What the new code changes

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced a Private Parking Code of Practice that applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Under the code, drivers get a guaranteed five minutes after arriving to decide whether to stay, plus 10 minutes after a paid session ends to leave without a penalty. Charges can be cancelled on appeal for honest mistakes, such as pulling over briefly to check directions, and for problems outside a driver's control, including a breakdown, a medical emergency or a faulty ticket machine. Minor slip-ups such as forgetting a permit, mistyping a registration or skipping the confirmation step at the machine would carry a maximum charge of £20 on appeal. The £100 maximum parking charge is frozen, and operators that do not comply risk losing access to DVLA keeper data.

Why ticket numbers matter

Analysis of government data by the Press Association and the RAC Foundation found that private firms issued a record 16.9 million parking tickets in the year ending March. That compares with 14.4 million a year earlier and 6.8 million in 2018/19.

2018/196.8

Year to March 202514.4

Year to March 202616.9

2018/19

6.8 million tickets

Year to March 2025

14.4 million tickets

Year to March 2026

16.9 million tickets

Data from the article text

Each ticket can cost up to £100, so drivers could collectively face more than £4.6 million a day at current rates. The parking industry links the rise to a growing number of managed car parks. Ministers present the package as one of a series of "everyday fixes" meant to ease the cost of living, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham framed the reform around fairness for drivers.

“These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I'm putting a stop to them.”

Background and the pushback

Legislation governing private parking was passed in early 2019. An official code followed in early 2022, but several parking firms brought legal challenges and it was withdrawn after lasting less than six months. Consumer group Which? called the rules "long overdue" but said they appeared to fall well short of what drivers need.

“It is particularly concerning that the government has shied away from a £50 price cap.”

The government kept the existing £100 maximum despite calls to halve it, and Which? had pushed for a £50 limit. In one Derby case, a woman was taken to court over a £1,906 claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay at a car park; the charge was eventually dropped. The AA has warned that some drivers pay up even when they have done nothing wrong, just to avoid the hassle.

Timeline and next steps

The code is due to be laid before Parliament on Tuesday, 20 October, and no start date has been confirmed. Ministers say they want it in force "as soon as possible".

Appeals will go first to the company that issued the ticket. If that company rejects the appeal, drivers can take the case to a new independent appeals service whose decision-makers have no ties to the parking industry. Nothing is cancelled automatically, so drivers must show evidence that one of the covered situations applied. The code also creates a fully independent scrutiny and oversight board for the first time, and operators must file regular reports on charges issued and appeals handled.

Separately, the government will consult on private parking debt recovery fees, including whether to cut the existing £70 cap or scrap the fees altogether. Selling a clocked car fraudulently is already illegal, but ministers will add car clocking to the official list of banned practices to make enforcement easier. Kate Dearden, Minister for Consumer Action, said the move protects consumers and supports businesses that play by the rules.