A Grace Period is a 10 minute period for vehicle to exit a car park at the end of a permitted period of parking.

Grace Periods will only be observed if the driver has complied with all the other terms and conditions of parking.

A Grace Period is not a free period of parking to nip to she shops or drop off a passenger.

Private parking tickets aren’t fines; they’re invoices for breaking the landowner’s parking rules as shown on the signage. If the ticket is fair, paying quickly may get you a discount. But if you think it's unfair, you may want to appeal instead of paying straight away. If you don’t pay, it will escalate with a greater financial amount due and, in some cases, eventually go to court where you can be given a CCJ.

Grace Period – 10 minutes after your permitted period of parking before a parking charge is issued. NOTE, that many sites that use ANPR will calculate this time till your vehicle exits the site, not a parking bay.

Consideration Period – Time given when you enter a car park to read the signs and decide if you want to stay.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is a government body that administers driver and vehicle licensing records in the UK.

Where a parking charge remains unpaid the parking operator may issue legal proceedings via the County Court. If the Court finds in the parking operators favour a motorist can be issued with a CCJ.

No, once you’ve paid, you’re accepting the charge, and you lose your right to appeal. Always appeal first if you think the ticket is unfair. If you have already paid and decide to appeal you can still try and appeal, but it is up to the parking company to decide if they will allow the appeal. You may not appeal to the independent adjudicator.

The parking charge has been withdrawn. You’ve won the appeal.

If you have proof of payment (receipt, bank statement, or parking app record), appeal immediately. Ensure you provide full evidence.

A Consideration Period is a non-contractually binding period of time given to a motorist to read the terms and conditions on car park signage so that the motorist can make an informed choice about whether they wish to use a particular parking facility and, by so doing, agree to be bound by those terms and conditions.

A Consideration Period is not a period of free parking to nip to the shops or drop off a passenger.

Where a driver does not want to be bound by the terms and conditions of parking they should leave the site immediately.

Yes. If the parking company take you to court and proves you broke their contract (terms on the signage), a judge will order you to pay.

The DVLA legally sells driver details to parking companies for enforcement purposes. While controversial, this is allowed under UK law. However, if a company misuses your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

CCTV technology is commonly used to help monitor car park facilities, manage private land along with many other security monitoring applications.

A section (Annex F) within the sector single Code of Practice that specifies instances when a parking charge should be cancelled or reduced to £20. Examples of this are a minor keying error when registering their vehicle (EG an 0 and O).

Most local authorities in the UK will also be Civil Enforcement Areas (CEA). Mandated by the Traffic Management Act 2004, a local authority’s enforcement powers will be enhanced if they are also a Civil Enforcement Area. This means that they can also enforce parking infractions on roadways like double parking and loading restrictions.

The single Code of Practice released by the IPC and the BPA that is active from 1st October 2024.

If you feel a parking company has acted unfairly or broken the Code of Practice (LINK) you can complain to their trade association:

• British Parking Association (BPA) link: https://portal.britishparking.co.uk/compliance/LogComplaint

• International Parking Community (IPC) link: https://www.theipc.info/motorist-advice

A BPA AOS member is a parking operator managing private land to enforce parking charges, or a debt resolution agent involved in the resolution of unpaid parking charges.

The independent appeals services are made up of qualified solicitors and barristers. They are duty bound by their own professional standards bodies to uphold the rule of law and to maintain independence. This duty is expressly retained in the terms and conditions of their appointment.

The BPA is one of only two ATA's accredited by the DVLA presiding over the UK parking industry.

The other ATA is the IPC

Each of the Accredited Trade Associations has an independent appeals service. The independent appeals service is made up of qualified solicitors and barristers. They are duty bound by their own professional standards bodies to uphold the rule of law and to maintain independence. This duty is expressly retained in the terms and conditions of their appointment.

