Private vs Council Parking Tickets: Know the Difference (2025 Guide)

You come back to your car and see a yellow packet on the windscreen. Or a letter drops through the door with "Penalty Charge Notice" in bold at the top. Most people call all of these "parking fines". In UK law, though, there's a big difference between private parking tickets and council Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) – and that difference affects how you appeal, what happens if you ignore it, and when discounts apply.

About PCN-Beater: We help drivers by drafting and posting appeal letters for £6.99. We are a document-preparation and postal service, not a law firm, and do not give legal advice or guarantee any outcome.

In this guide:

• Step One – Is Your Ticket Private or Council?
• Private Parking Charge Notices – Civil Debts on Private Land
• Council Penalty Charge Notices – Statutory Civil Penalties
• Discounts, Deadlines and the Small Print
• Keepers, Drivers and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
• Deciding What to Do Next
• How PCN-Beater Fits In
• FAQ – Private vs Council Parking Tickets

Step One – Is Your Ticket Private or Council?

Before you decide what to do, you need to know what kind of ticket you've got.

How to recognise a council Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

A council PCN is a statutory civil penalty issued under laws such as the Traffic Management Act 2004 and related regulations.

Typical signs it's a council PCN:

• Issued by a local authority, Transport for London, or another public body
• Shows the council's name and logo/crest
• Uses the words "Penalty Charge Notice" (often shortened to "PCN")
• May refer to Traffic Management Act 2004, London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003, or Transport Act 2000 (for bus lanes)
• Clear instructions to pay or challenge with the council
• For moving traffic or bus lanes, the PCN usually arrives by post with photos or video stills

Council PCNs are part of a formal enforcement process. If you ignore them, the amount can increase and, eventually, bailiffs (enforcement agents) can become involved.

How to recognise a private Parking Charge Notice

A private Parking Charge Notice is not a fine. It is a claim for money under a contract on private land – for example, a supermarket, retail park, hospital, gym, or private housing estate.

According to National Debtline and Citizens Advice, these are civil debts, not criminal penalties.

Typical signs it's a private parking charge:

• Issued by a company, not a council (e.g. "XYZ Parking Ltd")
• Land is private – supermarket, retail park, hotel, residential estate, business park, etc.
• Uses the words "Parking Charge Notice", "Parking Charge", or similar
• Talks about "terms and conditions of parking" or "contractual charge" rather than specific Acts of Parliament
• May show trade body logos such as BPA (British Parking Association) or IPC (International Parking Community)
• Appeals go to the company first, then (if they are in a trade body scheme) to POPLA or the IAS, not to a council tribunal

⚠️ Watch for scams: UK councils have warned about fake PCN text messages with links to dodgy payment sites. Real council PCNs are not issued purely by text – they will be a physical ticket or an official letter, with clear details of the vehicle, location and appeal rights.

Quick comparison: private vs council parking tickets

Private Parking Charge Notices – Civil Debts on Private Land

Private Parking Charge Notices are usually left on your windscreen or sent by post after ANPR/CCTV has recorded your vehicle entering and leaving a private car park.

Key points:

• They are not criminal fines – they are a demand for money under a civil contract
• The maximum charge under current industry codes is normally £100, before any discounts
• Companies often offer a reduced amount (for example £60 instead of £100) if you pay quickly

How private parking appeals usually work

The exact process depends on which trade association the company belongs to.

Step 1: Check the company and deadlines

• Look on the ticket/signs for BPA or IPC logos
• There will usually be a time limit (often 28 days) to send an appeal

Step 2: Appeal to the parking company

• You write (usually online) to say why you think the charge is unfair or wrong
• Include evidence: photos of signs, proof of payment, Blue Badge, timing issues, etc.
• While they are considering your appeal, they should pause enforcement

Step 3: Independent appeal (if available)

• BPA members → POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals) is an independent body that can consider appeals against tickets from BPA Approved Operator Scheme members
• IPC members → IAS (Independent Appeals Service) deals with appeals for IPC members. It looks mainly at legal compliance
• For most BPA companies, you have 28 days from rejection of your first appeal to go to POPLA

If the company is not in BPA or IPC, there may be no independent appeal scheme. You can still complain to the company, landowner, or relevant trade/consumer bodies, but the process is less formal.

