4 times you can chuck parking tickets ‘straight in bin’ without paying

Most drivers have found themselves in this frustration at least once – you return to your parked vehicle to find a pesky penalty charge notice stuck to your windscreen.

But did you know there are four instances in which you can avoid paying your parking fine?

According to an expert from Which?, there are occasions you can throw your notice “straight in the bin” and not pay a penny – whilst the rest can be disputed.

Check out the guidance below on parking fines to make sure you’re following the rules.

That way, you won’t be forking out for fines you don’t have to pay for.

When can you appeal your fine?

“You can appeal if the signs aren’t clear, if you’re charged more than £100, or if you have a mitigating reason like ill health or your vehicle broke down,” the expert revealed.

“So the big question is, ‘Is the parking company part of an accredited trade association?'” the Which expert advised. Such associations are the British Parking Association (BPA) or the Independent Parking Committee (IPC).

“If it’s not, then ignore it,” she instructed. “It won’t be able to get your details from the DVLA to make you pay.”

If the parking company is accredited, however, the Which? expert suggests writing an appeal letter to it, and including evidence such as details of your mitigating circumstances and photos of poor signage.

She continued: “For members of the BPA, you have 28 days after rejection to appeal to the Parking On Private Lands Appeals (POPLA). Whilst for the IPC, you have 21 days after rejection to take it to the Independent Appeals Service.”

The Which? expert closed by pointing out that if the independent adjudicator disagrees with you, your final option is to take the parking company to court. However, she warned: “But do this and lose and you’ll have to cover it’s legal costs too.”

According to the RAC, private parking firms issued a record 14.4 million tickets (14,371,841) to drivers over the 12 months ending March 2025.

The organisation adds: “The figure of 14.4m is more than double the number six years ago (6,808,344 in 2018-19), just before the Government passed an Act of Parliament intended to clamp down on rogue private parking operators. It is also 13% up on the 12.8m seen in 2023/2024.”

Meanwhile, over £42million from Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) has been racked up over the past year from the UK’s worst-hit streets for parking and driving fines. New data obtained by Confused.com via a Freedom of Information Request to UK councils found that some single streets are responsible for more than 50% of all penalties issued in the local council they’re located in.

The data reveals that local authorities collected over half a billion pounds (£530 million) in PCN fines over the 12 month period, with a whopping £42,194,821 was collected for offences committed on the worst offending streets.

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