Wrong Registration Number on a PCN: What to Do

If the registration on a parking notice does not match your vehicle, check the notice and evidence before paying. The issue may be an issuer’s error, a payment keying mistake or a different vehicle.

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In this guide, we’ll help you understand:

• If you must pay the PCN even if the registration number is wrong.
• How to say no to the charge if you don’t think it’s right.
• Times when you might not need to pay.
• What could happen if you choose not to pay.

Churchill Motor Insurance reports that in 2022, UK councils issued 19,631 parking fines, every day – a 12% increase from the previous year.¹ So rest assured, you’re not alone.

We’ve been in your shoes and are here to help. Let’s walk through the details step by step.

Not your registration number on a PCN – do you have to pay? (Quick answer!)

Do not assume a PCN remains valid despite an incorrect registration. The significance depends on the type of notice and error. A council notice identifying the wrong vehicle may be defective or concern someone else entirely.

However, if the registration number on your PCN does not match your vehicle’s registration number, it is advisable to contact the issuer for clarification.

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Do you have to pay the Penalty Charge Notice?

You must pay a Penalty Charge Notice within 28 days or make an appeal.

If you plan on paying the fine, you should try to pay within 14 days to get a PCN discount, which could be as much as 50% of the penalty. 

If you don’t pay or appeal within 28 days, you’ll be sent a charge certificate that asks you to pay a new fine that is 50% bigger than the original fine.

This will need to be paid within 14 days. 

There is no general rule that a council PCN sent by post must arrive within 14 days. England’s postal parking notices normally have a 28-day service period, subject to exceptions, and Notices to Owner follow different rules.

Keep copies of the notice and envelope and check the service rules for the particular scheme if you think it was late.

Keep in mind that ignoring a charge certificate will result in a court order being issued for you to pay the fine.

If you ignore the order of recovery, you could face bailiffs who will come to your home. They’ll demand full payment or attempt to repossess your valuables to clear the debt. 

Is a parking ticket legal if it has the wrong registration number on?

An incorrect vehicle registration can provide grounds to challenge a council PCN. Compare the registration, make, model, location and photographs, then explain the discrepancy to the issuer within the applicable deadline.

A general answer from another case does not decide whether your notice is valid. The legal requirements and actual evidence matter.

If the registration is nothing like yours, there may have been a fundamental error, and you should ask the issuer to investigate further.

It could be that you were not the guilty party, and the PCN could be wiped. 

Did you enter it wrong?

You may have paid for parking on private land and then returned to your vehicle shocked to see a PCN left on your windshield. Or you received it later in the post.

If you had to enter your vehicle registration number when paying, this could happen.

For a private parking charge, keep the payment receipt and explain any registration keying error. The applicable industry code requires operators to handle keying errors under its rules; do not assume every typo makes the full charge payable.

A Real-World Case from Money Saving Expert Forum

This user on the Money Saving Expert Forum received a Parking Eye PCN and ignored a letter they’d received from Parking Eye after putting in the wrong registration number.

They are now worried they may have court summons. This could be a real possibility if you ignore a letter from a private parking company!

How do you pay a penalty charge notice?

Most PCN issuers offer a variety of options for the payment of penalty charges. One option includes online payment via the council or transport website.

To make an online payment of PCN, you’ll need to enter your vehicle registration number and PCN reference number.

This will identify your PCN and allow you to make an online payment with a debit or credit card. 

If your PCN number is lost or your details are not working, you should contact the PCN issuer for support.

Based on my observations, many PCN issuers will only deal with the registered vehicle owner-even if you were the one driving and needed to pay the fine. 

How do you appeal?

To appeal against a PCN, you must make an informal or formal appeal within 28 days of receiving the notice.

For an on-street council parking PCN, you can normally make an informal challenge before a Notice to Owner is served. An informal challenge is not a mandatory prerequisite for later formal representations. A postal PCN may invite formal representations from the outset.

Formal representations are normally due within 28 days of service of the relevant Notice to Owner or postal PCN. Follow the document’s instructions and deadline; there is no universal day-29-to-day-56 window measured from the original PCN.

A formal appeal, also known as representation, is when you write to the PCN issuer explaining why you believe the PCN is unfair or unjustified.

When challenging a PCN, you should back up your claims with evidence, such as photos or witness accounts.

You can appeal to an independent traffic penalty tribunal if your representation is rejected.

You’ll have to re-state your case to the tribunal, which will decide in favour of the PCN issuer or yourself. Their decision is final. 

Please note that the private parking fine appeal process differs from the PCN appeals process. In addition to information about disputing a PCN, we also have useful resources to help you deal with a private parking fine.

Tips for Preventing PCN Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. Unfortunately, getting a PCN can be an expensive mistake to make.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid a fine.

• Always take a moment to read the information given on a ticket machine and on the signs in the parking area
• Double-check your details at the ticket machine when entering your registration number
• If paying using a mobile app, make sure your registration number and the location number are entered correctly
• When placing a ticket in your vehicle, make sure the ticket is the right way up and in clear view
• Don’t park in bays designated for other drivers, such as taxi ranks and bus stops
• Park entirely within a marked bay

More discussions about PCNs and your rights!

Know your rights when dealing with or appealing against Penalty Charge Notices.

Our team have answered other PCN questions frequently asked by UK motorists and can tell you where to find legal advice for parking fines.

Thanks for checking out this post and read more of our free content soon!

References

1. SkyNews – Number of parking tickets issued every day in UK revealed