Parking fines and bailiffs: how to stop PCN enforcement

Parking penalties are one of the most common reasons bailiffs visit, and the fines can grow from a modest penalty to several hundred pounds once bailiff fees are added. Many people only find out about a PCN when the bailiff’s letter arrives – often because they’ve moved house or the paperwork went to an old address.

How a parking fine reaches bailiffs

For council-issued PCNs in England and Wales (outside of criminal fines), the usual process is:

1. Penalty Charge Notice – issued on the car or by post. You can usually pay at a 50% discount within 14 days (21 days for camera tickets).
2. Notice to Owner – sent to the registered keeper if the PCN isn’t paid or challenged. You have 28 days to pay or make formal representations.
3. Charge Certificate – the penalty increases by 50%.
4. Order for Recovery – the council registers the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC), part of Northampton County Court. A court fee is added. You have 21 days to pay or file a TE9 witness statement.
5. Warrant of control – the council passes the debt to private bailiffs. A £79 compliance fee is added (for warrants from 1 May 2026), followed by a Notice of Enforcement.

Challenging the PCN: TE9 and TE7 forms

If you’ve only found out about the penalty at the bailiff stage, you may be able to reopen the case at the Traffic Enforcement Centre.

Form TE9: witness statement

You can file a TE9 witness statement if one of these applies:

• you didn’t receive the Notice to Owner
• you made representations to the council but didn’t get a rejection notice
• you appealed to the parking tribunal but didn’t get a response
• you’ve already paid the penalty in full

Form TE7: application to file out of time

If more than 21 days have passed since the Order for Recovery, you’ll also need to complete a TE7, explaining why you’re late – for example, because you never received any paperwork and only found out from the bailiffs.

What happens next

• Send the forms to the Traffic Enforcement Centre (the forms are available on GOV.UK).
• Tell the council and the bailiffs straight away that you’ve applied, and send them copies.
• While an application to file out of time is being considered, the council should put enforcement on hold.
• If your application is accepted, the Order for Recovery and the warrant are cancelled, and the case usually goes back to the Notice to Owner stage. You may then be able to challenge the penalty itself.

There’s guidance on GOV.UK: appeal against a penalty charge notice if you get a court order.

If you owe the penalty and can’t pay

If the penalty is valid but you can’t afford to pay it all at once:

• contact the bailiffs and offer an affordable payment arrangement, in writing
• contact the council and ask it to take the debt back if you’re vulnerable or the bailiffs refuse a fair offer
• check the fees with our bailiff fees calculator
• get advice about Breathing Space, which can cover council parking penalties

If you have several debts, a formal debt solution such as a Debt Relief Order may be worth considering. Council parking penalties are civil debts, so they can usually be included – an adviser can confirm.

Can bailiffs take my car for a parking fine?

Yes. Once a warrant has been issued, bailiffs can clamp and remove a car that belongs to you – and it doesn’t have to be the car that got the ticket. They can’t take a car on finance, a Motability car or a vehicle displaying a valid Blue Badge. Read can bailiffs take my car?

Bailiffs collecting parking penalties can’t force entry to your home. Read can bailiffs force entry?

Private parking tickets are different

A “Parking Charge Notice” from a private car park company (for example at a supermarket or retail park) is not a council fine. The company is claiming a contractual charge. It can’t send bailiffs unless it first takes you to court and gets a county court judgment (CCJ), and you then fail to pay. Don’t ignore court papers if you get them – respond within the deadline. If you didn’t know about a CCJ, you may be able to have it set aside.

Related reading

• Bristow & Sutor bailiffs: parking letters explained
• Newlyn bailiffs: a 14-day action plan
• Can’t pay a magistrates’ court fine?

Frequently asked questions

Can bailiffs collect a parking fine I never received?

If the paperwork was sent to the right address, the process can continue even if you didn’t see it. But if you genuinely didn’t receive the Notice to Owner, you can file a TE9 (and TE7 if you’re out of time) to reopen the case.

How much can bailiffs add to a parking fine?

For warrants from 1 May 2026, £79 at the compliance stage and £247 if they visit (plus 7.5% of any amount over £1,900, which is rare for parking fines). See bailiff fees explained.

Will filing a TE7 stop the bailiffs?

The council should put enforcement on hold while an application to file out of time is decided. Tell the council and the bailiffs as soon as you’ve applied.

Do parking fines go on my credit file?

Council PCNs and Orders for Recovery registered at the Traffic Enforcement Centre don’t appear on your credit file as county court judgments.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Appeal against a penalty charge notice: if you get a court order
• GOV.UK, Parking tickets
• Civil Procedure Rules, Practice Direction 75
• The Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026