Paying a PCN
How to pay
Pay the council that issued the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), using the payment details printed on it. Most councils take payment online and by phone, and some by post or in person. You will need the PCN number and the vehicle registration. Find your council's parking pages or use GOV.UK's pay a parking fine service.
Beware of text messages asking you to pay a parking penalty. Councils do not ask for PCN payments by text, and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal warns that such messages are scams.
Paying at the discount
| How you got the PCN | Pay half the penalty if you pay within |
|---|---|
| Fixed to your vehicle or handed to you | 14 days of the PCN |
| By post, because the officer was prevented from issuing it or you drove away first | 14 days of the PCN |
| By post, from camera evidence | 21 days of the PCN (14 days for London bus lane and moving traffic PCNs) |
For a PCN sent by post, the days count from when it is served, which is normally the second working day after it was posted. Councils must accept the discounted amount if full payment arrives in time. If you challenge the PCN within the discount period, many councils hold the discount while they consider your challenge, but check what the council says: see appealing against a PCN. Paying normally closes the case, so challenge first if you think the PCN is wrong.
If you don't pay
- Notice to Owner. For a PCN fixed to the vehicle, the council can send a Notice to Owner to the registered keeper once 28 days have passed, and no later than 6 months after the PCN. It asks for the full penalty and gives 28 days to pay or make representations. A PCN sent by post already counts as the Notice to Owner.
- Charge certificate. If the penalty is still unpaid 28 days after the Notice to Owner or postal PCN, or after the council rejects your representations or the adjudicator refuses your appeal, the council can send a charge certificate. This increases the penalty by 50%.
- Order for recovery. If the charge certificate is not paid within 14 days, the council can register the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre at Northampton County Court, which adds an £11 court fee. You then receive an order for recovery, with a witness statement form (TE13).
- Witness statement. You have 21 days to file it, and you can use it to say why the debt should not have been registered, but only on four grounds: you did not receive the Notice to Owner or postal PCN; you made representations in time but had no reply; you appealed in time but had no reply, or the charge certificate came before your appeal was decided or after it was allowed; or you had already paid the penalty in full. A witness statement is signed with a statement of truth, and making a false one can be contempt of court. If you file it, the order and the charge certificate are cancelled and the case goes back to the council or the adjudicator. If you are too late, you can ask for more time on form TE14, explaining why you are late. For London bus lane and moving traffic penalties the forms are different: a sworn statutory declaration (form PE3).
- Enforcement agents. If you still don't pay or respond, the council can ask the court for a warrant of control and pass the debt to enforcement agents (bailiffs). Their fees are added to what you owe: £79 when the case is passed to them, £247 if they visit, and more if goods are sold. They must give you at least 14 clear days' notice before they can take goods. GOV.UK explains your rights with bailiffs.
If something stops you from dealing with a PCN in time, such as illness or being away, contact the council as soon as you can. Ignoring a PCN only makes it more expensive.
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.