Paying a council car parking fine

A parking fine is called a penalty charge notice (PCN) and is issued by the council on public land – such as a council car park or high street.

Fines range from £50 to £160, depending on your location and how serious the parking offence was.

Never ignore a PCN. If you haven’t paid within 28 days, you’ll get a ‘charge certificate’. This means you’ll have 14 days to pay the original fine plus 50% more.

If you don’t pay a charge certificate within 14 days, you’ll get a court order demanding payment.

Find out more detailsOpens in a new window on GOV.UK

To understand more about what action an enforcement agent can take, see the guides to bailiffs (known as sheriffs in Scotland):

• in England and WalesOpens in a new window, on Citizens Advice

• in ScotlandOpens in a new window, on Citizens Advice

• in Northern IrelandOpens in a new window, on nidirect

If you’re within the 28-day limit and think the PCN was unfair, you can appeal. If you do it within 14 days and your challenge is rejected, you might only have to pay 50% of the fine.

Follow the steps on your ticket as appeal rules can vary - Citizens Advice have a guide to help you with what to sayOpens in a new window

It’s important to check what kind of parking fine you have. This is because the rules for dealing with missed payments are different.

A private parking charge is issued by a private company. Shopping centre and supermarket car parks will often be run by private companies.

Private parking tickets are not official fines. If you receive one and you think it’s unfair, you can appeal it with the independent adjudicator Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA).

If you need help making your appeal, find a free guide with template lettersOpens in a new window on MoneySavingExpert.

You might receive a police parking penalty – sometimes called a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

For useful guidance on what to do, go toOpens in a new window the Citizens Advice site.

Have you decided not to appeal and can’t find a way to pay your parking fine? Then it’s best to get debt advice as soon you can, especially if you’ve got other debts as well.

You typically cannot pay a PCN in instalments. The law says a case can only be closed if full payment has been made within a certain timescale. If you’re unsure, check with the council that has issued your fine.

If you’ve missed your payment and you’re within the 28-day limit, find out if they’ve extended their discount payment periods. Or if they can extend the date by which you need to pay it.

If you’ve had multiple parking fines, your council might set up a payment plan or stagger when you make individual payments.

It will help your case if you can explain how much you can afford to pay by setting your personal budget.

See our guide on How to prioritise your debts  to help you work out which ones to pay off first.

If you’ve lost control of your finances, creating a budget can help you get back on track. If you’ve got little or no money left to make up the shortfall of higher living costs, find out about other sources of income and support available to help you manage your money.

Find out what benefits you might be entitled to using the Turn2us Benefits calculatorOpens in a new window

Take a few minutes to check which benefits you can claim and how much you could get a month with our Benefits calculator.

If you’re worried about your finances, look at what you’re spending and what income you have coming in.

Use our Budget planner tool to help you do this.