The UK government’s new private parking code for England, Scotland and Wales would limit some appealed charges to £20 and give motorists longer windows around a parking session.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it laid the code before Parliament on Oct. 20. It must undergo parliamentary scrutiny before taking effect, and the government has not set a start date.
The rules would give motorists five minutes to consider whether to park, then allow 10 minutes to leave after a parking session ends. The ministry said drivers could have charges canceled on appeal in situations such as a medical emergency, a vehicle breakdown, a broken ticket machine or a brief stop to check directions. For lesser mistakes, including a forgotten permit or incorrect vehicle registration, the appeal-stage charge limit would be £20.
The £100 ceiling applies to the parking charge itself. Debt recovery fees can still be added; the existing industry cap for those fees is £70. The government plans to consult in 2027 on whether to lower that cap or remove the fees.
Operators would share charge and appeal data with the government for review by a new Scrutiny and Oversight Board. Those that fail to follow the code could lose access to registered-keeper information held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which operators use to pursue payment.
A government assessment of the 2025 proposal anticipated that motorists could benefit if erroneous charges fell, while operators would face direct costs. It estimated a £5.45 million net present cost to businesses over 10 years; that figure was an assessment of the proposal, not a confirmed cost of the final code.
The ministry also plans to add car clocking by businesses selling vehicles to consumers to Schedule 20 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The ministry says fraudulently selling a clocked car is already illegal and that listing the practice would make enforcement easier.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 required the government to prepare a code. A previous version was withdrawn in 2022 after a legal challenge over parking-charge limits and debt recovery fees. RAC head of policy Simon Williams welcomed the new code but said it lacked a ban on added recovery fees and a single independent appeals body, calling the omissions “disappointing.” Parliamentary scrutiny comes before the code takes effect; the recovery-fee consultation is planned for 2027.
