonly available. Check the discount period on your particular notice rather than assuming every parking, bus lane and road-user charging PCN uses the same deadline.

Do you have to pay?

You must pay a PCN from Birmingham Council within 28 days, or 14 days to receive a 50% discount on the fine.

The only time you do not have to meet the payment deadlines for a Birmingham PCN is if you are appealing the fine. You need to make a PCN Birmingham appeal within 28 days of receiving the ticket.

If the PCN is withdrawn after a successful appeal, you never have to pay this parking fine. To better understand how an appeal process works, please review the following table.

When	Action
On receiving a council PCN	Read the notice, keep it, gather evidence and note all payment and challenge deadlines.
Windscreen or handed-to-driver PCN	An informal challenge may be available before the Notice to Owner. Early challenge can preserve a discount under the authority’s policy; 14 days is not a universal final appeal deadline.
Postal PCN or Notice to Owner	Normally make formal representations within 28 days as stated on the notice. Do not assume there is an extra informal stage.
Representations rejected	The Notice of Rejection explains how to appeal to the appropriate independent tribunal, normally within 28 days.
Appeal unsuccessful	Pay by the deadline given in the decision or obtain advice on any available review. Further statutory charges can follow if you do neither.
Other ticket type	Private parking charges and FPNs use different procedures; follow the actual notice.

Further guidance: Traffic Penalty Tribunal; Citizens Advice.

If you receive a PCN and choose to ignore it, you risk the penalty charge going up and being registered as a debt, subject to enforcement by bailiffs. From my experience, it is never worth ignoring a PCN and hoping it will go away!

Check the right challenge process

Check whether you need to make an informal challenge, formal representations or an independent tribunal appeal. Follow the route and deadline printed on your notice. London cases generally go to London Tribunals; relevant cases in England outside London and Wales go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Other UK jurisdictions have different procedures.

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General information. The procedure depends on the notice and jurisdiction. Check the issuer’s instructions.

What happens if you don’t pay?

Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone normally allows payment up to six days after travel. The daily charge is £8 for liable cars, taxis and vans, and £50 for liable buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles. Exemptions can apply. Use the official vehicle checker and payment service.

Can you appeal?

Submit your challenge or representations by the deadline on the relevant notice. If you are late, contact the council promptly and explain why; it may consider a late submission, but acceptance is not guaranteed.

How do I challenge it?

You can make a PCN Birmingham appeal with your arguments against the parking fine, which may be something like:

Your car broke down
The ticket machine wasn’t working
You were involved in an emergency and couldn’t get to your vehicle in time.

Use the council’s designated challenge service and attach relevant evidence. Processing times change; keep the acknowledgement and check which statutory deadline applies to the notice and stage.

When a formal appeal is denied, you might still get your Birmingham PCN erased. After the council rejects your appeal you can escalate the matter to an independent tribunal. This tribunal will judge whether the parking ticket should be enforced or cancelled and has the final judgement.

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How do you pay?

You can pay a Birmingham City Council parking ticket over the phone, by cheque, at a PayPoint location with cash, or the council’s website accepts online payments. You’ll need your parking ticket number to make a payment, which is a 10-digit number found on the PCN.

Birmingham PCN Contact Details

Pay by phone:	0121 667 4964
Post:	Birmingham City Council (Highways), PO Box 77, Birmingham B4 7WA
Website:	https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/

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References

SkyNews – Parking Tickets Statistics