Contravention Code 73 — Parked Without Payment of the Parking Charge

Last updated: March 2026

Code 73 is one of the most common off-street (car park) contravention codes. It applies when you park in a council car park and do not pay the required charge. However, broken machines, cashless payment failures, and unclear instructions all provide genuine grounds for appeal.

What Does Code 73 Mean?

Contravention code 73 is a lower-level contravention issued in off-street parking places (typically council-owned car parks) when a vehicle is parked without paying the required parking charge. This is the car-park equivalent of code 05 (on-street). The penalty is £50 outside London or £80 in London, halved for early payment within 14 days. Note that code 73 applies specifically to council car parks — private car park charges are handled differently and are not PCNs.

When Is This Code Issued?

A CEO patrolling a council car park will check whether each vehicle has a valid pay-and-display ticket, a cashless parking session, or another form of authorised parking. If no evidence of payment is found, the CEO will issue a code 73 PCN. The officer must check both the dashboard for a ticket and digital systems for cashless payments before issuing the PCN.

Common Defences

Broken Pay-and-Display Machine

If the pay-and-display machine was out of order and no alternative payment method was reasonably available, you have a strong defence. The key question is whether you took reasonable steps to pay. If the machine was broken, there was no cashless payment option advertised, and no alternative machine was within reasonable walking distance, photograph the broken machine and challenge the PCN. Councils maintain logs of machine faults — request these records to support your case.

Cashless Parking App Failure

If you attempted to pay via a parking app but the payment failed due to a technical error, poor mobile signal, or an app malfunction, this can be a valid defence. Save screenshots of error messages, failed transaction records, and your phone's signal status. Some apps provide transaction history showing attempted but failed payments — this is powerful evidence.

Payment Was Made but Not Recorded

If you paid for parking but the ticket blew off the dashboard, fell into the footwell, or was not detected by the CEO, provide your payment evidence. This includes the actual pay-and-display ticket (if you still have it), a bank statement showing the payment, or a cashless parking confirmation email or text. Many councils will cancel the PCN at the informal stage when presented with proof of payment.

Unclear Payment Instructions

Council car parks must clearly display payment instructions, tariffs, and operating hours. If the signage was confusing, missing, or contradictory — for example, if it was not clear that payment was required, or the tariff boards were illegible — this undermines the council's case. Photograph all signage in the car park.

Free Parking Period

Some council car parks offer a free parking period (for example, the first 30 minutes free). If you were within the free period and still received a PCN, provide evidence of your arrival time — dashcam footage, a witness, or a nearby shop receipt with a timestamp.

What Are Your Chances of Success?

Code 73 appeals have a good success rate when supported by evidence. Broken machine defences are particularly strong because councils have a legal duty to maintain their equipment. Cashless parking failures are increasingly common and tribunals recognise that technology does not always work. If you attempted to pay but were unable to due to no fault of your own, your appeal has a strong chance of succeeding. Provide as much evidence as possible — photographs, receipts, app screenshots, and bank statements all help.

Related Guides

• How to Appeal a Council Parking Ticket (PCN)
• Traffic Penalty Tribunal — How It Works
• Contravention Code 05 — Parked After Payment Expired
• Contravention Code 86 — Not Parked in a Designated Bay