What happens if you ignore a private parking charge?

According to National Debtline, private parking charges are civil debts. If you don't deal with them, the company can try to recover the debt through the courts.

Typical chain:

1. Reminder letters: The operator sends more letters. The debt may be passed to a debt collection agency. These agencies can ask for payment but they are not bailiffs – they cannot come in and seize goods.
2. Possible County Court claim: Some companies issue County Court claims for unpaid charges. If you ignore a claim form, the court can make a County Court Judgment (CCJ) in default.
3. If the company wins and you still don't pay: A CCJ that is not paid within one month can affect your credit file. Only after a court judgment and further steps can enforcement agents (bailiffs) be instructed.

So while some private tickets are never pursued, relying on that is a gamble. If you think the ticket is unfair, it is usually safer to appeal in time rather than do nothing.

Council Penalty Charge Notices – Statutory Civil Penalties

Council PCNs cover on-street and council-run car park parking, bus lanes, some moving traffic contraventions (e.g. box junctions, banned turns, school streets), and certain road charging schemes (e.g. Dart Charge, congestion and emissions zones).

These are civil penalties set by law. National Debtline notes they are different from both criminal fines and private parking charges.

Council PCN appeal stages

The process can vary slightly, but in England and Wales it usually looks like this:

1. PCN is issued

• On the windscreen or handed to you (for parking)
• Or by post (for bus lanes, moving traffic, and some camera-enforced parking)
• You'll be told the alleged contravention, the amount, and how long you have to pay or challenge

2. Informal challenge (mainly for on-street parking PCNs)

• If the PCN was put on your vehicle, you can usually make an informal challenge to the council before they send a Notice to Owner
• It's free to challenge
• You explain why you think the PCN is wrong or unfair, and include any evidence
• Many councils say that if you challenge within the discount period (often 14 days) and they reject it, they will re-offer the discount for a further period. This is backed by government guidance but is not an absolute legal right

3. Notice to Owner (NtO) and formal representations

• If the PCN is not paid or cancelled, the council sends a Notice to Owner to the registered keeper
• You normally have 28 days from the date of the NtO to make formal representations
• You pick one or more grounds listed in the NtO and explain your case

4. Appeal to an independent tribunal

• If the council rejects your formal representations, they send a Notice of Rejection with details of how to appeal
• Inside London: London Tribunals (Environment and Traffic Adjudicators)
• Outside London: Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT)
• Tribunal appeals are free
• You can usually appeal online and upload your evidence
• The adjudicator is an independent lawyer whose decision is binding on the council

For more details on appealing London parking tickets, Manchester parking tickets, or Birmingham parking tickets, see our city guides.

What happens if you ignore a council PCN?

If you do nothing, the debt escalates in stages:

1. Penalty Charge Notice: 28 days to pay or challenge
2. Charge Certificate: If you don't pay or appeal in time, the council can issue a Charge Certificate. This typically increases the penalty by 50% (for example, £70 → £105). You usually have 14 days to pay at this higher rate.
3. Order for Recovery: If the Charge Certificate is unpaid, the council can register the debt with the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) and send an Order for Recovery. A small court fee is added. You then have 21 days to pay in full or file a witness statement/statutory declaration if you have valid reasons.
4. Enforcement agents (bailiffs): If you still do nothing, the council can instruct certified enforcement agents to recover the debt. Bailiffs can add significant fees and may seize goods if the debt remains unpaid.

Council PCNs do not normally affect your credit score, but bailiff action is serious and can be very stressful. It is usually much better to challenge or pay within the time limits than to let things reach this stage.

Discounts, Deadlines and the Small Print

Council PCN discounts

• For most parking PCNs (on-street or council car parks), you get 50% off if you pay within 14 days of the PCN date
• For many bus lane and moving traffic PCNs (normally postal), you get 50% off if you pay within 21 days
• You usually have 28 days in total to pay or make formal representations
• Government guidance says that if you challenge within the discount period and the council rejects your challenge, many councils re-offer the discount window – but this is policy, not a guaranteed legal right

Learn more about how the "stop the clock" rule protects your discount.

