Asger Risom
The guidance comes amid rising frustration from drivers who say they are being hit with steep charges for barely overstaying.
A new industry code has clarified how long motorists are allowed to linger in private car parks before facing a penalty. The guidance comes amid rising frustration from drivers who say they are being hit with steep charges for barely overstaying.
The rules outline two specific protections — a grace period and a consideration window — intended to prevent unfair fines.
Overstays challenged
Drivers have reported penalty charge notices as high as £170 for exceeding their allotted stay by as little as one minute. Sky News spoke with a shopper who said their fee escalated after contesting a PCN issued when they spent an extra 60 seconds loading their car.
According to The Complaints Resolver, Scott Dixon, such a case should fall squarely within the mandatory grace period set out in the private parking sector’s new Code of Practice.
He said the one-minute overstay “should never have been issued,” noting the rising number of complaints about heavy-handed enforcement.
Grace period rules
The guidance, drafted by the industry’s trade associations, states that motorists must receive at least 10 minutes beyond their paid-for or permitted stay before a penalty is issued, except in short-stay zones of under 30 minutes.
Dixon said this window is meant to give drivers time to return to their vehicle, load shopping, queue to exit and drive away.
However, he argued the rule “is routinely flouted and I am not aware of any parking firms being sanctioned for it,” adding that many companies rely solely on automatic number plate recognition rather than considering context.
Time to reconsider
The code also introduces a “consideration period,” allowing drivers to leave within the first few minutes of arrival without charge if they decide not to stay after reading the posted terms.
For most pay-and-display or pay-on-departure sites, and for car parks with fewer than 500 spaces offering at least an hour free, the minimum is five minutes.
Larger sites with more than 500 spaces — where parking is free for at least the first hour — must allow 10 minutes before enforcement can begin.
Appeal options
Dixon said that any PCN issued within these timeframes should be contestable through the appropriate appeals body. Cases involving International Parking Community members go to the Independent Appeals Service, while British Parking Association members fall under POPLA.
If both avenues reject the challenge, the original penalty should remain frozen at the first appeal rate for an additional 14 days.
Sources: Sky News, British parking
