On this page
Introduction
The information on this page is to help you understand your penalty charge notice (PCN).
Contravention codes and costs
A PCN includes a contravention code and a description of the offence. These can be located in the tables below.
On-street parking
| Code | Description | Charges |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 2 | Parked or loading/unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading/unloading restrictions are in force | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 4 | Parked in a meter bay when penalty time is indicated | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 5 | Parked after the expiry of paid for time at a pay and display bay | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 6 | Parked without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 7 | Parked with payment made to extend the stay beyond the initial time (meter feeding) | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 8 | Parked at an out-of-order meter during controlled hours - electronic meters only | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 9 | Parked displaying multiple pay and display tickets where prohibited | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 10 | Parked without clearly displaying two valid pay and display tickets when required | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 11 | Parked without payment of the parking charge | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 12 | Parked in a residents or shared use parking place without clearly displaying a permit or pay and display ticket issued for that location | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 14 | Parked in an electric vehicles' charging place during restricted hours without charging | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 16 | Parked in a permit space without displaying a valid permit | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 18 | Using a vehicle in a parking place in connection with the sale or offering or exposing for sale of goods when prohibited | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 19 | Parked in a residents or shared use parking place displaying an invalid permit, invalid voucher or an invalid pay and display ticket | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 20 | Parked in a loading gap | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 21 | Parked in a suspended bay/space or part of bay/space | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 22 | Re-parked in the same parking space within one hour of leaving | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 23 | Parked in a parking place or area not designated for that class of vehicle | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 24 | Not parked correctly within the markings of the bay or space | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 25 | Parked in a loading place during restricted hours without loading | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 26 | Vehicle parked more than 50cm from the edge of the carriageway and not within a designated parking space | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 27 | Parked adjacent to a dropped footway | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 30 | Parked for longer than permitted | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 31 | Entering and stopping in a box junction when prohibited | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 32 | Failing to drive in the direction shown by the arrow on a blue sign | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 33 | Using a route restricted to certain vehicles | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 34 | Being in a bus lane | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 35 | Parked in a disc parking place without clearly displaying a valid disc | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 36 | Parked in a disc parking place for longer than permitted | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 37 | Failing to give way to oncoming vehicles | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 38 | Failing to comply with a sign indicating that vehicular traffic must pass to the specified side of the sign | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 40 | Parked in a designated disabled person's parking place without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 41 | Parked in a parking place designated for diplomatic vehicles | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 42 | Parked in a parking place designated for police vehicles | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 45 | Parked on a taxi rank | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 46 | Stopped where prohibited (on a red route or clearway) | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 47 | Stopped on a restricted bus stop/stand | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 48 | Stopped in a restricted area outside a school | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 49 | Parked wholly or partly on a cycle track | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 50 | Performing a prohibited turn | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 51 | Failing to comply with a no entry sign | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 52 | Failing to comply with a sign indicating a prohibition on certain types of vehicles | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 53 | Failing to comply with a restriction on vehicles entering a pedestrian zone | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 54 | Failing to comply with a sign indicating a restriction on vehicles entering and waiting in a pedestrian zone | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 55 | A commercial vehicle parked in a restricted street in contravention of the Overnight Waiting Ban | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 56 | Parked in contravention of a commercial vehicle waiting restriction - non overnight waiting restriction | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 57 | Parked in contravention of a coach ban - non overnight waiting restriction | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 61 | A heavy commercial vehicle wholly or partly parked on a footway, verge or land between two carriageways | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 62 | Parked with one or more wheels on any part of an urban road other than a carriageway (footway parking) | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 63 | Parked with engine running where prohibited | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 99 | Stopped on a pedestrian crossing and/or crossing area marked by zig-zags | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
Off-street parking
| Code | Description | Charges |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | Parked in a loading area during restricted hours without reasonable excuse | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 73 | Parked without payment of the parking charge | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 74 | Using a vehicle in a parking place in connection with the sale or offering or exposing for sale of goods when prohibited | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 80 | Parked for longer than the maximum period permitted | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 81 | Parked in a restricted area in a car park | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 82 | Parked after the expiry of time paid for in a pay and display car park | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 83 | Parked in a pay and display car park without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 84 | Parked with additional payment made to extend the stay beyond the first time purchased | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 85 | Parked in a permit bay without clearly displaying a valid permit | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 86 | Parked beyond the bay markings | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 87 | Parked in a disabled person's parking space without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 89 | Vehicle parked exceeds maximum weight and/or height and/or length permitted in the area | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 90 | Re-parked within one hour of leaving a bay or space in a car park | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 91 | Parked in an area not designated for that class of vehicle | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 92 | Parked causing an obstruction | £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 93 | Parked in a car park when closed | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 94 | Parked in a pay and display car park without clearly displaying two valid pay and display tickets when required | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 95 | Parked in a parking place for a purpose other than the designated purpose for the parking place | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
| 96 | Parked with the engine running where prohibited | £80 or £40 if paid within 14 days from date of service |
Frequently asked questions
Q: Are the civil enforcement officers (CEOs) given targets and bonuses for achieving them?
A: No, no targets are given and no bonuses are paid.
Q: Does Merton Council use contractors to enforce Parking regulations?
A: No. All civil enforcement officers are employed directly by the council and receive an annual salary.
Q: If I am not satisfied with the outcome of my appeal against a PCN, can I take this matter to court?
A: Since the decriminalisation of parking enforcement from the police in the early 1990s the right to go to court no longer exists. The Traffic Management Act 2004 does give the motorist a right of appeal to the Appeals Service where an independent adjudicator will hear the case and whose decision is binding on both parties.
Q: If I pay a PCN during the discount period, can I carry on making representations through the different stages of the appeal process?
A: If you pay the PCN at any stage, the case is closed with no further right of appeal. If you wish to appeal you should not pay. If your appeal is refused at the initial stage, the discount is extended for a further 14 days.
Q: Can I pay my PCN by instalments?
A: No, we do not offer instalment arrangements. Please see our PCN instalment policy
Q: If I did not own the vehicle at the time of the offence, why haven't you sent the charge to the person who now owns the vehicle?
A: This is a common stated representation; it is the responsibility of the motorist to inform the DVLA when disposing of a vehicle, who they are disposing the vehicle to. When we issue our documents it can only be to the registered keeper (with DVLA) regardless of who was in charge of the vehicle at the time the PCN was issued or who has sent representation in.
You must inform the DVLA who the new keeper of the vehicle is on the forms provided. Please keep a copy for your records. Failure to notify the DVLA means that you are legally liable for all parking contraventions