British Parking Association (BPA): POPLA

International Parking Community (IPC): IAS

Yes, private parking companies can issue tickets, but they are not the same as council fines. They’re based on a contract. By parking on private land, you agree to their terms. However, these charges must be fair, and you have the right to challenge them. It is important to check if the parking company is a member of an Accredited Trade Association. If they are not, proceed with caution. Learn more about Trade Associations HERE. Check if the parking company is a member of an Accredited Trade Association HERE: IPC Accredited, BPA Members

ANPR is digital camera technology designed to automatically read and record vehicle number plates.

No, once you pay, you’re accepting liability, and you can’t appeal. If you’re unsure whether the ticket is fair, it’s best to appeal first before making any payment. If you have already paid but still want to appeal, you can try, but it is up to the parking company to decide if they will allow you to appeal. You are no longer eligible to appeal to an Independent Adjudicator.

The individual (usually the driver or registered keeper) who submits an appeal against a private parking charge.

If you believe the ticket was wrongly issued, you should appeal. Start by appealing to the parking company directly, explaining why it’s unfair and providing evidence. If they reject your appeal, you can take it to an independent appeals service like POPLA or IAS, depending on the company. Use our chatbot to see if you should appeal.

An appeal is where a motorists is challenging the validity of a parking charge and will be investigated in line with the parking operators appeals process

An ATA is a parking trade association that has been accredited by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). For a parking operator to obtain keeper details or DVLA data, they must belong to a DVLA Accredited Trade Association (ATA) and abide by the ATA’s Code of Practice.

There are currently two ATAs serving the UK parking industry, The International Parking Community (IPC) and the British Parking Association (BPA).

Ignoring a private parking charge can lead to letters from debt collectors and possibly court action. Most companies will pursue unpaid parking charges. Ignoring it completely can backfire. It’s usually better to appeal or pay rather than risk a court claim.

IPC ASP members have been certified by the IPC against the Code of Practice for the process of resolving unpaid parking charges.

ASP members are not involved in the issuing of parking charges.

An IPC AOS member is a parking operator who has been certified by the IPC to manage private land and to enforce parking charges in compliance with the Code of Practice.

London Tribunals is an appellate body which considers parking appeals from motorists who have been issued with a Penalty Charge Notice issued by a London Local Authority or by Transport for London.

London Tribunals was previously known as the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS) which also supports the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators and the Road User Charging Adjudicators as well as parking violations.

Circumstances or reasons provided by the driver or keeper to explain why a parking rule was broken, in the hope of reducing or cancelling the charge — even if the breach technically occurred.

An appeal that may fall outside of normal criteria or requires additional information or investigation.

A charge issued by a private parking operator where a driver has parked in contravention of terms and conditions on private land.

A parking charge is not a local authority penalty charge.

POPLA is an independent appeals service for motorists seeking redress where a parking ticket has been issued by a parking operator who is a member of The BPA's Accredited Operator Scheme (AOS).

A Latin term meaning "on the face of it"—used in parking to indicate that evidence (like photos or ANPR logs) appears sufficient to prove a breach occurred.

Means land ordinarily used for parking Vehicles where only specific people and/or Vehicles are permitted. Private land is typically managed by contract law, where the contract is brought to the attention of the driver.

Is land managed by Local Authorities through the Traffic Management Act.

The registered keeper of a vehicle Is the person listed by the DVLA on the V5 registration document

This can be either the owner or hirer of the car.

It is the registered keeper's responsibility to ensure that the car is taxed, insured, and has a valid MOT certificate.

A routine appeal submitted through the usual process with clearly defined evidence and grounds.

The IAS is independent appeals service for motorists seeking redress where a parking ticket has been issued by a parking operator who is a member of The IPC's Accredited Operator Scheme (AOS).

The IPC is one of only two ATA's accredited by the DVLA presiding over the UK parking industry.

The other ATA is the BPA.

The TPT is an appellate body which considers parking appeals from motorists who have been issued with a Penalty Charge Notice administered by a local authority in England and Wales but outside London.