Drivers to get formal right to challenge private parking charges
Drivers in England, Scotland and Wales are to get a formal right to challenge private parking charges under new rules set out by Andy Burnham.
The code freezes the maximum charge at £100. Private operators that do not follow the rules risk losing access to DVLA data used to identify vehicle keepers, according to the BBC.
Motorists will have a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park after entering a car park. They will then have a 10-minute window to leave without facing a penalty.
Charges linked to small slip-ups will be capped at £20 on appeal. That covers forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle registration, or forgetting to confirm a registration.
The rules also require charges to be cancelled in several defined circumstances. They include vehicle breakdowns in car parks, stopping to check directions, medical emergencies, and broken ticket machines.
The government plans to present a formalised version of the code to Parliament. The existing industry Code of Practice was drawn up by the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community and introduced in 2024.
The changes follow a sharp rise in ticketing. RAC analysis of government data showed a record 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025/26, up 17% on the year before, according to the BBC.
