Appeals and court
POPLA appeal: the second stage for private parking charges
Independent site, not a council, operator or appeals service. You pay or appeal only through the channel printed on your notice.
Enter the date of the operator’s rejection: the tool gives the last day to appeal to POPLA and the time limits of each stage that follows.
Last day to appeal to POPLA
Appeal by
29 November 2026
| Verification code | 10 digits, from the rejection |
| Operator’s evidence | within 21 days |
| Your comments | within 7 days |
| If you lose, pay within | 28 days |
Counted with the day of the rejection as day one, the cautious reading. POPLA handles operators that are members of the British Parking Association.
POPLA, short for Parking on Private Land Appeals, is the independent service that decides second-stage appeals against parking charges issued by operators that belong to the British Parking Association. You can only use it after the operator has rejected your first appeal, and the rejection letter gives you a 10-digit verification code, which links your POPLA appeal to that case. According to the POPLA FAQs, the appeal must be made within 28 days of the rejection, the code stays valid for 28 days, the operator then has 21 days to send its evidence, you have 7 days to comment on it, and the service is free for motorists. If the assessor allows the appeal, the operator must cancel the charge; if not, you are expected to pay within 28 days of the decision, at the full rate. Under the government Code, the operator must suspend debt recovery while the appeal is open and must accept the decision. If the operator later goes to court, a judge decides the claim on the evidence.
Private appeal: dates after a rejection
Reduced rate still open until
15 November 2026
| First appeal was due by | 1 November 2026 |
| Second stage (POPLA or IAS) | from the rejection letter |
| Enforcement during it | suspended (clause 8.3.7) |
Clause 8.1.2(e): appeal within 28 days and the rate you could pay then holds for 14 days after the rejection. Windscreen notices are delivered the day they are issued.
Rules, amounts and dates read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Stages and time limits
| Stage | Time limit | Example: rejection dated 16 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Your appeal to POPLA | 28 days from the rejection | by 13 December 2026 |
| Operator sends its evidence | 21 days | after your appeal is registered |
| Your comments on that evidence | 7 days | after you receive it |
| Payment if you lose | 28 days | from the decision |
Read the POPLA FAQs again before you start, since the service updates its process. The tool at the top applies the appeal period to your own rejection date.
Which charges go to POPLA
POPLA handles charges from operators in the British Parking Association. Operators in the International Parking Community use the Independent Appeals Service instead. The rejection letter names the right service and gives the code. Under the government Code, once in force, the operator must accept the decision of the second-stage service and suspend enforcement until the outcome is known (Code, clauses 8.3.7 and 8.3.8).
Writing the POPLA appeal
An assessor reads both sides on paper, so structure helps. Number your points, and for each one state the ground, the rule and the evidence. Common grounds at this stage are the same as at the first: keeper liability not established under Schedule 4, unclear signs, a grace period, a paid stay or an Appeals Charter case. Add one more if the operator's rejection ignored a point you made. The builder below drafts a second-stage letter from ticked reasons.
Your letter, ready to copy
Send it through the channel printed on the notice (online form, email or post) and keep proof of the date you sent it.
When the operator's evidence arrives, check the photographs of the signs against your own, the times recorded by cameras against your payment, and whether its documents show authority from the landowner. Answer within the 7 days.
A worked example
A driver overstays at a retail park and receives a charge on 12 October 2026. The first appeal, made on 20 October 2026 and based on a grace period, is rejected on 16 November 2026. The rejection contains the verification code. Counting the day of the rejection as day one, the POPLA appeal must be made by 13 December 2026. The driver submits it a week before that date, with the exit photograph showing the time and a copy of the signs listing the type of car park. The operator sends its evidence pack within 21 days; the driver replies within 7 days, pointing out that the pack shows the entry time but not the end of the paid stay. The assessor then decides on the written file. Throughout that period, under the Code once in force, the operator may not pass the charge to a debt collector.
After the decision
If the appeal is allowed, the charge is cancelled and nothing more is owed. If it is refused, the charge stands at the full rate; the reduced rate ended with the first rejection, and POPLA expects payment within 28 days. Not paying then exposes you to debt collection letters and possibly a county court claim, where you can still defend yourself. The first-stage appeal page explains what to do before you reach POPLA.