Appeal Against a Penalty Charge Notice (England and Wales)
Summary
The UK Government provides guidance on appealing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in England and Wales. Individuals who receive a PCN for parking, moving traffic contraventions, or failure to pay road charges (including Dartford Crossing and London congestion charges) may appeal to an independent tribunal if their initial formal challenge is rejected. The document specifies that appellants must wait for the outcome of their formal challenge and has 28 days from receiving a notice of rejection to lodge an appeal with the appropriate tribunal.
What changed
This guidance explains the two-stage appeals process for Penalty Charge Notices in England and Wales. First, individuals must make a formal challenge (called a 'representation') to the issuing authority. Only after this challenge is rejected and a 'notice of rejection' is received can they proceed to the second stage of appealing to an independent tribunal. The relevant tribunal depends on location: London Tribunals for PCNs issued in London, and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal for PCNs issued elsewhere in England or Wales, including Dart Charge matters.
The guidance applies to consumers and road users who receive PCNs for parking violations, moving traffic contraventions (such as bus lane breaches), or unpaid congestion/low emissions zone charges. It is informational in nature and does not create new compliance obligations for regulated entities. Businesses operating fleets or managing parking facilities should note the appeals process but face no new regulatory requirements from this document.
What to do next
- Make a formal challenge (representation) before appealing
- Wait for the outcome of the formal challenge
- Appeal to the appropriate tribunal within 28 days of receiving notice of rejection
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Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Appeal against a penalty charge notice
How to appeal a penalty charge notice
You may be able to appeal to an independent tribunal against a penalty charge notice (PCN) if you think it’s wrong.
This includes any PCN issued in England or Wales for:
- parking
- breaking traffic rules while moving (‘moving traffic contraventions’), for example driving in a bus lane when you should not
- not paying the Dartford Crossing, London congestion or low emissions zone charge on time There are different ways to appeal in Scotland and appeal in Northern Ireland.
Before you can appeal, you must make a formal challenge (called a ‘representation’).
When to appeal
You must wait to find out the outcome of your formal challenge. If it’s rejected, you’ll get a ‘notice of rejection’ in the post.
After you’ve received the notice, you have 28 days to make an appeal.
How to appeal
Find out how to appeal to:
- London Tribunals if your PCN was issued in London
- the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if your PCN was issued outside London, in England or Wales - this includes PCNs from Dart Charge If your appeal is successful the PCN will be cancelled and you will not have to pay anything.
View a printable version of the whole guide
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