Challenging a penalty charge

To find out if you can challenge a penalty charge notice – see below. 

Each case is reviewed individually so your challenge may not be successful. 

To pay or challenge a penalty charge, visit our Penalty Charge Guide (HYPERLINK). 

I have a Blue Badge 

If you have a valid Blue Badge, we may consider your challenge if the blue badge: 

• Had fallen off the dashboard
• Was not displayed clearly for the Enforcement Officer to view

To challenge the PCN, please include copies of both sides of your blue badge. 

There were no parking spaces available 

There is no stopping or waiting on yellow lines or in a restricted area. If there were no parking spaces available, you must find elsewhere to park. You are liable for the penalty charge notice. 

I had a medical emergency 

If you were involved in a medical emergency, we may consider your challenge. You will need to provide us with a formal letter from a health professional that treated you or a passenger directly after the event.  

My vehicle has been cloned 

If you have received a PCN through the post and you are certain that this was not you, your vehicle registration may have been cloned which is a serious crime and must be reported to the police as soon as possible.  

You will need to provide us with evidence that it was not you or your vehicle that was present when the PCN was issued, this could be a receipt from that day for example.  

I was loading / unloading 

If you were in the process of loading or unloading heavy goods from the vehicle and you were away from the vehicle as: 

• you had parked as close as you could to the delivery location
• the item/s you were delivering were either delicate, difficult to manoeuvre or was extremely heavy

If this is the case, we may consider your challenge. To prove that you were loading or unloading, you will need to provide a copy of the itinerary, job sheet, receipt or invoice with the address of the locations. We will also ask you to provide answers to the following questions: 

1. What was the weight of the item / items? 
2. Why was there no activity seen around the vehicle? 
3. How long did it take you to complete the task? 
4. Why did the task take as long as it did? 
5. Provide a description of the item / items. 

I was parked on the verge, not the yellow lines 

Yellow lines extend to the verge as the verge is part of the highway. You are liable for the penalty charge notice. 

There was no sign 

If you were parked on double yellow lines, there is no need for a sign as double yellow lines are enforced 24 hours a day.  If you were parked on a single yellow line and there was no sign on the street, we may consider your challenge.  

You will need to provide sufficient evidence to show there was no sign, including photographs.   

My vehicle had broken down 

If you have broken down, you are expected to remain with your vehicle until your arranged recovery has arrived. However, if that is not possible and you receive a PCN, we may consider your challenge.  

You will need to provide us with a copy of your receipt from either the recovery service provider or garage within 14 days of receiving your penalty charge notice 

I have been issued two PCNs 

We may consider your challenge if both PCNs were: 

• issued on the same day
• issued on the same street
• issued under the same contravention

You will need to provide your vehicle registration number along with the AE number printed on the PCN which was issued the second time. Our team will investigate your challenge and cancel any PCN which falls under this category.   

Last Modified: 20/11/2025 Back to top