Find out what a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is and what to do if you get one.
A penalty charge notice (PCN) is a ticket given to a driver who has committed a parking, waiting or moving traffic offence.
Parking offences include:
PCNs are also issued for moving traffic offences, for example, driving into a bus lane.
A PCN is usually a notice stuck to your car window or a letter received through the post.
You can accept the PCN and pay it, or you can challenge it. If you ignore it, it will end up costing you more.
Find out more about your rights if you get a PCN.
View the evidence on your case.
Pay it online if you do not want to challenge it. If you pay within 14 or 21 days of the date of your PCN, you will get a 50% discount. The amount of days is dependent on the traffic violation you received the PCN for.
Call 0118 937 3077 if you have lost your PCN number.
When submitting your challenge, you must provide copies of any supporting evidence. You will also need to fully explain your reason for challenging it.
Please note any Freedom of Information requests contained within a challenge or representation, may not be logged until the submission is read. This can be up to 56 days later. Any FOI’s requiring immediate attention should be raised using the Freedom of Information request form. For more information please see the FOI pages.
If you have challenged a PCN and do not agree with the decision, you can make an appeal to the independent adjudicator or Traffic Penalty Tribunal. You must do this within 28 days of the date of the Notice of Rejection being served.
You can find more information about your options and how to appeal on the:
If we do not receive payment or correspondence from you during the 28 day period after the PCN issue date, we may issue a Notice to Owner, followed by a Charge Certificate and Order for Recovery.
The charge certificate increases the fee by 50% and provides a 21 day period for payment. If no payment is made within 21 days, we may register the charge as a debt and you may receive contact from our enforcement agents.
For more information about the process, see the Charge Certificates and Order for Recovery page on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal website.