Before making an informal challenge or formal representation, you need to be sure you have valid reasons to dispute your penalty charge notice (PCN).
The Traffic Management Act 2004 gives statutory grounds or specific reasons to choose to dispute your PCN. If none of them apply, we may consider mitigating circumstances on a case by case basis.
Please choose the most appropriate grounds for the type of PCN you have received.
To dispute your PCN, see dispute your PCN.
Please explain your reasons fully and clearly and provide evidence, such as documents and photographs wherever possible.
Grounds to dispute a parking PCN
A parking PCN can be issued to you by a civil enforcement officer (CEO):
- by being fixed to the vehicle
- by being handed to the person in charge of the vehicle
A parking PCN can also be sent to you by post if the PCN was issued:
- by CCTV
- by the CEO but they were prevented from fixing the PCN to the vehicle
- by the CEO but the vehicle was driven away before they could fix the PCN to it
These are the grounds for disputing a PCN:
This means you thought you could park where you did because you believed the parking restrictions didn’t apply to you; you had a valid permit or another good reason to park there.
Please provide evidence.
This means you think the Council didn’t follow the enforcement laws or the correct procedure, for example, the notice to owner (NTO) was served out of time.
Please provide evidence.
This means the vehicle isn’t yours or you had sold the vehicle before, or bought it after the vehicle was issued with the PCN.
Please provide evidence.
This means the vehicle had been stolen or was being used without your consent.
Please provide all the documentation you hold in relation to your stolen vehicle such as, insurance claim, crime reference number, correspondence from your insurance company or the police.
In all cases, you’ll need to provide evidence to support your dispute.
This means you are being asked to pay the wrong amount for the PCN.
This means you believe the contravention you have been accused of isn’t correct.
Please provide evidence.
This only applies to hire companies where the hirer has signed a qualifying hire agreement accepting liability for penalty charges.
Please provide this as evidence.
This means you believe you have paid the PCN in full.
Please provide evidence of the payment method, date and amount.
This applies only when you receive a PCN in the post because the Council claims the CEO was prevented by someone from issuing the PCN at the scene.
This is only applicable to PCNs issued by CEOs.
Please provide evidence.
Whether or not any of the above apply, the Council will consider all compelling mitigating circumstances on a case by case basis.
Grounds to dispute a CCTV bus lane PCN
This means you thought you could enter the bus lane where you did because you believed there were no restrictions or you entered outside the bus lane hours of operation.
Please provide evidence.
This means the vehicle is not yours or you had sold the vehicle before, or bought it after the vehicle was issued with the PCN.
Please provide evidence.
This means the vehicle had been stolen or was being used without your consent.
Please provide evidence, including a crime reference number or insurance claim.
In all cases, you will need to provide evidence to support your dispute.
Please provide evidence such as a fixed penalty notice or a notice of intended prosecution.
Whether or not any of the above apply, the Council will consider all compelling mitigating circumstances on a case by case basis.
Grounds to dispute a moving traffic PCN
This means you believed the restrictions didn’t apply to you or you had another good reason for doing what you did.
Please provide evidence.
This means the vehicle isn’t yours or you had sold the vehicle before, or bought it after the vehicle was issued with the PCN.
Please provide evidence.
This means the vehicle had been stolen or was being used without your consent.
Please provide evidence, including a crime reference number or insurance claim.
In all cases, you’ll need to provide evidence to support your dispute.
This only applies to hire companies where the hirer has signed a qualifying hire agreement accepting liability for penalty charges.
Please provide this as evidence.
This means you are being asked to pay the wrong amount for the PCN.
Whether or not any of the above apply, the Council will consider all compelling mitigating circumstances on a case by case basis.
Understanding your PCN options
We have created an interactive guide to help you understand your options at each stage of the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) life cycle, so you can make an informed decision on what to do next, visit Understanding your penalty charge notice (PCN).
Frequently asked questions about penalty charge notices
Visit penalty charge notice FAQs.
Page updated on: 6 December 2023