A council Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) follows a fixed process in England under the Traffic Management Act 2004. Knowing the stage you're at tells you what to write and how long you have.
Stage 1: informal challenge (on-street PCNs)
- You'll usually have a 50% discount if you pay within 14 days (21 days for PCNs sent by post from cameras).
- Send an informal challenge online or by letter within that window.
- If the council rejects it, it usually re-offers the discount for another 14 days. So challenging costs you little if you have a reasonable ground.
Stage 2: Notice to Owner
If you don't pay or the challenge fails and you don't pay, the council sends a Notice to Owner to the registered keeper (after 28 days). You then have 28 days to make formal representations on the statutory grounds:
- the contravention didn't occur,
- the penalty exceeded the amount allowed,
- the vehicle was taken without consent,
- the authority made a procedural impropriety,
- the traffic order is invalid,
- (hire companies) the vehicle was on hire,
- plus any compelling reasons the council should consider.
Stage 3: the tribunal
If formal representations are rejected, you get a Notice of Rejection and can appeal within 28 days to:
- London Tribunals (Environment and Traffic Adjudicators) for London, or
- the Traffic Penalty Tribunal for the rest of England and Wales.
It's free, independent, often decided online, and you don't need a lawyer. A good share of appeals that reach adjudication succeed - often because councils don't contest them or their evidence is weak.
If you ignore it
No response to the NtO → Charge Certificate (penalty +50%) → Order for Recovery → enforcement agents. Respond to every stage.
Strong grounds
- Signs or road markings missing, hidden, faded or non-compliant with the Traffic Signs Regulations 2016 - take photos.
- Loading / unloading with evidence (heavy or bulky goods, delivery note).
- Blue Badge properly displayed.
- Grace period: in England, a 10-minute grace period applies after paid parking time ends in on-street and council car parks.
- Errors on the PCN - wrong date, location, vehicle details or missing information.
Write your challenge - pick your stage and get the letter on the right grounds.