Can my Licence be Suspended for Parking Tickets?

“Did you get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and wonder what to do next? This simple guide is here to help. Each month, over 130,000 people use our website to get advice on fines and parking tickets, which is not surprising, as 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

We understand that a PCN can make you feel frustrated and confused, but don’t worry; we’re here to help you understand:

• What a PCN is and why you might have received one.
• If you have to pay your PCN straight away.
• How to fight against the charge if you think it’s not right.
• Times when you might not have to pay your PCN.
• What can happen if you choose not to pay your PCN.

We know what you’re going through, and we’re here to help. Let’s take you through the details…”

Do parking tickets affect your licence UK?

No, unless you’ve been issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for something like speeding, your driving licence will be unaffected. 

Most parking restrictions are treated as civil, rather than criminal offences and therefore enforced as a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

You won’t get a criminal record or points on your licence. 

However, you may be able to challenge your ticket if you think it’s wrong.

If you lose your ticket, contact the ticket issuer to find out how to challenge it.

The different types of penalty are detailed below

Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)

Local council PCN – received on the spot e.g. on your windscreen.

Local council PCN – received in the post.

Issued by parking attendants (usually employed by local councils) for breaking traffic rules.

These include driving in a bus lane or turning when there’s a ‘no turn right sign’.

You would also get a PCN for not paying charges the London congestion zone or Dartford Crossing (Dart Charge) on time.

Parking Charge Notices (PCNs)

Issued by private landowners, e.g. owners of supermarket and hospital car parks.

Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs)

Issued by traffic officers employed by the police for more serious offences such as leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position, speeding, and other motoring offences.

Check out what one motorist posted on a popular forum about telling an insurer their licence had been suspended.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Should I pay or appeal first?

If you’re going to appeal a ticket, don’t pay it first.

That will be seen as an admission of guilt and the case closed.

If you feel you have grounds to appeal the PCN, get your evidence and make the appeal within 14 days.

This won’t automatically extend the time frame you’ve been given to pay the penalty so do check before you appeal.

If the ticket is issued by a private company not a council, in many circumstances they aren’t enforceable.

You should consider a private car park fine more like an invoice sent from the car park operator, rather than a legally enforceable fine. 

Totally ignoring it can be risky though, and they could take you to a small claims court, arguing that you broke your contractual agreement when you parked on their private land. 

You can appeal a private car park fine if you think it was unfair. Here’s what the standard appeal process looks like.

What about tickets on private land?

Private land relies on the laws of contract and trespass – if there is adequate signage you are considered to have accepted the parking terms and sanctions.

You can appeal to POPLA or the IAS but only once you have complained about your ticket to the company issuing it.

If your appeal is rejected you will be given 28 days to pay your parking ticket.

If you fail to pay in this time, the company that has issued the ticket may decide to take you to court to pursue payment.

Only parking enforcement companies who are members of an approved operator scheme are allowed to obtain vehicle keepers’ details from the DVLA.

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What happens if I don’t pay parking ticket UK?

If you don’t pay a parking ticket, first off the amount will probably double in a set period of time. 

Usually you’ll be told that if you pay within 14 days you’ll have the amount reduced by 50%. 

If you haven’t paid your ticket within 28 days, you’ll get a ‘charge certificate’ and you’ll then get 14 days to pay the ticket, plus another 50%.

If you don’t pay the ‘charge certificate’ within the next 14 days, you get a court order, and there’s no right of appeal.

Private companies might pursue the debt through County Court to apply for a County Court Judgment against you.

If the process goes that far – it’s worth contacting your local citizen’s advice for more help.

If a court order has been issued stating you must pay and it goes far enough, there is the potential for the use of bailiffs.

Can I get a CCJ for a parking ticket?

Yes, you can get a CCJ for an unpaid parking fine. 

If you haven’t paid the fine, or have appealed unsuccessfully, you will be given more time to pay.

But if you still don’t pay, it’s possible you’ll then be issued a County Court Judgment (CCJ).

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Will a parking ticket affect my credit report?

No, getting a parking fine won’t impact your credit report provided you don’t refuse to pay and get a County Court Judgement (CCJ).

Then it will impact your credit rating until the CCJ expires in six years.

Can DVLA give my details to private parking companies?

If your parking ticket has been issued by a private company on private land, the DVLA will only disclose data to companies who are ATA members.

The ATA is expected to monitor adherence to the code of practice and investigate and address non-compliance when it arises.

Remember, if you get a parking ticket, your driving licence will be unaffected, but you should look at the circumstances around the ticket to decide if you think it’s fairly received or not.

You should contest it as soon as possible if you don’t feel you should pay the full amount. 

Do I have to pay PARKING EYE fines?

Parking Eye, also known as Parkingeye, is a car park management company.

Parking Eye provides landowners with technology or staff to manage their car park.

Your responsibility to pay private parking fines isn’t straightforward though.

On the one hand, these aren’t real penalties, but the company could potentially take you to court and a judge may order that you pay. 

Tips on avoiding parking tickets

There are things you can do and tools you can use to help reduce the risk of getting a parking ticket, some of which I’ve listed here:

• Consider using a mobile parking app
• Always read parking and bus lane signs carefully
• If you have any doubts, find somewhere else to park

References

1. SkyNews – Parking Tickets Statistics