Every year, millions of drivers are left footing the bill after receiving a penalty for parking in private car parks. In the 12-month period leading up to September 2025, data reveals that a staggering 15.9 million parking tickets were issued by private companies - a 17% increase on the 13.6 million distributed the previous year.

On Friday, one of the largest private car park operators was given a £473,000 fine after falling foul of regulators. Euro Car Parks, which itself gave out 1.9 million penalty tickets to motorists in a single year, had the fine levied by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), citing the company's failure to provide requested information as the reason for the penalty.

The firm reportedly ignored seven requests for information over a three-month period, including those sent by registered post, email, and hand-delivered letter. The CMA stated that numerous drivers had accused the company of unjustly demanding money for alleged breaches of car park rules, but when asked for information, Euro Car Parks remained silent until the CMA notified it of a proposed fine.

But what are your rights when parking in a private car park - and when can you contest an unfairly issued ticket? In June 2024, a new Single Code of Practice was jointly introduced by the British Parking Association (BPA) and International Parking Community (IPC), the UK's two Accredited Trade Associations for parking, reports the Mirror.

Under the code there are certain regulations registered private car parks must adhere to. Regrettably not all companies are members of the two organisations but whilst this means they don't have to comply with their Code of Practice it also means they have no authority to obtain your address details from the DVLA.

However most of the larger firms will be members of one of the two. Euro Car Parks Ltd for example is registered with the BPA.

The new code has several aspects. It:

• introduces an Appeals Charter, creating clear parameters for motorists to appeal against a parking charge
• mandates a 10-minute grace period for motorists
• provides consistent rules for private parking operators
• requires clear signage to help motorists navigate parking on private land
• ensures the protection of the most vulnerable in society, with no decrease to the deterrent for abuse of Blue Badge bays or those who choose to park selfishly, putting their own convenience above the needs or rights of others.
• maintains a cap on the parking charge at £100 reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

Private Parking Operators had to implement the new single Code by October 1, 2024 with all existing sites needing to be updated by December 2026. The new sector Code can be downloaded here.

There are various types of parking ticket but not all are "fines". If the ticket is issued by a public body such as the local authority or police it is a Penalty Charge Notice, Excess Charge Notice or Fixed Penalty Notice and that is a fine.

A ticket issued for parking on private land would be a Parking Charge Notice which is not a fine. According to consumer expert Martin Lewis it is simply "an invoice".

However what if you receive a ticket in a private car park and you believe it is unjustified? According to Citizens Advice there are certain steps you can take.

Its first warning is that if the parking firm that issued a ticket on your vehicle isn't an ATA member, "don't contact them unless they write to you first. They probably won't be able to find your details - only ATA members can get your name and address from the DVLA".

Verify whether a parking company is an ATA member by checking the British Parking Association (BPA) or International Parking Community (IPC) websites. You can also ring the BPA on 01444 447 300 to confirm if a company is a member. Calls typically cost up to 55p a minute from mobiles and up to 13p a minute from landlines. It should be free if your contract includes calls to landlines - verify with your provider if you're uncertain.

If you receive a ticket in the post from a non-ATA member

If you receive a ticket in the post from a non-ATA member, they have obtained your address and you should respond. They may have acquired your details unlawfully.

You can lodge a complaint with the DVLA about the potential illegal sharing of your data by writing to Data Sharing Strategy and Compliance Team, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DY.

If the firm is registered with an ATA then Citizens Advice said you can locate a parking company's contact details on the BPA or IPC websites or on the Parking Charge Notice. It added: "Check on the notice if you must use the parking company's website or if you can write to them with your reasons for objecting. You must write to them before you make a formal appeal to an independent appeals service."

You can use the Citizen's Advice template letter to write to the parking company. Include any evidence you have, for example:

• a valid pay and display ticket

• photos of signs that are hard to see or understand, or where the information is misleading

• a letter from someone who was with you saying what happened - write 'Witness statement' at the top of this

• a repair note, if your car broke down

• permission from the landowner

For a hospital parking ticket, you should submit evidence to the parking company if your appointment was running late. Ask the hospital receptionist to print a note on headed paper, confirming there were delays.

If the parking company isn't an ATA member, there's no formal appeals process but there are alternative options you can pursue.

If the parking company is an ATA member, you can appeal to an independent appeals service. Citizens Advice said: "It's free to do, so it's worth trying if you still think your ticket was unfair.

"They might see things differently to the parking company and agree that your ticket should be cancelled. They won't cancel a ticket because of an unexpected event, for example if you were delayed because you were feeling unwell."

The method of appeal will depend on whether the parking company that issued your ticket is a member of the BPA or IPC approved operators scheme. Submit a formal appeal to Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) if they're a BPA parking company.

If they're an IPC member, submit a formal appeal to the Independent Appeals Service.

For a ticket from a BPA member, you have 28 days from when your informal appeal was rejected to lodge a formal appeal. For a ticket from an IPC member, you can submit a formal appeal free of charge within 21 days.

After 21 days, you can still appeal within 1 year of your formal appeal being rejected if you pay a £15 fee. Ensure you include any evidence that will support your case.

If your formal appeal is rejected or you can't appeal.

There are still options available but you'll risk having to pay more money in the end. You might be better off simply paying your parking ticket.

Alternatively you can let the parking company take you to court. You can choose not to pay your parking ticket and the parking company will decide if it's worth taking you to court.

If you are taken to court and you lose:

• you'll have to pay the fine, which could go up by then

• you might have to pay court costs - these could be expensive

However if you win:

• you won't have to pay the fine

• the parking company might have to pay court costs

If you believe your ticket was unjust, you can report the parking company to Trading Standards. To lodge a complaint with Trading Standards, get in touch withthe Citizens Advice consumer service.