Parking Ticket Time Limits — When Is It Too Late to Appeal?

Last updated: March 2026

Time limits are critical in parking disputes. Miss a deadline by even one day and you could lose your right to appeal entirely — or face a doubled penalty. This guide covers every key deadline for council PCNs, private charges, and TfL tickets.

Council PCN Time Limits at a Glance

The 14-Day Discount Period

Councils offer a 50% discount if you pay within 14 days of the PCN being issued (or served, for postal PCNs). Critically, if you submit an informal challenge within this window, the discount period is frozen — meaning you do not lose the discount by appealing. If your challenge is rejected, the 14-day clock restarts from the date of the rejection letter.

However, once a Notice to Owner is issued (because you did not pay or challenge in time), the discount is generally no longer available. This is why acting quickly matters.

Private Parking Time Limits — The 14-Day Rule

Private parking companies operate under completely different rules. Under the Protection of Freedoms Act (POFA) 2012, there are strict timelines for issuing the Notice to Keeper (NTK):

• Driver known: The company must issue a charge notice to the driver within 14 days of the alleged contravention.
• Driver unknown (keeper liability): After obtaining keeper details from the DVLA, the NTK must be served between 29 and 56 days after the event.

If the NTK is served outside these windows, the parking company loses the right to hold the registered keeper liable. This is one of the most common — and most successful — grounds for appeal. Check the date on the NTK against the date of the alleged contravention and count the days carefully.

Appealing to POPLA or IAS

After receiving a charge and making an initial appeal to the operator (which is rejected), you typically have 28 days to escalate to POPLA (for BPA members) or the IAS (for IPC members). The operator’s rejection letter must include details of how to escalate. If it does not, this is itself a breach of the code of practice.

TfL (Transport for London) Time Limits

TfL PCNs for bus lanes, congestion charge, ULEZ, and other moving traffic offences follow similar deadlines to council PCNs, but with some differences:

• Discounted payment: 14 days (50% reduction, so a £160 charge becomes £80).
• Informal representation: 28 days from the PCN date.
• Formal representation: 28 days from the Notice to Owner.
• Tribunal: 28 days from the rejection — appeal goes to London Tribunals, not the TPT.

What Happens If You Miss a Deadline?

For council PCNs, missing the informal challenge deadline means you wait for the Notice to Owner and make a formal representation instead. Missing the formal representation deadline means the council can issue a Charge Certificate, increasing the penalty by 50%. If you still do not pay, the council can register the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) and, ultimately, instruct bailiffs.

For private parking charges, missing deadlines is less immediately damaging. The company may send reminders, escalate to a debt collection agency, or eventually file a County Court claim (CCJ). However, you can still file a defence at the court stage — it is not too late to fight until a judgment is entered against you.

Late Appeals — Is There Still Hope?

In some cases, tribunals will accept late appeals if you can demonstrate a good reason for the delay — such as being abroad, hospitalised, or not receiving the correspondence. This is called an “out of time” application. You will need to explain the reason for the delay and provide supporting evidence. There is no guarantee it will be accepted, but it is always worth trying if you have a strong case on the merits.

Related Guides

• How to Appeal a Council Parking Ticket (PCN)
• How to Appeal a Private Parking Charge
• PCN Not Received — What to Do
• Traffic Penalty Tribunal — How It Works