Next steps

Congestion Charge/ Low Emission Zone/Moving Traffic/Lorry Ban/Littering/Waste Receptacles

If you receive a Penalty Charge Notice you have the following options

      1. Pay the Penalty Charge Notice

This should be done within 28 days beginning with the date of the notice.

If you pay within 14 days you are entitled to a discount which is presently 50% for congestion charging, low emission zone, moving traffic and lorry ban Penalty Charge Notices and 40% for littering and waste receptacle Penalty Charge Notices

If you make payment within 28 days, no further action should be taken by the enforcing authority

       2. Make a challenge against the Penalty Charge Notice

If you feel that a mistake has been made in issuing the Penalty Charge Notice, you should write to the enforcing authority. You have 28 days from the date of the notice in which to make your representations.

Please note that if you do not pay the Penalty Charge Notice or make formal representations to the enforcing authority within 28 days of the date of the notice, the enforcing authority may issue you with a Charge Certificate.

Further details of the enforcement process for each specific contravention type can be found on the  pages for Parking and Traffic Adjudicators and Road User Charging Adjudicators

Parking/Bus Lane

 If you receive a Penalty Charge Notice you have the following options

      1. Pay the Penalty Charge Notice

  • If the Penalty Charge Notice was issued at the scene, payment must be RECEIVED by the enforcing authority within 28 days, beginning with the date of the notice. If the enforcing authority receives payment within 14 days you are entitled to a discount which is presently 50%.
  • If the Penalty Charge Notice was for a bus lane contravention, payment must be RECEIVED by the enforcing authority within 28 days beginning with the date of the notice. If the enforcing authority receives payment within 14 days you are entitled to a discount which is presently 50%.

If the enforcing authority does not receive payment of the reduced penalty within 14 days, as outlined above, or the full penalty within 28 days, the next stage in the formal process is for the enforcing authority to send a Notice to Owner or Enforcement Notice.

  • If the Penalty Charge Notice was for a parking contravention issued by post, payment must be RECEIVED by the enforcing authority within 28 days beginning with the date on which the notice was served. If the enforcing authority receives payment within 21 days you are entitled to a discount which is presently 50%

If you do not pay within 14 days, as outlined above, your right to pay the reduced penalty charge ends.

       2. Make a challenge against the Penalty Charge Notice

You can write to the enforcing authority challenging the Penalty Charge Notice and they will consider it.

However, this challenge does not extend the 14 day limit for paying the reduced penalty amount that still applies unless the enforcing authority agree to extend the period while they consider the challenge, but you should check with them whether they will do this as they are not required to.

Further details of the enforcement process for each specific contravention type can be found on the  pages for Parking and Traffic Adjudicators

Clamp/Remove

If a vehicle is immobilised and/or removed to an enforcement authority’s pound, the owner or person in charge of the vehicle who secures its release will be informed in writing of their right to make representations to the relevant enforcement authority.

These representations must be made within 28 days beginning with the date on which the person making them is informed of their right to do so.

Please note that only if you pay for the release of the vehicle will you be able to appeal.

Further details of the enforcement process for each specific contravention type can be found on the  pages for Parking and Traffic Adjudicators