General guidance, not legal advice
Every deadline, in one place.
Checked against the official sources linked on this page on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so check the dates on your own notice.
Most parking appeals are lost on dates, not arguments. Here are the clocks that matter, for council PCNs and private charges.
Council PCNs
| What | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-price discount | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days (£45) |
| Camera PCN by post | 21 days at half price | 21 days at half price | – | – |
| Informal challenge | Outside London: within 28 days; within 14 days usually holds the discount. London: doesn’t automatically pause it — ask | Within 28 days; within 14 days usually holds the discount | Ask the council | Within 14 days: a new discount deadline if turned down |
| Notice to Owner | Can follow after 28 days unpaid | Can follow after 28 days unpaid | Can follow after 28 days unpaid | Can follow after 28 days unpaid |
| Formal representations | 28 days from the Notice to Owner (or a postal PCN) | 28 days | 28 days | 28 days |
| Council must decide | 56 days, or deemed accepted | – | – | – |
| Tribunal appeal | 28 days from the Notice of Rejection | 28 days from the Notice of Rejection | 28 days from the Notice of Rejection | 28 days from the Notice of Rejection |
| Ignore it | Charge Certificate adds 50% | Charge Certificate adds 50% | Charge Certificate adds 50% | Charge Certificate adds 50% |
A dash means we haven’t confirmed a rule for that nation, not that there isn’t one.
Source: DfT statutory guidance: Civil enforcement of parking contraventions (England); London Tribunals: Parking Penalty Charge Notice enforcement process; Traffic Penalty Tribunal: Parking PCN and appeal process (England outside London, and Wales); mygov.scot: Penalty charge notice; First-tier Tribunal for Scotland GRC: Transport appeals — before you appeal; nidirect: Parking tickets (Penalty Charge Notices); Department of Justice NI: Northern Ireland Traffic Penalty Tribunal (grounds and published decisions)
- If a challenge made in the discount period is rejected, councils are recommended to re-offer the discount for 14 days (recommended, not required). (England)
- The ultimate limit for serving a Notice to Owner is 6 months (“exceptional circumstances”). (England)
Source: DfT statutory guidance: Civil enforcement of parking contraventions (England)
Private parking charges
- 14daysAt least 40% off if paid within 14 days. (SSC 8.2.2)
- 28daysAppeal to the operator within 28 days; they must reply within 28 days. (SSC 8.4.1)
- 14daysAppeal within 28 days and the discounted rate is kept for 14 days after any rejection. (SSC 8.1.2(e))
- 28daysPOPLA: within 28 days of the operator’s rejection, using the 10-digit verification code.
- 28daysIAS: within 28 days of the operator’s rejection. Free, binding on the operator only.
Source: BPA / IPC Private Parking Single Code of Practice v1.1 (17 Feb 2025); POPLA FAQs; Independent Appeals Service (IAS) FAQs
Keeper liability time limits (England and Wales only)
- After a windscreen notice, the Notice to Keeper must be delivered between day 29 and day 56.
- With no windscreen notice (e.g. cameras), the Notice to Keeper must be delivered within 14 days, starting the day after parking ended.
- A posted notice is presumed delivered on the second working day after posting (unless shown otherwise).
POFA 2012 Sch 4 paras 8(4)–(5), 9(4)–(6). Source: Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 (extent: England and Wales)
How to count the days
A period “beginning with” a date counts that day too, so 28 days beginning 1 March ends on 28 March. If you don’t know when a notice was served or received, count from the date printed on it: the earlier, safer date.
Bank holidays matter for “working days”. We use the official GOV.UK list.
Source: GOV.UK bank holidays (JSON)
Questions people ask
Does challenging a council PCN stop the discount clock?
Outside London, challenge within 14 days and the council will usually hold the 50% rate. In London, a challenge doesn’t automatically pause the 14-day half-price period — ask the council if they’ll hold it.
Source: Traffic Penalty Tribunal: Parking PCN and appeal process (England outside London, and Wales); London Tribunals: Parking Penalty Charge Notice enforcement process
How long does the council have to reply to formal representations?
The council must decide within 56 days; if it doesn’t, the representations are deemed accepted. (England)
Source: London Tribunals: Parking Penalty Charge Notice enforcement process; DfT statutory guidance: Civil enforcement of parking contraventions (England)
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General guidance about UK parking rules, not legal advice about your case. We only state rules we’ve checked against the official sources linked above. If your notice says something different, go by the notice and the source, and get advice if you’re unsure (Citizens Advice can help).