Private Parking Charge? It Is Not a Fine (UK)
A charge from a private parking company looks like a council ticket and is a completely different thing. It is not a fine — only a council or the police can issue one of those. It is a company saying you broke the terms of a contract, and that changes how you deal with it.
The short answer
A private parking charge is a contractual claim by a private company, not a statutory penalty. Appeal to the operator first, normally within 28 days. If they reject it, you can appeal free to an independent body: POPLA where the operator belongs to the British Parking Association, or the IAS where they belong to the International Parking Community. The operator pays for that service, not you, and you normally have 28 days from the rejection.
Contents
Why "not a fine" is not just wording
Only a council or the police can issue a fine or a penalty charge. A private company is asking you to pay a sum it says you owe under the contract formed by parking there. It has no power to add points, and it cannot send bailiffs unless it has first been to court and won.
What it is and is not
- It is a charge under an alleged contract, not a statutory penalty
- No licence points, ever
- No bailiffs without a county court judgment first
- It can still be pursued through the county court, so ignoring it is not safe
Ignoring it is the expensive option
Because it is not a fine, people assume it can be binned. It cannot: the operator can take it to the county court, and an undefended claim becomes a judgment against you. Appeal it or resolve it — do not simply stop opening the letters.
Which appeal body, and how to find out
It depends on which trade association the operator belongs to, and the rejection letter should tell you. Both are free to you and both require the operator to justify the charge with evidence.
The two schemes
- POPLA — for operators in the British Parking Association
- The IAS — for operators in the International Parking Community
- Normally 28 days from the operator's rejection
- You will usually need a code or reference from the rejection letter
What tends to succeed
Signage is the most common ground, because the charge depends on the terms having been communicated clearly enough to form a contract. Photograph every sign, including how visible it is at the time of day you parked and from where a driver would actually see it.
Common successful grounds
- Signage that is unclear, obscured, too high, or absent at the entrance
- A payment made, with evidence — including a mistyped registration where payment was genuinely made
- Incorrect vehicle or location details on the notice
- The vehicle sold, or not in your keeping, at the time
- A stay within the free period, with evidence of arrival and departure
Appeal to a private parking operator
Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.
Subject: Appeal against parking charge [reference], vehicle [registration] Dear [Operator], I am appealing parking charge [reference], issued on [date] at [location] in respect of vehicle [registration]. The grounds for my appeal are: [state them factually — for example that the signage did not clearly set out the terms, that a valid payment or permit was in place, that the vehicle details are wrong, or that the stay was within the period allowed]. I enclose [evidence: photographs of the signage, payment confirmation, permit]. I ask you to cancel this charge. If you reject this appeal, please provide the verification code or reference I need to appeal to [POPLA / the IAS]. Kind regards, [Your Name]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming it can be ignored because it is not a real fine
- Treating it as a council PCN and using the wrong deadline and the wrong body
- Naming the driver unnecessarily when the operator is pursuing the keeper
- Appealing on fairness rather than on whether the terms were properly communicated
- Missing the 28-day window to escalate after the operator rejects it
- Not photographing the signage, which is the most commonly successful ground
Next steps
- 1Confirm it is from a private company, not a council
- 2Note the operator's appeal deadline, usually 28 days
- 3Photograph the signage as a driver would see it, and the bay
- 4Appeal to the operator with the evidence attached
- 5If rejected, get the code and appeal free to POPLA or the IAS
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