Parking on kerbs and pavements
Rule 244 of the Highway Code says you must not park partially or wholly on the pavement in London or Scotland, and you should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.
London
Parking with one or more wheels on the pavement or verge is banned everywhere in London, unless signs show that it is allowed, often with marked bays. The ban comes from section 15 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1974. Councils enforce it with a Penalty Charge Notice, contravention code 62, which is a higher level penalty. Blue Badge holders are not exempt.
There are limited defences, for example loading or unloading that could not be done properly without parking there, for up to 20 minutes or longer if the council allows, with the vehicle never left unattended, or parking with a police officer's permission.
The rest of England, and Wales
There is no general ban yet. A council can only give you a penalty for pavement parking:
- where there are yellow lines or other waiting restrictions, because these cover the pavement and verge as well as the road;
- where it has banned pavement or verge parking on a street or in an area with a traffic order, shown by signs; or
- in Exeter and Essex, which have their own local laws against parking on verges and footways.
Elsewhere, the police can still act against a vehicle that causes an unnecessary obstruction of the road, which includes the pavement.
Lorries over 7.5 tonnes must not park on a pavement, verge or the land between two carriageways anywhere without police permission, except when essential for loading or unloading and never left unattended. Councils enforce this with contravention code 61.
What is changing in England
On 8 January 2026 the government announced two changes for England outside London:
- Obstruction of the pavement. Regulations letting councils issue penalties when a civil enforcement officer sees a vehicle unnecessarily obstructing the pavement, with no need for signs or a traffic order. The government plans to lay them before the end of 2026.
- Area-wide bans. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (Royal Assent 29 April 2026) lets the government make regulations allowing local transport authorities, such as county and unitary councils and the new strategic authorities, to ban parking on pavements and verges across their areas without asking the government. The government plans these regulations "no earlier than late 2027".
Neither change was in force when this page was checked. Code 60 has been reserved in the code list for the pavement obstruction contravention.
What is changing in Wales
Wales has no pavement parking power of its own yet. A Welsh taskforce recommended in 2020 that councils should be able to enforce against pavement obstruction, but the plans were delayed. In February 2026 the Welsh Government said it supported England's obstruction approach and was discussing with the UK government how to apply it in Wales.
For comparison, Scotland has banned pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs nationally since 11 December 2023.
Why it matters
Vehicles parked on pavements:
- Force pedestrians into the road, including people with pushchairs, wheelchairs or visual impairments.
- Narrow the pavement so that it is hard or impossible to get past.
- Damage paving, kerbs and verges, which councils then have to repair.
To challenge a penalty, see how to fight a dropped kerb or pavement parking penalty.
This page was checked against the law in England and Wales on 22 October 2026. It is general guidance, not legal advice: see the legal disclaimer.