Penalty charge notice (PCN) charging levels for parking contraventions are split into higher and lower levels. This depends on the seriousness of the contravention in accordance with the Traffic Management Act 2008.
Example: PCNs issued for overstaying in a pay and display bay or being parked with wheels outside the bay markings are issued at the lower level of £110/£55, whereas PCNs for parking in a resident permit bay without displaying a permit are issued at the higher rate of £160/£80.
This page shows a list of all the contravention codes we use, including suffixes that help explain why the PCN was issued, and the charging rates.
Suffixes are not required by law to be on a PCN, so if one is omitted or the wrong one is used, this does not mean that the PCN will automatically be cancelled.
These PCNs are issued at the higher rate of £160/£80.
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01 - Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours
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Parked on single or double yellow lines or where temporary waiting restrictions apply. Suffix O means Blue Badge Holder, Suffix A means temporary waiting restrictions (no lines needed but signed with cones and yellow corex signs) usually for street cleansing or resurfacing.
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02 - Parked or loading/unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading/unloading restrictions are in force
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Parked on single or double yellow lines with additional yellow 'no loading' kerb stripes. Single stripes means loading prohibited between certain times. Double kerb stripes mean ‘at any time’.
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11 - Parked without payment of the parking charge
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Valid in bays which only accept phone payment parking. Suffix U refers to a payment made by phone.
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12 - Parked in a residents' or shared use parking place without either clearly displaying a valid permit or voucher or pay and display ticket issued for that place, or without payment of the parking charge
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Must be parked clearly displaying a valid resident/visitor permit, pay and display ticket or phone payment session in place, depending on which of those the parking place accepts. Suffix R refers to resident permit bays, Suffix S refers to shared use bays, Suffix W means wrong parking zone.
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14 - Parked in an electric vehicles’ charging place during restricted hours without charging
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Vehicle must be fully electric and must be charging.
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16 - Parked in a permit space or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit where required
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Applies to non-resident parking such as business permit (suffix B), doctor (suffix D) and car club bays (suffix E).
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21 - Parked wholly or partly in a suspended bay or space
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Be on the lookout for yellow corex signs which explain where and for how long the suspension applies. Suffixes are for resident permit bays (suffix R) shared use bays (suffix S) or pay and display bay (suffix P).
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22 - Re-parked in the same parking place or zone within one hour after leaving
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You must not return to the same parking place within one hour of leaving it (usually applies to limited waiting parking bays).
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23 - Parked in a parking place or area not designated for that class of vehicle
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The main suffixes are 23(2) for Goods vehicles only, suffix G for motorcycle bays.
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25 - Parked in a loading place or bay during restricted hours without loading
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Loading bays are for loading and unloading only.
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26 - Parked in a special enforcement area more than 50 cm from the edge of the carriageway and not within a designated parking place
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At least one part of the vehicle must be within 50cm of the edge of the carriageway.
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27 - Parked in a special enforcement area adjacent to a footway, cycle track or verge lowered to meet the level of the carriageway
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The whole of Greater London is a special enforcement area. Vehicle must be parked at least partially in front of a kerb which has been lowered for a driveway or pedestrian crossing purposes.
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28 - Parked in a special enforcement area adjacent to a footway, cycle track or verge raised to meet the level of the carriageway.
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The whole of Greater London is a special enforcement area. Parked at least partially in front of a pedestrian crossing point which is characterised by a raised carriageway.
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40 - Parked in a designated disabled person’s parking place without displaying a valid disabled person’s badge in the prescribed manner
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Self-explanatory.
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45 - Stopped on a taxi rank
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This is a stopping rather than parking contravention.
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46 – Stopped where prohibited (on a red route or clearway)
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This is a stopping rather than parking contravention.
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47 - Stopped on a restricted bus stop or stand
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This is a stopping rather than parking contravention.
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48 - Stopped in a restricted area outside a school, a hospital or a fire, police or ambulance station when prohibited
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This refers to vehicles which stop rather than park and is marked by yellow zig-zag markings.
