Updated June 2026. Private parking companies in the UK issued a record 14.4 million parking charge notices in the financial year ending March 2025, according to DVLA data compiled by the RAC Foundation (RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25). Separately, London boroughs and Transport for London issued 9.46 million Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in 2024-25, tracked by London Councils, while the independent appeals body for private parking, POPLA, handled 64,808 appeals in its 2023-24 reporting year. These two enforcement regimes, private contractual charges and statutory council PCNs, operate under distinct legal frameworks and separate appeal routes.
The headline numbers
- 14.4 million keeper data requests made to the DVLA by private parking firms in 2024-25, equivalent to approximately 39,400 per day (RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25).
- 9,462,185 Penalty Charge Notices issued by London boroughs and Transport for London in 2024-25, a 13.5% year-on-year rise (London Councils, 2024-25).
- 47,935 PCN appeals received by London Tribunals in 2024-25, up 13.6% from 42,193 in 2023-24 (London Councils, 2024-25).
- 40% of POPLA appeals in 2023-24 resulted in the parking charge being cancelled (POPLA, 2024).
- 49.4% of PCN appeals decided by the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators in 2024-25 were won by the appellant (London Councils, 2024-25).
Key facts
- The standard maximum private parking charge is £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days (gov.uk, Private Parking Code of Practice consultation, 2025).
- DVLA keeper data requests from private parking companies have grown from 1.9 million in 2012 to 14.4 million in 2024-25, a rise of over 650% (RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25).
- 184 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records from the DVLA in 2024-25 (DVLA, 2024-25).
- London Band A higher-level PCN: £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days, from 7 April 2025 (London Councils, 2025).
- Over 90% of private parking charges are issued via Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras (BPA Census 2024, cited in gov.uk consultation, 2025).
- The DVLA charged £2.50 per keeper data request, generating an estimated £32 million in revenue from parking management companies in 2023-24 (RAC Foundation, 2024).
Headline figures for 2026
The 2024-25 financial year produced the highest volume of private parking enforcement on record. DVLA keeper data requests reached 14.4 million (RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25), up 13% from 12.8 million in 2023-24 (RAC Foundation, 2023-24). In London, council enforcement also rose sharply: 9.46 million PCNs were issued in 2024-25 (London Councils, 2024-25), compared with 8.33 million in 2023-24 (London Councils, 2023-24).
| Metric | Value (Source, Year) |
|---|---|
| DVLA keeper data requests by private parking firms | 14.4 million (RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25) |
| London PCNs issued (all types) | 9,462,185 (London Councils, 2024-25) |
| London PCN appeals received (London Tribunals) | 47,935 (London Councils, 2024-25) |
| POPLA appeals handled (Oct 2023 to Sep 2024) | 64,808 (POPLA, 2024) |
| POPLA overall charge cancellation rate | 40% (POPLA, 2024) |
| DVLA revenue from keeper data requests (estimated) | approximately £32 million (RAC Foundation, 2023-24) |
Private parking charges and DVLA keeper data requests
Private parking companies issue parking charge notices as contractual claims under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. To send a charge notice by post, an operator must obtain the keeper's address from the DVLA, which requires membership of an accredited trade association (gov.uk, Private Parking Code of Practice, 2025). Each request costs the operator £2.50 (RAC Foundation, 2024).
In the first two quarters of 2024-25, ParkingEye made approximately 1.1 million requests, representing 16% of the total for that period (RAC Foundation, 2024). The top five operators accounted for 45% of all requests and the top ten for 64%, or approximately 4.6 million queries, in those two quarters (RAC Foundation, 2024).