Private parking discounts

Private parking is not set by statute, but most large operators follow trade body codes:

• BPA Approved Operator Scheme: Parking charges must not exceed £100. If prompt payment is made (within 14 days), a discount of at least 40% must be offered.
• IPC Code of Practice: Also requires a discounted fee for payment received within 14 days.

The UK Government tried to introduce a statutory Private Parking Code of Practice in 2022, but this was withdrawn after legal challenges. A new consultation, launched in 2025, is looking again at charge levels and the standard 40% discount.

Bottom line:

• With council PCNs, the standard early payment discount is 50%, usually for 14 or 21 days depending on the type of PCN
• With private parking charges, BPA/IPC members must offer at least a 40% discount if you pay within 14 days; some choose to offer 50%, but that's not guaranteed by law

Keepers, Drivers and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

For private parking, a key question is: "Can they chase me as the registered keeper if I don't say who was driving?"

The answer depends on the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA), Schedule 4.

When can a private company hold the keeper liable?

Under PoFA Schedule 4, in England and Wales, a private parking firm can, in some cases, make the registered keeper liable for an unpaid parking charge if:

• The land is "relevant land" (not public highway, airport land with byelaws, railway land with byelaws, or certain other land under statutory control)
• The company follows strict paperwork and timing rules, including:
  • The notice identifies the vehicle, the period of parking, and the location
  • If a windscreen ticket was issued, a Notice to Keeper must be sent within specific time limits (typically between 28 and 56 days)
  • If there was no windscreen ticket (e.g. ANPR camera), the Notice to Keeper must usually arrive within 14 days of the parking event
  • The notice must clearly state that the company is seeking to transfer liability to the keeper under Schedule 4 of PoFA

When keeper liability does not apply

• The land is not "relevant land" (for example, many airport roads and some railway station car parks with byelaws)
• The company's paperwork does not meet PoFA requirements (wording, timings, missing information)
• The ticket relates to Scotland or Northern Ireland, where PoFA Schedule 4 has not been brought into force for private parking

MoneySavingExpert and the RAC both confirm that there is no statutory keeper liability in Scotland or Northern Ireland – companies can only pursue the driver, not the keeper.

For more on how operators handle this, see our guides on ParkingEye tickets, Excel Parking tickets, and APCOA tickets.

Deciding What to Do Next – Private vs Council

Once you know what kind of ticket you have, the next step is to decide how to respond.

If it's a private parking ticket

Useful checks include:

• Signage: Were the signs easy to see when you drove in and parked? Did they clearly show the rules and the charge for breaking them?
• Timing and evidence: For ANPR tickets, check entry and exit times vs paid time and any grace period. Keep proof of payment (tickets, app screenshots, bank statements).
• Machine or app problems: Was the machine out of order or the app not working? Did you make reasonable attempts to pay?
• Blue Badge / reasonable adjustments: If you or a passenger are disabled, lack of reasonable adjustments, time to park, or poor signage can be relevant.

Options:

• Appeal to the company within their stated deadline, with clear reasons and evidence
• Escalate to POPLA or IAS if they're in BPA/IPC and your first appeal is rejected
• Pay the discounted amount if you decide the charge is probably valid and you want the matter closed quickly
• Be aware that if you ignore the ticket completely, you may lose the discount and risk a county court claim later

If it's a council PCN

Here, focus on legal signs, markings and procedure.

Check:

• Contravention details: Does the PCN show the correct date, time, location, VRM and contravention code?
• Road markings and signs: Are lines and bays clearly marked? Are restriction signs present, visible and consistent?
• Ticket / permit / Blue Badge: Was your ticket valid and displayed correctly? Was your Blue Badge correctly shown and not expired?

Then decide:

• If you think the PCN is clearly wrong, it's usually worth making at least an informal challenge (for on-street PCNs) or going straight to formal representations (for postal PCNs)
• If your case is weak and the discount is still available, you might decide it's safer to pay the reduced amount rather than risk the full penalty

How PCN-Beater Fits In

Dealing with a parking ticket when you're stressed, busy and worried about money is hard. That's where PCN-Beater can help.

