Private parking
Parking fines and the Blue Badge
Independent site, not a council, operator or appeals service. You pay or appeal only through the channel printed on your notice.
Choose "Blue Badge not displayed" in the tool to see what the Appeals Charter of the Code allows; the council PCN amounts follow below.
What the Appeals Charter says about my case
Outcome under the Charter
Cancel the charge
| With evidence of | the payment |
| Reduced charge | not applicable |
Appeals Charter of the Private Parking Code, once in force. Until then operators follow their trade association code.
Holding a Blue Badge does not stop a parking ticket being issued, but it changes how several of them should end. In private car parks, the government Private Parking Code of Practice laid on 20 October 2026 includes in its Appeals Charter the case of a Blue Badge not displayed: if the holder sends a copy of a badge that was valid at the time and shows that the holder was in the vehicle, as driver or passenger, the charge should be reduced to £20 for 14 days, the first time this happens; later cases are at the operator's discretion. On council land, a penalty charge notice for parking in a disabled bay without displaying a valid badge is a higher-level contravention in England, and an appeal turns on whether a valid badge was displayed correctly. At NHS hospitals in England, the car parking principles say Blue Badge holders should be able to park free. In every case, the evidence is a copy of the badge, front and back, and its validity dates.
How much is my council PCN now?
You pay
£35
| Penalty on the notice | £70 |
| Reduced rate (50% off) | £35 |
| After a charge certificate (+50%) | £105 |
Band and rate are printed on the notice with the contravention code. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have no bands.
Rules, amounts and dates read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Private car parks: the Appeals Charter
Clause 19 of the Private Parking Code of Practice has a separate heading for a reduced charge that applies only in the first instance. Its only entry is the Blue Badge not displayed: the holder supplies a copy of a badge that would have been valid at the time and in the circumstances of the charge. The operator should then reduce the charge to £20 for 14 days. For any later case, the Code tells operators to use their discretion with the individual circumstances in mind.
A badge that was displayed but not seen by the camera is a different matter: ANPR cameras read number plates, not windscreens. If a charge was issued while the badge was on display in a car park whose terms allow badge holders to park, say so and send a photograph of the badge in place and its details.
Council disabled bays and PCN amounts
Schedule 3 of the 2022 England regulations places parking in a disabled bay without a valid badge among the higher-level contraventions. The amounts:
| Where | Higher level | Paid early | After a charge certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| England outside London, band 2 | £70 | £35 | £105 |
| England outside London, band 1 | £60 | £30 | £90 |
| London, band A | £160 | £80 | £240 |
| Wales, higher rate | £70 | £35 | £105 |
The England classification comes from Schedule 3; London and Wales use their own lists, so check the level and contravention code printed on your notice before relying on the table.
The grounds for a formal challenge in England are set out in regulation 5(4) of the representations and appeals regulations. The first, that the contravention did not occur, covers a badge that was validly displayed: a photograph taken at the time, showing the badge with its expiry date visible, is the strongest evidence. Our council appeal page builds the letter.
Hospital car parks
The NHS car parking principles for England list disabled people with a Blue Badge among the groups that should be able to park free. Trusts organise this differently: some ask you only to display the badge, others to register your number plate at a desk. If a private operator on a hospital site sends you a charge while you were a badge holder parking for a visit, give the trust's concession as your first reason; the hospital parking page has the other free groups.
Building the appeal
- Copy both sides of the badge, with the serial number and expiry date legible.
- State who held the badge and that the holder was in the vehicle at the time.
- For a private charge, cite the Appeals Charter and ask for the £20 reduced charge, or cancellation if the badge was displayed.
- Send it within 28 days of delivery for a private charge, or before the reduced-rate deadline for a council notice.
The private appeal builder has a reason ready for a permit or badge holder. If the charge came because the plate in the app was wrong, see the registration error page.