Parking Charge Notice: Do You Have to Pay It?

Got a Parking Charge Notice? Here's What Drivers Can Do

Parking Charge Notice: Do You Have to Pay It? Getting a Parking Charge Notice can be stressful, especially when you're unsure whether you have to pay it. For UK drivers, the first thing to understand is that a private parking charge is not the same as a parking fine issued by a local authority. The number of these notices being issued is also rising. According to the RAC, private parking companies issued a record 16.9 million parking charges in 2025-26, compared with 14.3 million the previous year. What is a Parking Charge Notice? A Parking Charge Notice is normally issued when a driver is alleged to have broken the parking terms on privately owned land. The notice can be placed on the vehicle or sent to the registered keeper by post. Private parking companies cannot simply issue a statutory fine in the same way as a local authority. Instead, the parking charge is effectively a claim that the motorist owes money because the terms of parking were allegedly breached. The amount can vary between operators and locations. Some charges start at £50 and can rise to £100 if they are not paid within the required period. That does not mean every Parking Charge Notice should automatically be paid. If you believe the charge was issued incorrectly or the circumstances were unfair, you can challenge it. When can a parking charge be challenged? There are several circumstances that could provide grounds for an appeal. These include unclear or confusing signs, problems with payment, a vehicle breakdown or leaving the car park within the operator's stated grace period. Drivers may also have grounds to challenge a notice if they parked correctly, could not return to their vehicle because of circumstances such as mobility difficulties, or were unable to pay because there was no working payment method. The timing of the notice can also matter. The source advises that a charge received more than 14 days after the alleged parking infringement can be a potential ground for appeal. If you decide to challenge the charge, check the notice carefully for the relevant deadline. The BBC report says appeals usually need to be made within 28 days of the notice being issued. Drivers can normally appeal directly to the parking company. If the operator belongs to the British Parking Association, motorists may also be able to take an unsuccessful appeal to POPLA, while operators belonging to the International Parking Community use the Independent Appeals Service. Keep evidence before appealing Anyone challenging a parking charge should keep any evidence that could support their case. Photographs of the signs, payment information and details of what happened can all be useful when explaining why a charge should be cancelled. Parking Appeals Group founder Merika Barton said motorists should not assume that receiving a notice automatically means they have done something wrong. She also highlighted the landowner as another possible route, as they can sometimes instruct the parking company to cancel a charge. This can be particularly relevant where a driver believes they followed the site's rules but was still issued with a notice, such as failing to register a vehicle on a tablet inside a business. Should you ignore a parking charge? Ignoring a Parking Charge Notice is generally not a good idea. The British Parking Association says motorists should engage with the process and appeal if they believe a charge is wrong. If an appeal is unsuccessful and the charge remains unpaid, the matter can potentially progress to debt recovery action and, ultimately, court proceedings. At the same time, drivers should be careful about paying suspicious demands. Suffolk Trading Standards has warned about scam text messages claiming motorists have unpaid parking charges and directing them to fake websites requesting bank details. A genuine parking dispute should be dealt with through the channels set out by the parking operator and the relevant appeals process, rather than by clicking on an unexpected payment link in a text message. For drivers who receive a Parking Charge Notice, the most important step is therefore to read the notice and parking terms carefully before deciding what to do. If the charge appears correct, paying within the required period may be the simplest option; if it appears unfair, there is an appeal process motorists can use. With millions of private parking charges now being issued every year, knowing the difference between a private Parking Charge Notice and a council parking fine can help drivers make a more informed decision rather than automatically paying or simply ignoring the notice.