Pay and display parking bays

Parking at meters and in bays Signs and linesLaw checked 22 October 2026

You can park in a pay and display bay for the time you have paid for, up to the maximum stay shown on the signs and machines. Check the signs for the days and hours that charges apply, the maximum stay, and whether you may return.

Paying and displaying

Paper tickets. Display the ticket clearly inside the windscreen, printed side up, so that the expiry time can be read from outside. Check it after closing the door, because the draught can move it, and make sure a permit or sticker isn't covering it.
Paying by phone or app. Many councils now take payment by phone or app, and some bays are cashless. You don't display anything: the civil enforcement officer checks your vehicle registration against the payments. Make sure you enter the right location code and registration, and keep the confirmation in case you need to challenge a penalty.

When your time runs out

Grace period. In England a council cannot issue a penalty if you have stayed in a paid-for or free parking place for 10 minutes or less beyond your time. This applies in council car parks too. It does not help if you never paid, and it does not apply on yellow lines. Wales has no grace period in law, although Welsh councils can choose to allow one.
Leave when your time is up. Buying more time to stay beyond the time you first paid for, or beyond the maximum stay, can be a contravention: see meter feeding.
No return. Many bays say, for example, "No return within 2 hours". That means you must not park in the same bay or set of bays again until 2 hours have passed since you left: see re-parking in the same bays.

Common contraventions

Overstaying your paid-for time (code 05), not displaying a valid ticket (code 06), and not paying the parking charge, for example in a pay-by-phone bay (code 11), are lower level contraventions, so they carry the lower penalty. The exception is Wales, where not displaying a valid ticket is a higher level contravention. See PCN fine amounts. To challenge a penalty, see how to fight a pay and display or parking app penalty.

Examples of Pay & Display parking signs.

Parking duration is limited to maximum period shown on ticket machine and parking signs

Designated Parking Bay

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.