Take the following steps to appeal a Parking Charge Notice:
1. Check if a parking company is a member of an accredited trade association (ATA)
Check the British Parking Association (BPA) or International Parking Community (IPC) websites to see if a parking company is a member of an ATA.
You can also call the BPA on 01444 447 300 to check if a company is a member. Calls to this number can cost up to 12p a minute from a landline, or between 8p and 40p a minute from a mobile (your phone supplier can tell you how much you’ll pay).
Don’t pay a parking ticket from a company that’s not an ATA member. They can’t take you to court because they can’t get your details from the DVLA. They can only chase you for a parking ticket if you give them your address, so don’t contact them.
If you get a ticket in the post from a non-ATA member, report them to Action Fraud because the company could have got your details illegally.
2. Contact the parking company if they’re an ATA member
You can find a parking company’s contact details on the BPA or IPCwebsites or on the Parking Charge Notice. Check on the notice if you must appeal on the parking company’s website or if you can write to them with your reasons for objecting. Appealing directly to the parking company is called making an informal appeal – you must do this before you make a formal appeal.
You can use our template letter to write to the parking company.
Include any evidence you have, for example:
- a valid pay and display ticket
- photos of signs that are hard to see or understand, or where the information is misleading
- a letter from someone who was with you saying what happened – write ‘Witness statement’ at the top of this
- a repair note, if your car broke down
For a hospital parking ticket, you should send evidence to the parking company if your appointment was running late. Ask the hospital receptionist to print a note on headed paper, saying there were delays.
Parking tickets on a private road
On a private road – which must have signs saying ‘private’ – a parking company has to be an ATA member to get your address from the DVLA. The ticket will be for trespassing because you can’t park on private land without the landowner’s permission. To appeal, write to the parking company if they’re an ATA member saying why you weren’t trespassing. Include any evidence, for example a letter from the landowner giving you permission to park.
If you’ve been clamped
Check the notice left with the clamp to see if it’s from the police, the council, the DVLA, or a private company acting on their behalf. They’re the only ones allowed to clamp your car on private land.
You should call the police on 101 if you’ve been clamped by a private landowner or company working for them. The police will remove the clamp. Don’t remove the wheel clamp yourself – you could be taken to court for criminal damage. You could also be taken to court for theft if you keep the clamp.
If your informal appeal is rejected
You can appeal to an independent appeals service. It’s free to do, so it’s worth trying if you still think your ticket was unfair. They might see things differently to the parking company and agree that your ticket should be cancelled. They won’t cancel a ticket because of an unexpected event, for example if you were delayed because you were feeling unwell.
The way to appeal will depend on if the parking company that gave you the ticket is a member of the BPA or IPC approved operators scheme. Make a formal appeal to Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) if they’re a BPA parking company. If they’re an IPC member, make a formal appeal to the Independent Appeals Service.
For a ticket from a BPA member, you have 28 days from when your informal appeal was rejected to make a formal appeal. You have 21 days to appeal if your ticket is from an IPC member. Make sure you include any evidence that will support your case.
If your formal appeal is rejected
You should pay your parking ticket. If you don’t, the cost could go up because you might have to go to court and pay court costs.
Contact your nearest Citizens Advice for help if you can’t afford to pay your parking ticket.
Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline if you still think your ticket was unfair and want to report the parking company to Trading Standards. You’ll need to pay the ticket even if you report the company.
