Penalty charge notices
How much a council PCN costs
The face value depends on the location and the contravention. The amount then halves during the discount period or rises by half after a charge certificate.
£70
£160
50%
Checked on 7 September 2026.London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026)
Parking penalty bands
| Area | Higher | Higher early | Lower | Lower early | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outside London, band 1 | £60 | £30 | £40 | £20 | legislation.gov.uk, Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Guidelines on Levels of Charges) (England) Order 2007 (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Outside London, band 2 | £70 | £35 | £50 | £25 | legislation.gov.uk, Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Guidelines on Levels of Charges) (England) Order 2007 (as of 7 September 2026) |
| London, band A | £160 | £80 | £110 | £55 | London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026) |
| London, band B | £140 | £70 | £90 | £45 | London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026) |
Higher level penalties cover more serious contraventions, such as parking on a yellow line. Lower level penalties generally cover a failure to follow the conditions where parking was allowed, such as overstaying a paid period.
What the discount and surcharge do
The London charge certificate amounts are derived from the published current charge and the published 50 per cent statutory increase.
When does the amount change?
A parking PCN normally offers half price for 14 days, or 21 days where it was issued using camera evidence. The full penalty is normally due within 28 days. A later charge certificate adds 50 per cent and gives 14 days to pay.
Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026); GOV.UK, Parking fines and penalty charge notices: Paying a ticket (as of 7 September 2026)
- Paying normally closes the case, so do not pay first if you intend to challenge.
- An authority will often preserve or reoffer the discount after a prompt informal challenge, but check the notice because that treatment is not identical in every case.
- Once the charge certificate is served, the normal merits appeal stage has passed. The later witness statement route only covers specified procedural failures.
Common questions
- How much is a council parking PCN outside London?
- The statutory bands are £60 or £70 for a higher level contravention and £40 or £50 for a lower level one. The authority must set its charges using one of those bands.
- How much is a parking PCN in London?
- Band A is £160 at the higher level and £110 at the lower level. Band B is £140 and £90. The location and the kind of contravention decide which amount appears on the notice.
- How long is the PCN discount period?
- It is normally 14 days for a parking PCN served at the vehicle. A parking PCN produced from camera evidence normally has a 21 day discount period. Read the dates printed on the notice.
- How much does a charge certificate add?
- It increases the unpaid penalty by 50 per cent. The increased sum is then due within 14 days, after which the authority can register the amount as a debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk, Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Guidelines on Levels of Charges) (England) Order 2007 (as of 7 September 2026)
- London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026)
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Parking fines and penalty charge notices: Paying a ticket (as of 7 September 2026)