How long do I have to pay a parking fine?

For drivers in England and Wales who have a parking ticket and want to know how to pay or challenge it.

Applies to: England, Wales Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

Official figures may have changed. Check the source.

In England and Wales, you usually have 28 days to pay, and some fines are reduced if you pay within 14 days.

Council penalty charge notices (PCNs): if you don't pay within 28 days, you get a charge certificate and have 14 days to pay the original fine plus 50%. If you still don't pay, you'll get a court order demanding payment.
Fixed penalty notices (FPNs): if you don't pay within 28 days, you pay 50% more, and you can be prosecuted.
PCNs also cover things like bus lanes and the Dart Charge.
Private car park tickets have their own rules.
Paying and challenging parking tickets is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

28 days to pay
Often halved within 14 days
50% more if late

Deadlines to know

You have 28 days to challenge a council penalty charge notice (PCN).
Challenge within 14 days and, if your challenge is rejected, you may still only have to pay 50% of the fine.
After a notice of rejection, you have 28 days to pay or appeal to an independent tribunal.

Which kind of ticket do you have?

Ticket	Who issues it	How to challenge
Penalty charge notice (PCN)	Council, or bodies like TfL and Dart Charge	Challenge the council or authority, then a tribunal
Fixed penalty notice (FPN)	Police, council or DVSA	Go to a magistrates' court (the back of the ticket explains how)
Standard or excess charge notice	Council	Check the ticket or contact the issuer
Private parking ticket	Private company	Contact the company, then an independent appeals service

How to challenge a council PCN

Informal challenge. If the ticket was put on your car or handed to you, write to the council that issued it. If the council accepts, you pay nothing.
Formal challenge ("representation"). If the PCN came by post, or your informal challenge was turned down, you make a formal challenge. Explain your reasons in as much detail as possible and send evidence.
Notice of rejection. If the council says no, you get a notice of rejection. It gives you 28 days to pay or appeal.
Tribunal appeal. Appeal to London Tribunals for PCNs issued in London, or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal for PCNs issued elsewhere in England or Wales. If you win, the PCN is cancelled and you pay nothing.

For Dart Charge, red route, Congestion Charge and Low Emission Zone PCNs, you make a representation to the authority that runs that scheme.

What to include

The PCN number and your vehicle registration.
Your reasons for challenging, in as much detail as possible, for example that the contravention did not happen or you did not own the vehicle at the time.
Any evidence that backs up your reasons, such as photos or documents.

Keep copies of everything you send.

Private parking tickets

These are not council fines. Contact the company that issued the ticket first. If it rejects your challenge, you can appeal to POPLA if the company is a member of the British Parking Association, or the IAS if it is a member of the International Parking Community.

Free help

Citizens Advice can help you decide whether to challenge and how to write your letter. In Scotland, use Citizens Advice Scotland. In Northern Ireland, use Advice NI or Citizens Advice NI.

If you miss the deadline

If you do not pay or appeal after a notice of rejection, you get a "charge certificate". You then have 14 days to pay the original fine plus 50% more. If you still do not pay, you get a court order demanding payment.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Wales: the same process as England applies, with appeals to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
Scotland: paying and challenging parking tickets works differently. Follow the deadlines printed on your ticket, and check the penalty charge notice guidance on mygov.scot.
Northern Ireland: PCNs are issued by the Department for Infrastructure. Challenge first with its Parking Enforcement Processing Unit. If rejected, you have 28 days from the notice of rejection to appeal to the Northern Ireland Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Parking tickets: challenging a ticket (GOV.UK)
Parking fines and penalty charge notices (GOV.UK)
Challenge a parking fine (GOV.UK)
Appeal against a penalty charge notice (GOV.UK)
Penalty charge notices in Scotland (mygov.scot)
Northern Ireland Traffic Penalty Tribunal (Department of Justice NI)

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Pay a parking fine

Common questions

How do I appeal a council parking fine?

Challenge the council first, then if it sends a notice of rejection you can appeal to an independent tribunal. That is London Tribunals for PCNs issued in London, or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal elsewhere in England and Wales.

How long do I have to appeal a parking fine?

You have 28 days to challenge a council PCN, and 28 days from a notice of rejection to appeal to the tribunal.

Will I still get the 50% discount if my challenge fails?

If you challenge within 14 days and it is rejected, you may only have to pay 50% of the fine.

How do I appeal a private parking ticket?

Contact the company first, then appeal to POPLA if it is a British Parking Association member, or the IAS if it is an International Parking Community member.

Official sources

1.Parking fines and penalty charge noticeswww.gov.uk/parking-tickets
2.Challenging a ticketwww.gov.uk/parking-tickets/challenging-a-ticket
3.Appeal against a penalty charge noticewww.gov.uk/appeal-against-a-penalty-charge-notice

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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