Council PCN or private parking ticket?
This page is about penalty charge notices issued by councils, Transport for London, Dart Charge and similar public bodies. A ticket from a private car park company is an invoice. It cannot be passed to a bailiff unless the company first wins a county court judgment and the judgment goes unpaid.
The steps from PCN to bailiff
- 28 days to pay or challenge
Penalty charge notice
GOV.UK says there are usually 28 days to pay, and that in some cases the charge is reduced if paid within 14 days.
- 14 days to pay
Charge certificate
If the PCN is not paid or successfully challenged, the charge goes up by 50%. A £60 PCN becomes £90.
- 21 days to pay or challenge
Order for recovery
The authority registers the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, part of the county court in Northampton, and sends an order for recovery. GOV.UK calls it an “order of recovery”. The court’s registration fee, £11 from 13 July 2026, is added. The person then has 21 days to pay or to file a challenge.
Warrant of control
If nothing happens in the 21 days, GOV.UK says bailiffs “will be told to visit your home to collect what you owe”. The authority obtains a warrant and passes it to an enforcement firm.
- At least 14 clear days’ notice
Notice of Enforcement and visit
The firm’s £79 compliance fee is added with the notice, and £247 more on a first visit. A penalty that started at £60 can stand at £427 after one visit.
Challenging an order for recovery
An order for recovery can be challenged within 21 days on specific grounds. GOV.UK lists them:
- no “notice to owner” was received,
- a formal challenge was made in time but no notice of rejection came back,
- an appeal was made to the tribunal in time but there was no response, or
- the penalty has already been paid, with proof.
The form is TE9 for parking PCNs and most moving traffic penalties, and PE3 for some others, including low emission zone penalties and moving traffic penalties in London boroughs. It goes to the Traffic Enforcement Centre by email or post.
If the challenge succeeds, GOV.UK says the order is withdrawn and “bailiffs will not be able to seize your property”. The Civil Procedure Rules add that any warrant of control issued under a revoked order “will cease to have effect”. The authority then cancels the PCN, issues a new notice to owner or refers the case to a tribunal.
After the 21 days: an out of time challenge
Many people first hear of a penalty when a bailiff’s letter arrives, often because the notices went to an old address. The law allows a late challenge where someone:
- was contacted about a PCN they did not know about,
- was contacted about a PCN that had been paid or cancelled, or
- never received a response to a formal challenge or appeal.
The out of time form is TE7, sent together with the TE9, or PE2 with the PE3 for the penalty types that use those forms.
What filing does to enforcement
GOV.UK states: “Bailiffs will be told to stop any action while your ‘out of time’ challenge is considered.” If the challenge is accepted, bailiffs “will have to return any property they seized”.
If the authority refuses the late challenge, the Traffic Enforcement Centre reviews it. If that also fails, a judge can be asked to look at the decision by sending form N244 within 14 days. The fee is £321 with a hearing or £126 without one, with help available for people on a low income.
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What parking bailiffs can and cannot do
The rules allow them to
- Clamp a vehicle belonging to the person named on the warrant, on a drive or on a public road.
- Remove a clamped vehicle once it has stayed in place for at least 2 hours.
- Come into a home peacefully, through an unlocked door or by invitation.
- Add the statutory fees at each stage.
The rules do not allow them to
- Force entry to a home. A traffic penalty warrant gives no power to do that.
- Use force to enter business premises either. That power exists for court judgments, not traffic penalties.
- Take a vehicle that belongs to someone else, or one on hire purchase that the finance company still owns.
- Take a vehicle displaying a valid Blue Badge.
How long a parking warrant lasts
A warrant for a traffic penalty lasts 12 months from the date it is issued. If the person has moved, a new Notice of Enforcement has to be given at the new address, and the Civil Procedure Rules say the warrant then “remains valid only for the remainder of the 12 month period beginning with the date it was originally issued”. Separately, the agent has 12 months from the Notice of Enforcement to take control of goods.
Common questions
Can bailiffs force entry for a parking fine?
No. They can only enter a home peacefully. The risk with parking penalties is to vehicles kept outside.
Can a parking fine be challenged after bailiffs are involved?
Yes, where one of the out of time grounds applies. Filing forms TE7 and TE9 with the Traffic Enforcement Centre means the bailiffs are told to stop while it is considered.
Can a private parking ticket be passed to bailiffs?
Not directly. A private parking company has to take the driver or keeper to the county court, win a judgment, and the judgment has to go unpaid before a warrant can be issued. Letters before that stage come from debt collectors.
How much do bailiffs add to a parking fine?
£79 when the Notice of Enforcement is sent and £247 on a first visit, with £116 more if a vehicle or goods are removed for sale.
Does Breathing Space cover parking penalties?
Yes. Penalty charge notices are qualifying debts, so a debt adviser can include them where a person meets the conditions for Breathing Space.
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Free debt advice is available
These organisations give free, impartial debt advice and are independent of Bailiff Support Team. Nobody has to use a paid or commercial service to get help with their debts, and using one of the free services does not reduce the options available. Their advisers can also ask an enforcement firm to extend a notice period or apply for Breathing Space where it fits.
- MoneyHelperGovernment-backed. Finds a free debt adviser nearby or online.
- StepChange Debt CharityFree debt advice online and by phone.
- Citizens AdviceDetailed help with bailiffs, online and in person.
- National DebtlineFree advice and sample letters, run by the Money Advice Trust.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Parking fines and penalty charge notices
- GOV.UK: Appeal against a penalty charge notice
- Civil Procedure Rules, Part 75 (traffic enforcement)
- Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12
- Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, regulation 18 (vehicles on a highway)
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, Schedule (fee tables)
- GOV.UK: Court and tribunal fees, updates from July 2026
- GOV.UK: Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) guidance for creditors