Places and nations
Parking fines in Scotland
Independent site, not a council, operator or appeals service. You pay or appeal only through the channel printed on your notice.
Enter the date on your Scottish council notice and its amount: the countdown gives the reduced-rate deadline and the steps that follow if it stays unpaid.
Next: Last day for the reduced rate
8 November 2026
13 days left · £50
| Last day for the reduced rate14 days beginning with the day the notice was served. Pay £50 instead of £100. | 8 November 2026£50 |
| Informal challenge, to keep the reduced rateWrite to the council before this date: if it rejects the challenge it may offer the reduced rate again. | 8 November 2026 |
| Notice to Owner can be posted (earliest)Sent to the registered keeper if nothing is paid in 28 days. From then on the full £100 is due. | 23 November 2026£100 |
| Formal representations (earliest)28 days beginning with the day the Notice to Owner is served. The date counts from your Notice to Owner: this is the earliest it can fall. | 20 December 2026 |
| Charge certificate (earliest)If nothing is paid or challenged, the charge rises by 50% to £150. | 21 December 2026£150 |
Scotland: appeals go to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland within 28 days of the notice of rejection.
Scotland has its own parking rules, and three kinds of ticket. Most councils run decriminalised parking enforcement and issue Penalty Charge Notices: since 1 April 2023 the maximum level has been £100, up from £60, and councils may set less, except that pavement parking, dropped kerb and double parking penalties must be £100. A penalty is halved if paid within 14 days and increased by 50% after a charge certificate. Where a council does not run civil enforcement, parking remains a police matter, with a fixed penalty of £30, rising to £45 if unpaid. Private car parks issue parking charges, but Schedule 4 to the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 does not apply in Scotland, so a company cannot rely on it to make the registered keeper pay. Appeals against council penalties go to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland within 28 days of the notice of rejection. A consultation on penalty levels closed on 30 January 2026.
Scottish PCN: what each date costs
Within 14 days
£50
| Full charge | £100 |
| After a charge certificate | £150 |
| Highest level allowed | £100 since 1 April 2023 |
Rules, amounts and dates read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Council, police or company: which ticket
| Ticket | Issued by | Amount | If unpaid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penalty Charge Notice | a council with decriminalised enforcement | up to £100, halved within 14 days | charge certificate, +50% |
| Pavement, dropped kerb, double parking PCN | an enforcing council | £100 | charge certificate, +50% |
| Fixed Penalty Notice | Police Scotland | £30 | £45 |
| Parking charge | a private company | set by the company; the government Code will cap it | debt letters, possible court action |
Transport Scotland's annual report lists the councils that run decriminalised parking enforcement. If the council for the street where you parked does, the yellow-line ticket is a council penalty; if not, it is the police who enforce, and a police ticket follows criminal procedure. Our fixed penalty page explains that route.
Dates on a Scottish council PCN
For a penalty of £100 fixed to a car in Edinburgh or Glasgow on 30 November 2026, which is St Andrew's Day and a Scottish bank holiday, the reduced rate of £50 lasts 14 days, until 13 December 2026. If it stays unpaid, a Notice to Owner can follow after 28 days, from 28 December 2026, inviting payment or representations. A charge certificate then raises the amount to £150. The countdown at the top uses Scottish bank holidays and counts from the date printed on the notice; the council's own notice gives the exact dates it applies.
Appealing to the First-tier Tribunal
Parking and bus lane appeals in Scotland moved to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, General Regulatory Chamber. After the council rejects your representations, you have 28 days from the notice of rejection to appeal (Tribunal: before you appeal). The tribunal asks for the notice, the council's rejection and your evidence. As in England, it decides whether the penalty was properly issued, not whether it seems harsh, so concentrate on the facts: signs, lines, times, permits, and any failure by the council to follow its procedure.
Private car parks in Scotland
A charge from a company at a supermarket or retail park in Scotland is a contract claim, as anywhere in the UK. The difference is that the Schedule 4 keeper-liability rules do not extend to Scotland, so the company must identify the driver. The government Private Parking Code of Practice, once in force, does apply in Scotland, together with England and Wales (explanatory memorandum, paragraph 4.4). Its cap of £100, its 28-day appeal period and its grace periods will cover Scottish car parks too. Our private ticket page explains the route.
What may change
A Transport Scotland consultation on penalty charge notice levels closed on 30 January 2026. Until any new levels are set and dated, the figures on this page apply. The mini-tool above shows the reduced and increased amounts for any penalty up to the current maximum.
Practical points
- Bank holidays differ from England: St Andrew's Day and the January bank holidays affect counts that use working days.
- Keep the notice, your photographs and proof of the date you sent representations.
- Pay only through the channels printed on the council notice.