Council tickets vs private parking charges

Why this is the first question

Almost every mistake we see starts here. People treat a private parking charge like a council fine, or the other way round, and end up appealing to the wrong place, missing a deadline, or paying something they could have challenged.

The two are issued by different kinds of organisation, under different legal frameworks, and they are challenged through different routes. Establishing which one you have takes about thirty seconds and changes everything that follows.

Council and local authority tickets

These are usually called Penalty Charge Notices. They are issued by councils and other local authorities for parking on the public highway and in council-run car parks — on yellow lines, in residents' bays, in loading bays, overstaying in a metered bay, and so on.

Because these are issued by a public body, the process is set out in regulations. There is a formal challenge stage with the council, and if that is rejected there is an independent tribunal you can escalate to at no cost to you.

• Issued by a council, local authority or Transport for London
• Typically for parking on public roads or in council car parks
• Formal challenge to the issuer, then an independent tribunal

Private parking charges

These are usually called Parking Charge Notices and are issued by private parking operators on private land: retail parks, supermarkets, hospitals, railway station car parks, residential estates and industrial units.

A private parking charge is not a fine. It is a claim for money based on the terms displayed on the signs at the site, so the signage matters a great deal. Most operators belong to an accredited trade association, and membership normally brings with it an independent appeals service you can use for free once the operator has rejected your own challenge.

• Issued by a private company, not a public authority
• Based on the terms on the signs at that specific site
• Operator appeal first, then the relevant independent appeals service

What to do next

Once you know which type you are holding, read the notice properly — including the small print on the back — and note every date it mentions. Then decide whether you are paying or challenging, and do it inside the window the notice gives you.