| Metric | Value (Source, Year) |
|---|---|
| Full-year DVLA keeper requests, 2024-25 | 14.4 million (RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25) |
| Year-on-year increase in requests, H1 2024-25 vs H1 2023-24 | 12% (RAC Foundation, 2024) |
| Top 5 operators' combined share (Q1-Q2 2024-25) | 45% of all requests (RAC Foundation, 2024) |
| Charges issued via ANPR technology | over 90% (BPA Census 2024, cited in gov.uk, 2025) |
| Estimated private car parks under management (2024) | up to 49,416 (gov.uk, 2025) |
Council Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)
Statutory PCNs are issued by local councils and Transport for London under the Traffic Management Act 2004. In London, 9,462,185 PCNs were issued in 2024-25 (London Councils, 2024-25), a 13.5% increase on the 8,333,486 issued in 2023-24 (London Councils, 2023-24). The breakdown by type shows parking PCNs grew 13.4%, bus lane PCNs by 16.8%, and moving traffic PCNs by 13.3% (London Councils, 2024-25).
| Metric | Value (Source, Year) |
|---|---|
| London PCNs issued 2024-25 | 9,462,185 (London Councils, 2024-25) |
| London PCNs issued 2023-24 | 8,333,486 (London Councils, 2023-24) |
| Year-on-year change | +13.5% (London Councils, 2024-25) |
| Parking PCN year-on-year change | +13.4% (London Councils, 2024-25) |
| Bus lane PCN year-on-year change | +16.8% (London Councils, 2024-25) |
Appeals and adjudication: POPLA and London Tribunals
Challenges against private parking charges go to POPLA, an independent service administered by the Trust Alliance Group. Challenges against council PCNs in London go to the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators at London Tribunals. Appeals represent a small fraction of enforcement: London PCN appeals in 2024-25 were just 0.45% of PCNs issued (London Councils, 2024-25).
For POPLA, 64,808 appeals were handled in the year to 30 September 2024 (POPLA, 2024). In 2023-24, 40% of POPLA cases resulted in cancellation: 23,800 appeals were not contested by operators and a further 13,216 were allowed by assessors (POPLA, 2024). At London Tribunals, 49.4% of decided PCN appeals were won by the appellant in 2024-25, a fall from 54.9% in 2023-24 (London Councils, 2024-25).
| Metric | Value (Source, Year) |
|---|---|
| POPLA appeals handled (Oct 2023 to Sep 2024) | 64,808 (POPLA, 2024) |
| POPLA charges cancelled overall (2023-24) | 40% of cases (POPLA, 2024) |
| London ETA PCN appeals received 2024-25 | 47,935 (London Councils, 2024-25) |
| Appellant success rate at London ETA 2024-25 | 49.4% (London Councils, 2024-25) |
| Appellant success rate at London ETA 2023-24 | 54.9% (London Councils, 2023-24) |
Penalty levels
Private charges under the BPA/IPC industry code are capped at £100, with a 40% early-payment reduction to £60 within 14 days (gov.uk, Private Parking Code of Practice consultation, 2025). A separate debt recovery fee cap of £70 applies (gov.uk, 2025).
London council PCN levels were increased on 7 April 2025 for the first time since 2011 (London Councils, 2025). Band A covers more serious contraventions such as parking on yellow lines; Band B covers less serious contraventions such as overstaying in a pay-and-display bay.
| Penalty type and level | Full amount | Discounted amount (14 days) | Source, Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| London PCN Band A, higher (e.g. yellow line) | £160 | £80 | London Councils, 2025 |
| London PCN Band A, lower (e.g. overstay in restricted bay) | £110 | £55 | London Councils, 2025 |
| London PCN Band B, higher | £140 | £70 | London Councils, 2025 |
| London PCN Band B, lower | £90 | £45 | London Councils, 2025 |
| Private parking charge (BPA/IPC cap) | £100 | £60 (40% discount within 14 days) | gov.uk, 2025 |
| Unpaid council PCN charge certificate uplift | 50% added after 28 days | Not applicable | gov.uk, 2025 |
Trends over time
DVLA keeper data requests serve as the most consistent publicly available proxy for the volume of private parking charges issued, since each postal charge notice requires a keeper lookup. The series below draws on RAC Foundation analysis of DVLA data. The sharp fall in 2020-21 reflects reduced enforcement activity during the COVID-19 pandemic (RAC Foundation, 2021).
