- What counts as a PCN, and what doesn't
- Who you challenge, ticket by ticket
- The deadlines, from ticket to bailiffs
- The 14 day rule that softens a failed challenge
- Making your challenge to the council or TfL
- Appealing to London Tribunals or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal
- When an order of recovery arrives
- My advice if a PCN lands on your car
- Frequently asked questions
A penalty charge notice (PCN) is a fine from a local council, Transport for London or Dart Charge for parking, some traffic offences or a zone charge you didn't pay on time. You usually have 28 days to pay or challenge it, and GOV.UK says that if you challenge within 14 days and lose, you may only have to pay 50% of the fine.
A PCN on the windscreen or through the letterbox comes with a clock attached, and every step after it has its own deadline. Miss one and the amount grows, then a court order follows, then bailiffs. This guide walks through the official process from GOV.UK's pages on parking tickets and on appealing a penalty charge notice, so you know which door is open at each stage.
What counts as a PCN, and what doesn't
As well as parking, GOV.UK says you can get a PCN for breaking some traffic rules, such as going against a 'no right turn' sign or driving in a bus lane, and for not paying the London congestion charge, the low emission zone charge or the Dartford Crossing charge (Dart Charge) on time. PCNs come from local councils, Dart Charge and Transport for London (TfL).
A fixed penalty notice (FPN) is a different thing. It can come from the police, a local council or the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), and you challenge it in a magistrates' court, not with the council. Tickets from private companies, such as supermarket car parks, sit outside this system too. Paying and challenging parking tickets also works differently in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Who you challenge, ticket by ticket
| Type of ticket | How you usually challenge it |
|---|---|
| Local council PCN left on the spot, for example on your windscreen | An informal challenge with the council |
| Local council PCN sent in the post, for example a 'notice to owner' | A formal challenge, called a representation, with the council |
| Dart Charge PCN | A representation to Dart Charge |
| Red route, congestion charge or low emission zone PCN | A representation to TfL |
| Fixed penalty notice | Through a magistrates' court, following the back of the ticket |
| Private company ticket | With the company first, then POPLA or the Independent Appeals Service |
The deadlines, from ticket to bailiffs
- You get the PCN. You usually have 28 days to pay or to challenge it, and in some cases the fine is reduced if you pay within 14 days.
- If an informal challenge is rejected, you'll get a 'notice to owner'. You then have 28 days to make a formal challenge (a representation).
- If the representation is rejected, you'll get a 'notice of rejection', which gives you 28 days to pay or to appeal to an independent tribunal.
- If you neither pay nor appeal, you'll get a 'charge certificate': you then have 14 days to pay the original fine plus 50% more.
- If you don't pay the charge certificate within 14 days, you'll get a court order demanding payment, called an 'order of recovery'. You have 21 days to pay or to challenge it.
- If you don't pay or challenge within those 21 days, bailiffs (enforcement agents) will be told to visit your home to collect what you owe.
The 14 day rule that softens a failed challenge
This is the detail most drivers don't realise. GOV.UK says that if you challenge a PCN within 14 days and your challenge is rejected, you may only have to pay 50% of the fine. In other words, challenging early doesn't always mean you give up the reduced amount. Check the ticket itself, though, because GOV.UK is clear that some types of PCN have different rules.
Making your challenge to the council or TfL
If an informal challenge is accepted, you won't have to pay the fine. A formal challenge is more serious. GOV.UK says you must explain your reasons for challenging in as much detail as possible and provide copies of any evidence or documents that support you. Photos of missing signs, a receipt or a permit are the sort of thing that does the talking here. If your representation is accepted, you won't have to pay. If you've lost the ticket, contact the issuer to find out how to challenge it.
Appealing to London Tribunals or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal
You can only appeal after a formal challenge has been rejected and you've received the notice of rejection in the post. From then, you have 28 days. It applies to any PCN issued in England or Wales for parking, moving traffic contraventions such as driving in a bus lane, and unpaid Dartford Crossing, congestion or low emission zone charges.
Where you appeal depends on where the PCN was issued: London Tribunals for PCNs issued in London, and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal for PCNs issued elsewhere in England or Wales, including Dart Charge PCNs. If your appeal succeeds, the PCN is cancelled and you won't have to pay anything.
If it fails, you'll have 28 days to pay. Don't pay within that time and you'll get a charge certificate and have to pay 50% more within 14 days. GOV.UK's own example: a 60 pounds PCN becomes 90 pounds.
When an order of recovery arrives
You can challenge an order of recovery if you didn't get a notice to owner, made a formal challenge on time but never got a notice of rejection, appealed to a tribunal on time but never got a response, or have proof you've already paid, such as a credit card statement. The order tells you which type of PCN you have, and that decides the form:
- Form TE13 for a parking PCN, a moving traffic contravention outside London, or a Dart Charge, Mersey Gateway or clean air zone PCN.
- Form PE3 for a moving traffic contravention in a London borough, or a low emission or clean air zone PCN.
Read the notes first to check whether you need a witness or a fee, then send the form to the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) by email or post within 21 days. If you win, the order is withdrawn and bailiffs can't seize your property. The council will then cancel the PCN, issue a new notice to owner (giving you 28 days to pay or challenge), or refer the case to a tribunal.
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If you've missed the 21 days
You can make an 'out of time' challenge if you were contacted about a PCN you didn't know about, about one that was already paid or cancelled, or if you never got a response to your representation or appeal. You send form TE14 together with TE13 or PE3. Bailiffs must stop while it's considered. If the council refuses it, the TEC reviews it, and after that you can ask a judge to review the TEC's decision by sending application notice N244 within 14 days. GOV.UK says that costs 126 pounds as of Nov 2026, and you might get help with court fees on a low income or certain benefits.
My advice if a PCN lands on your car
Read the ticket the day it arrives and write the 14 day and 28 day dates in your calendar, because almost every bad outcome on GOV.UK's Parking fines and penalty charge notices page starts with a missed deadline. If you think it's wrong, challenge early and with evidence, since a rejected challenge inside 14 days may still let you pay the reduced amount. If you think it's right, pay it inside 14 days and move on. And never ignore post from the council or the Traffic Enforcement Centre: an order of recovery gives you 21 days, not 28.
If you drive in cities a lot, a few apps for drivers help with parking and route planning, and these car care tips cover the rest of life behind the wheel.
Frequently asked questions
How long have I got to pay a penalty charge notice?
You usually have 28 days. In some cases the fine is reduced if you pay within 14 days. If you don't pay within 28 days, you'll get a charge certificate and 14 days to pay the fine plus 50% more.
Can I still pay the reduced amount if my challenge fails?
GOV.UK says that if you challenge within 14 days and the challenge is rejected, you may only have to pay 50% of the fine. Check your ticket, as some types of PCN have different rules.
Where do I appeal a PCN?
After your formal challenge is rejected, appeal within 28 days to London Tribunals if the PCN was issued in London, or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if it was issued elsewhere in England or Wales, including Dart Charge PCNs.
What happens if I lose my appeal?
You'll have 28 days to pay. If you don't, you'll get a charge certificate and have to pay 50% more within 14 days, so a 60 pounds PCN becomes 90 pounds.
What is an order of recovery?
It's a court order demanding payment of an unpaid PCN. You have 21 days to pay or challenge it using form TE13 or PE3, or bailiffs will be told to visit your home.
Is a private parking ticket a PCN?
No. Tickets from private companies, such as supermarket car parks, are challenged with the company, then appealed to POPLA or the Independent Appeals Service depending on the trade association the operator belongs to.