PCN-Beater:

• Asks you simple questions about your ticket, situation and evidence
• Uses AI to draft a structured appeal letter in your name
• Prints and posts your letter 1st Class to the council or parking company for £6.99, usually within 48 hours

Important:

• PCN-Beater is a document-preparation and postal service, not a law firm
• We do not give legal advice or represent you
• We cannot guarantee that any ticket will be cancelled
• The letter goes in your name, helping you present your case clearly and calmly

If you already understand the process but hate writing formal letters, this can be a low-cost way to get your arguments down on paper and off your to-do list.

FAQ – Private vs Council Parking Tickets

1. Is a private parking charge the same as a council fine?

No. A council PCN is a statutory civil penalty issued under parking and traffic laws by a public authority. A private parking charge is a civil claim from a landowner or their agent, based on an alleged contract breach on private land. People often call both "fines", but the law treats them very differently.

2. Can a private parking company send bailiffs to my house?

Not by themselves. A private company must first take you to the county court, win the case and get a judgment. You then fail to pay that judgment. Only then could they apply for enforcement, which might involve enforcement agents (bailiffs). Debt collectors who send letters are not bailiffs and have no special powers.

3. Do I lose the council discount if I appeal?

For many council PCNs, if you challenge within 14 days (or 21 days for some postal/bus lane PCNs) and the council rejects your challenge, government guidance says you may still only have to pay 50% if you then pay promptly. However, this is not guaranteed by law. Always read your PCN and any rejection letter carefully to see what the council is offering.

4. Can a parking ticket affect my credit score?

Council PCNs: No, not directly. They are not credit agreements and do not appear on your credit file. However, if things escalate to bailiff enforcement, fees can hurt you financially.

Private parking charges: Only if the company gets a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you and you don't pay it within one month could it end up on your credit file.

5. Do I have to say who was driving?

In England and Wales, PoFA Schedule 4 can make the keeper liable if the driver is not named and the company has fully complied with the rules. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, there is currently no statutory keeper liability for private parking.

6. How do I tell if my ticket is real and not a scam?

Look for: the issuer's full name and address, clear vehicle details, date, time and location, proper appeal and payment instructions. For council PCNs, look for the council logo and references to parking/traffic legislation. Be cautious of text messages or WhatsApp messages out of the blue demanding payment with a link – councils have warned that many of these are scams.

7. Is my parking ticket private or council?

Use this checklist:

• Council name and crest + "Penalty Charge Notice" + references to laws → council PCN
• Company name + "Parking Charge Notice" + contract wording + BPA/IPC logo → private parking charge

8. Can PCN-Beater help with both private and council tickets?

Yes. PCN-Beater is designed to help UK drivers with both private parking tickets and council PCNs by drafting and posting a tailored appeal letter in your name for £6.99. It does not decide whether you should pay or appeal – that choice is always yours.

Conclusion

Understanding private vs council parking tickets is the first step to staying calm and making a smart decision.

• A council PCN is a statutory civil penalty with a strict appeal and enforcement route
• A private Parking Charge Notice is a civil debt based on a contract on private land
• Each has its own rules on appeals, discounts, deadlines and enforcement

Once you know "Is my parking ticket private or council?", you can choose whether to appeal, pay the discount, or seek further advice – instead of ignoring it and hoping it goes away.

If you'd like help turning your notes and evidence into a clear, professional appeal letter, PCN-Beater can draft, print and post it for you for £6.99, so you can get on with your life while your case is put forward properly in your own name.

Disclaimer: This guide is based on current information from sources such as gov.uk, Citizens Advice, National Debtline, BPA, IPC, POPLA, IAS, London Tribunals and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Parking law and industry codes can change, so always check the latest rules on your specific ticket. This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. PCN-Beater is a document-preparation and letter-posting service, not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice or represent you, and we cannot guarantee any particular outcome. If you need advice on your specific circumstances, you should speak to a qualified legal professional.