Do I have to pay a private parking ticket?

Is a private parking ticket a fine?

No. Only councils, the police and other public bodies can issue fines or penalties. A private company (on a supermarket, retail park, hospital or private car park) issues a 'Parking Charge Notice'. It's essentially an invoice. It says you agreed to the car park's terms by parking there and then broke them, so you owe a charge.

Confusingly, council tickets are called 'Penalty Charge Notices', and both get shortened to 'PCN'. If your ticket mentions a council, the Traffic Management Act 2004 or a tribunal, it's a council ticket. That's a different process (see our guide on private vs council tickets).

What happens if I ignore it?

Ignoring a private parking charge rarely makes it go away. Typically you'll get reminder letters, then letters from a debt collection agency, often with extra fees added. Debt collectors have no special powers. They can't take your belongings or come into your home.

The operator can choose to take you to the County Court. If you get a 'Letter Before Claim' or court papers, never ignore them. If you don't respond to a court claim, you could get a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you, which can affect your credit rating.

Your three options

• Pay: often there's a reduced amount (commonly 40% off) if you pay within 14 days. If you have no grounds to appeal, this can be the cheapest option.
• Appeal: if there are possible grounds (the notice arrived late, wording is missing, signs were unclear, a machine was broken and so on), appeal to the operator in writing within its deadline, usually 28 days. If they reject it, you can usually go to a free independent appeal (POPLA or the IAS).
• Wait and see: some people choose not to pay or appeal. This is a riskier route. If you take it, keep every letter and get advice the moment anything mentions court.

When an appeal is worth trying

Many private parking charges are issued automatically by cameras (ANPR), and operators don't always follow the rules. Common possible grounds include: a postal notice that arrived too late to make the registered keeper liable, missing legal wording, unclear signs, short overstays within grace periods, payment machines that didn't work, and valid permits or tickets that were missed.

Appealing is free, and a first appeal doesn't usually lose you anything. Many operators hold the reduced amount open while they consider it, but check your notice, as this isn't guaranteed.