Your rights when you get a private parking ticket - and how to fight unjust ticket

Every year, millions of drivers face the financial burden of penalties incurred from parking in private car parks. Data reveals that in the 12 months leading up to September 2025, 15.9 million parking tickets were issued by private companies - a 17% increase on the 13.6 million distributed the previous year.

On Friday, one of the largest private car park operators was given a £473,000 fine by industry regulators. Euro Car Parks, which itself dished out 1.9 million penalty tickets to motorists in a single year, received the fine from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The CMA stated that the fine was levied due to the company's failure to provide requested information. The firm reportedly ignored seven requests for information over a three-month period, sent via registered post, email, and hand-delivered letter.

The CMA noted that numerous drivers had accused the company of unjustly demanding payment for alleged breaches of car park rules. However, Euro Car Parks did not respond until the CMA indicated that a fine was being considered, 

But what are your rights when parking in a private car park, and when can you contest an unfairly issued ticket? In June 2024, a new Single Code of Practice was jointly introduced by the British Parking Association (BPA) and International Parking Community (IPC), the UK's two Accredited Trade Associations for parking.

The code establishes certain requirements that registered private car parks must adhere to. Regrettably, not every company is affiliated with the two organisations, but whilst this exempts them from following their Code of Practice, it also prevents them from obtaining your address information from the DVLA.

Nevertheless, most of the larger operators will be affiliated with one of the two bodies. Euro Car Parks Ltd, for instance, is registered with the BPA.

The updated code:

• Introduces an Appeals Charter, creating clear parameters for motorists to appeal against a parking charge
• Mandates a 10-minute grace period for motorists
• Provides consistent rules for private parking operators
• Requires clear signage to help motorists navigate parking on private land
• Ensures the protection of the most vulnerable in society, with no decrease to the deterrent for abuse of Blue Badge bays or those who choose to park selfishly, putting their own convenience above the needs or rights of others.
• Maintains a cap on the parking charge at £100 reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

Private Parking Operators will adopt the new unified Code by October 1, 2024, with all existing locations requiring updates by December 2026. The new sector Code is available for download here.

What constitutes a private parking ticket?

Several categories of parking ticket exist, though not all represent "fines". When the ticket is issued by a public authority such as the local council or police, it takes the form of a Penalty Charge Notice, Excess Charge Notice or Fixed Penalty Notice, and that constitutes a fine.

A ticket issued for parking on private property would be a Parking Charge Notice, which is not a fine. According to consumer specialist Martin Lewis, it is simply "an invoice".

Verify whether the parking company belongs to an ATA

But what if you receive a ticket in a private car park and believe it is unjustified? According to Citizens Advice, there are certain measures you can pursue.

It's first word of warning however is that if the parking firm issued the ticket on your vehicle and isn't an ATA member, "don't contact them unless they write to you first. They probably won't be able to find your details - only ATA members can get your name and address from the DVLA".

Verify whether a parking company belongs to an ATA by checking the British Parking Association (BPA) or International Parking Community (IPC) websites. Alternatively, you can telephone the BPA on 01444 447 300 to confirm a company's membership status. Calls typically cost up to 55p per minute from mobiles and up to 13p per minute from landlines. It should be free if you have a contract that includes calls to landlines - check with your supplier if you're not sure.

If you receive a ticket through the post from a non-ATA member

Should you receive a ticket by post from a non-ATA member, they have obtained your address and you should respond. They may have acquired your details unlawfully.

You can lodge a complaint with the DVLA regarding potential illegal data sharing by writing to Data Sharing Strategy and Compliance Team, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DY.

Contact the parking company in writing

If the firm is registered with a trade association, Citizens Advice explained you can locate a parking operator's contact information on the BPA or IPC websites or on the Parking Charge Notice. It added: "Check on the notice if you must use the parking company’s website or if you can write to them with your reasons for objecting.

"You must write to them before you make a formal appeal to an independent appeals service." You can use the Citizen's Advice template letter to write to the parking company. Include any evidence you have, for example:

• a valid pay and display ticket
• photos of signs that are hard to see or understand, or where the information is misleading
• a letter from someone who was with you saying what happened – write ‘Witness statement’ at the top of this
• a repair note, if your car broke down
• permission from the landowner

For a hospital parking ticket, you should submit evidence to the parking operator if your appointment overran. Request the hospital receptionist to print a note on headed paper, confirming there were delays.

Appeal to an independent appeals service

If the parking operator isn't a trade association member, there's no formal appeals process. However there are alternative options available.

If the parking operator is a trade association member, you can appeal to an independent appeals service. Citizens Advice said: "It's free to do, so it's worth trying if you still think your ticket was unfair.

"They might see things differently to the parking company and agree that your ticket should be cancelled. They won't cancel a ticket because of an unexpected event, for example if you were delayed because you were feeling unwell."

The appeal process will vary depending on whether the parking company that issued your ticket belongs to the BPA or IPC approved operators scheme. Make a formal appeal to Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) if they’re a BPA parking company. If they’re an IPC member, make a formal appeal to the Independent Appeals Service.

For a ticket issued by a BPA member, you have 28 days from the rejection of your informal appeal to submit a formal appeal. For a ticket from an IPC member, you can lodge a formal appeal free of charge within 21 days.

Beyond 21 days, you can still appeal within one year of your formal appeal being rejected if you pay a £15 fee. Ensure you include any evidence that supports your case.

If your formal appeal is rejected or you're unable to appeal

There are still options available to you, but you'll risk having to pay more money ultimately. You might be better off simply paying your parking ticket.

Alternatively, you can allow the parking company to take you to court. You can opt not to pay your parking ticket and the parking company will decide whether it's worthwhile pursuing you through the courts.

If you are taken to court and you lose:

• you’ll have to pay the fine, which could go up by then
• you might have to pay court costs - these could be expensive

However if you win:

• you won’t have to pay the fine
• the parking company might have to pay court costs

Reporting the parking company

If you believe your ticket was unjust, you can report the parking company to Trading Standards. To lodge a complaint with Trading Standards, get in touch with the Citizens Advice consumer service.