Parking charges - tickets and fines

The Civil Parking Enforcement Regulations came into effect on 31 March 2008. Under these regulations, there are 2 levels of penalty charges, depending on the severity of the the parking incident (known as a contravention).

What will I be charged?

A serious contravention (such as holding up traffic or causing danger to other road users) would carry a penalty of £70. A less serious contravention, such as overstaying on a parking meter, would carry the lower penalty of £50.

If you pay your parking fine within 14 days, you will be only charged half of the fine. 

How do I know how severe a contravention is?

We have produced a leaflet (in partnership with local district councils) which summarises the new regulations and clearly sets out which contraventions incur the £70 charge and which incur the £50 charge.

• Read the parking information leaflet (PDF, 740k)
• Read the countywide policy for the enforcement and cancellation of parking penalty charge notices (PDF, 300k).

The aim of this policy is to increase transparency and openness, and it means you will be treated the same for parking offences, regardless of which district in Kent you live in.

How do I pay my parking ticket?

You can pay your parking ticket (also known as a Penalty Charge Notice or PCN) through your local district council. Sometimes you may be able to pay online, other times you will need to pay in person or by post - it all depends on what services your district council has available.

• Find your local district council

What if I want to appeal against my parking fine?

You would need to do this within the 14 day period after the PCN is issued, and you can do this through your local district council.

What powers do local councils have over parking enforcement?

Under the Regulations, council employees involved in parking enforcement will be given improved training.

In addition, independent adjudicators will have increased powers. They can refer appeal cases about parking charges back to local authorities, if they consider that a council should have used its discretion to cancel the penalty charge earlier.

This doesn't mean that you'll be able to get away with illegal parking. Parking enforcement is in place to make our roads safer and less congested for everyone.

A ticket-free windscreen doesn't mean that you've got away with it - in some circumstances, a parking charge can be posted directly to the registered keeper of the vehicle.