| Financial year | DVLA keeper data requests (private parking firms) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | 1.9 million | RAC Foundation / gov.uk, 2025 |
| 2018-19 | 6.8 million | RAC Foundation, 2019 |
| 2020-21 | 4.4 million | RAC Foundation, 2021 |
| 2023-24 | 12.8 million | RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024 |
| 2024-25 | 14.4 million | RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2025 |
Regional breakdown
Detailed regional data for private parking charges are not published by postcode or region in any primary government source. For statutory PCNs, the most granular publicly available regional dataset covers London, where London Councils publishes borough-level statistics. Outside London, the Traffic Penalty Tribunal publishes authority-level data on its appeals dashboard.
| Area / measure | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| London: PCNs issued (all types) | 8,333,486 | 9,462,185 | London Councils, 2024-25 |
| London: PCN appeals received (ETA) | 42,193 | 47,935 | London Councils, 2024-25 |
| London: appellant success rate at ETA | 54.9% | 49.4% | London Councils, 2024-25 |
| England and Wales: DVLA keeper requests (private parking) | 12.8 million | 14.4 million | RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25 |
Sources and data currency
Statistics on this page are drawn from primary official sources: DVLA annual data as compiled by the RAC Foundation, POPLA annual reports published by Trust Alliance Group, London Councils enforcement and appeals statistics, London Tribunals (Environment and Traffic Adjudicators), and gov.uk policy documents including the Private Parking Code of Practice consultation published in 2025. DVLA keeper data requests cover the financial year April to March. POPLA data covers the reporting year October to September. London PCN penalty levels reflect changes effective from 7 April 2025 (London Councils, 2025). This page does not constitute legal or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
How many parking fines are issued in the UK each year?
There is no single national figure combining private charges and council PCNs. For private parking, the RAC Foundation's analysis of DVLA data shows 14.4 million keeper data requests were made in 2024-25 (RAC Foundation / DVLA, 2024-25). In London alone, 9,462,185 statutory PCNs were issued in 2024-25 (London Councils, 2024-25). Private charges are contractual; council PCNs are statutory.
What is the maximum a private parking company can charge?
Under the current BPA and IPC industry code of practice, the maximum parking charge is £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days (gov.uk, Private Parking Code of Practice consultation, 2025). A separate debt recovery fee of up to £70 may also apply (gov.uk, 2025).
What are the current London council PCN amounts?
From 7 April 2025, London Band A higher-level PCNs are £160 (£80 if paid within 14 days) and Band A lower-level PCNs are £110 (£55 discounted) (London Councils, 2025). Band B higher-level PCNs are £140 (£70 discounted) and Band B lower-level PCNs are £90 (£45 discounted). These were the first increases to borough PCN levels since 2011 (London Councils, 2025).
What percentage of POPLA appeals are successful?
In the 2023-24 POPLA reporting year, 40% of the 64,808 cases handled resulted in the parking charge being cancelled (POPLA, 2024). This comprised 23,800 cases where the operator did not contest the appeal and 13,216 cases allowed by POPLA assessors (POPLA, 2024).
What is the success rate for appealing a council PCN in London?
In 2024-25, appellants won 49.4% of PCN appeals decided by the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators at London Tribunals, a fall from 54.9% in 2023-24 (London Councils, 2024-25).
How does the DVLA share data with private parking companies?
Under the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, the DVLA may release registered keeper details to accredited parking operators. Each request costs £2.50, and in 2024-25, 184 parking management businesses made such requests (DVLA, 2024-25). The DVLA was estimated to have earned approximately £32 million from these requests in 2023-24 (RAC Foundation, 2024).
Sources
- RAC Foundation: Parking company requests for DVLA data - racfoundation.org
- POPLA Annual Report 2024 (year to 30 September 2024) - popla.co.uk
- London Councils: Enforcement and appeals statistics 2024-25 - londoncouncils.gov.uk
- London Councils: London boroughs raise PCN levels for first time since 2011, April 2025 - londoncouncils.gov.uk
- gov.uk: Private Parking Code of Practice consultation 2025 - gov.uk
- gov.uk: Parking fines and penalty charge notices - gov.uk