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55 - A commercial vehicle parked in a restricted street in contravention of the Overnight Waiting Ban
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Applies to commercial vehicles weighing over 5 tons parked on the street between 6.30pm and 8am, daily.
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61 - A heavy commercial vehicle wholly or partly parked on a footway, verge or land between two carriageways
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Vehicle must be parked with all four wheels on the carriageway, with a very limited exemption for loading or unloading.
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62 - Parked with one or more wheels on or over a footpath or any part of a road other than a carriageway
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Vehicle must be parked with all four wheels on the carriageway unless in a marked bay, with a very limited exemption for loading or unloading. Suffix C applies to crossovers, and Suffix G for grass verge.
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63 - Parked with engine running where prohibited
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Awaiting official Department for Transport signage.
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99 - Stopped on a pedestrian crossing or crossing area marked by zigzags
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This is a stopping rather than parking contravention.
These PCNs are issued at the lower rate of £110/£55.
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05 - Parked after the expiry of paid-for time
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You must ensure that your ticket or phone payment session covers you for the whole of your stay in the bay. Suffix U stands for initial parking period paid for by phone.
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06 - Parked without clearly displaying a valid pay & display ticket or voucher
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Self-explanatory.
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19 - Parked in a residents' or shared use parking place or zone with an invalid virtual permit or displaying an invalid physical permit or voucher or pay and display ticket, or after the expiry of paid for time
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Applies to vehicles parked in a resident permit bay (suffix R), shared use bay (suffix S) or where a phone payment parking session has expired (suffix U).
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24 - Not parked correctly within the markings of the bay or space
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Vehicles must be parked wholly within the bay markings (where applicable). Suffixes are resident permit bays (Suffix R) shared use bays (Suffix S) and pay and display bays (Suffix P).
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30 - Parked for longer than permitted
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Applies to vehicles which overstay their maximum permitted time - usually for Blue Badges on yellow lines or limited stay free bays. Suffix F stands for 'free bay', Suffix O for Blue Badges.
Higher rate
These contravention codes are for use in car parks which are enforced by the council and are charged at the higher rate of £160/£80.
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71 - Parked in an electric vehicles’ charging place during restricted hours without charging
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The vehicle must be fully electric and must be charging.
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85 - Parked without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit where required
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Self-explanatory.
Lower rate
These contravention codes are for use in car parks which are enforced by the council and are charged at the lower rate of £80/£40.
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82 - Parked after the expiry of paid-for time
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Self-explanatory.
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83 - Parked in a car park without clearly displaying a valid pay & display ticket or voucher or parking clock
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Self-explanatory.
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86 - Not parked correctly within the markings of a bay or space
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Self-explanatory.
These PCNs are issued at the higher rate of £160/£80.
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31 - Entering and stopping in a box junction when prohibited
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You should wait for your exit space to become free before crossing the box junction markings. Suffix J stands for enforced by CCTV.
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32 - Failing to drive in the direction shown by the arrow on a blue sign
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These are mandatory turns (white arrow on blue background). Suffix T means turning against the direction shown in the arrow.
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37 - Failing to give way to oncoming vehicles
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Self-explanatory.
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38 - Failing to comply with a sign indicating that vehicular traffic must pass to the specified side of the sign
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This refers to signs on bollards in the middle of the road, with arrows pointing to the left (suffix L) or the right (suffix R).
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50 - Performing a prohibited turn
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Self-explanatory. Suffix R means prohibited right turn.
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51 - Failing to comply with a no entry restriction
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Self-explanatory. Suffix J stands for enforced by CCTV.
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52 - Failing to comply with a prohibition on certain types of vehicle
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This could apply to motor vehicles (suffix M) or vehicles over the weight indicated on the sign (suffix G).
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53 - Failing to comply with a restriction on vehicles entering a pedestrian zone
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This applies to 'School Streets' which are restricted to vehicles for only part of a day, as well as more traditional pedestrian zones. Suffix C is for Pedestrian and Cycle Zones.
These PCNs are issued at the higher rate of £160/£80.
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34 - Being in a bus lane
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Self-explanatory.
