Which councils operate Decimalised Parking Enforcement (DPE)? Operating DPE means that the council in question is responsible for enforcing the On Street Parking in that area. If the council does not operate Decimalised Parking Enforcement then it is the responsibility of the local police force to enforce On Street Parking in that area.

Below is a list of Local Authorities / Councils website parking pages and a comment indicting whether they operate DPE. All the links point to the external Local Authorities / Councils websites and provide information about PCN payment, PCN appeals, parking policies and much more. If they are not enforcing DPE then they should provide information about the police force responsible for enforcing On Street Parking in their area.

Please remember that if you do need to contact your local police force to enquire about non emergency matters then be sure to use their local phone number and NOT the 999 emergency phone number. You can find police contact details on their respective websites: UK Police forces (Excluding Metropolitan Police), Metropolitan Police Forces.

Fairness

The government has heard the cries of woe coming from the public complaining that the parking regulations and appeals procedures across the country are too inconsistent, unfair and non transparent.

Part 6 of the Traffic Management (TMA) Act 2004 titled "Civil enforcement of traffic contraventions" will unify parking regulations across the UK from 31st March 2008.

The main features of the Act aimed at making thing fairer for motorists are:

1. Parking Attendants (civil enforcement officers) must have clear evidence that a vehicle is parked illegally before issuing a parking ticket.
2. Councils will be encouraged to publish and promote the details of their policies including fine levels. Click here to find your local authority’s parking information.
3. Councils will also be required to consult drivers and local businesses about the effectiveness of their parking enforcement policies. 
4. Extended discount payment period to for Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued when detected by a camera. 
5. More power for appeals tribunal to overturn the council’s decision and tribunal will be made less difficult to attend therefore taking up less of the motorists time.

Enforcement

A Civil Enforcement Officer can issue a PCN by either:

1. Attaching it to your windscreen
2. By giving it to the driver

It is usually printed from their handheld computer but can also be hand written. They will also record information such as vehicle information, location, their own actions, conversations with the driver and they may take photographs.

Click here for information about appealing against a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) issued by a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO)

Councils can issue a PCN by post to the registered owner if:

1. It has photographic or CCTV evidence that a penalty is payable. This includes parking and moving traffic violations, which include offences such as driving through a red light.
2. If a civil enforcement officer was prevented from issuing a PCN
3. If a civil enforcement officer had begun to write up a PCN but the vehicle was driven away before they could issue it.

The PCN will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle as identified by the DVLA database of all registered cars in the UK. The owner of a vehicle is legally responsible for paying the fine.

Click here for information about appealing against a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) issued by Post

Cameras: Enforcement is being made easier for councils by making use of video cameras. The fact that civil enforcement officers must have clear evidence that a vehicle is parked illegally, coupled with their new power to issue tickets electronically when they do not have time to issue the physical ticket, means that you will see many more video cameras attached to their hats (caps). An added benefit of these cameras is that they will act as a deterrent to, and provide evidence of, irate motorists who verbally or physically abuse traffic attendants.

CCTV: Many UK high streets have CCTV camera networks that monitor bus lanes and anti social behaviour. These cameras will now be able to be used for issuing PCNs (Penalty Charge Notices) to owners of vehicles parked illegally as well as providing evidence of 'moving traffic violations'. An example of a ‘moving traffic violation’ is a vehicle that turns right at a junction where no right turn is allowed.

CCTV cameras will use number plate recognition software linked to the DVLA’s database of all the registered vehicles in the UK.

Posted PCNs: If a vehicle is driven away before the Notice is issued, the PCN may be posted to the registered keeper of the vehicle. Some motorists have expressed a concern that parking attendants (civil enforcement officers,) will be able to write down your number plate from a long way off and issue a PCN without you knowing. Ms Sheppard, chief adjudicator of the new Traffic Penalty Tribunal, said that wardens would be expected to have a photograph of the tax disc or the disc number to prove that they had not been hiding up the street. They would also be required to give a description of the driver to prove that they were close to the vehicle.

Traffic wardens and the police used to enforce all parking in England and Wales by issuing Fixed Penalty Notices. Parking offences dealt with by Fixed Penalty Notices are criminal offences and enforcement took place through the criminal justice system. Non payment could mean a trip to the Local Magistrates court.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984:

Powers to enforce certain parking regulations were given to councils under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984: enforcement action was taken through the criminal (magistrates') courts.

The Road Traffic Act 1991 (Decriminalised Enforcement):

The Road Traffic Act 1991 made councils in London responsible for the majority of parking enforcement and provided a right of appeal against penalty charges, on specified grounds, to independent adjudicators through the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service. Under this regime, penalties are no longer considered in the magistrates' court: they are therefore 'decriminalised'. The transfer of parking enforcement from the police to the London boroughs was completed by the end of 1994.

The decriminalised arrangements have also now been adopted by many councils outside London, with appeals being dealt with by the National Parking Adjudication Service. It is for individual councils to 'opt in' to these arrangements. Fines issued under the civil enforcement scheme are called Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs). They are processed by councils and disputes between motorists and councils are decided by an independent Adjudicator and unpaid fines enforced through the County Court (civil matters).

Traffic Management Act 2004:

The Traffic Management Act 2004 repeals and replaces the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1991, Parking Regulations - called Statutory Instruments - have remained largely similar, with some additional powers for councils and rights for motorists. As with the Road Traffic Act 1991 before, it enables councils to take over most parking enforcement - including yellow-line enforcement - from the police.

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004 from 31st March 2008 Decriminalised Enforcement is known as Civil Parking Enforcement.

Not all local authorities have taken up Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) but over 200 have.

Click here to see a list of the councils that have opted for Decimalised Parking Enforcement (DPE).

Parking restrictions in the councils that have not taken up the scheme are still enforced by the police and are still criminal offences.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1991 the responsibility for any PCN (Penalty Charge Notice) rests with the registered keeper of the vehicle as recorded at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). If the keeper was not the driver at the time of the offence it remains his/her responsibility to pay the PCN and any recompense from the driver should be obtained by the keeper.

Inside London 

Charges inside London are set by a London-wide body, London Councils, in conjunction with the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport. Details of the actual fine amounts charged in each council’s area is available on their websites.

Click here to find your local authority/ council’s parking information.

Outside London

Outside Greater London it is the duty of each enforcement authority to set the level of charges applicable in the case of contraventions for which they are the enforcement authority.

Click here to find your local authority/ council’s parking information.