Guides · Council PCNs
A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from a council covers parking, bus lanes and some moving traffic rules. It is a civil penalty, not a criminal fine, and there is a clear route to challenge it.
A civil penalty from a council, usually for parking in the wrong place, staying too long or driving in a bus lane. It is not a criminal record and does not put points on your licence.
Councils usually take 50% off if you pay within 14 days, or 21 days if the PCN came by post from a camera. If you challenge within that time, most councils keep the discount open while they decide.
If the PCN was put on your car, you can write to the council straight away explaining why it should be cancelled. Include photos and any proof you have.
If the PCN is not paid or cancelled, the council sends a Notice to Owner to the registered keeper. You then have 28 days to make formal representations, for example that the contravention did not happen.
If the council rejects your formal representations, you can appeal for free to an independent adjudicator: the Traffic Penalty Tribunal outside London, or London Tribunals in London.
If you neither pay nor challenge after the Notice to Owner, the council can issue a Charge Certificate, which usually adds 50% to the full amount.
General information for England and Wales, not legal advice. Rules can differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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