Private parking tickets to hit record high
The total number of private parking tickets issued during 2025-2026 is expected to reach a record level, with some 17 million private ‘Parking Charge Notices’ predicted to be included in the latest government figures.
Analysis by the RAC predicts that car park management companies have been issuing an average of 4.3 million parking tickets per quarter.
This could lead to the already record total of 14.4 million tickets handed out to drivers in 2024-2025 being exceeded by almost three million.
Notably, this figure only applies to ‘Parking Charge Notices’ issued by private parking management companies, not to ‘Penalty Charge Notices’ issued by local authorities.
Drivers are often unaware of the rules surrounding parking tickets, with many confused about the distinction between tickets from private companies and those issued by local authorities, with the RAC finding that almost half of all drivers are unaware of this distinction.
A Penalty Charge Notice is issued to drivers by local authorities and Transport for London due to a parking offence on public land, and is a genuine fine that drivers have to pay, backed by law.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Drivers are clearly confused by the PCN acronym, which is concerning as they are very different in terms of consequences, and it is suspected that they are deliberately designed to look very similar to a council penalty charge notice.
The fact that both can be put on drivers’ windscreens in identical bright yellow color doesn’t help, and the RAC’s research found that 91 percent of drivers think the private ‘Parking Charge Notice’ term is confusing, due to sharing the same ‘PCN’ acronym as local authority fines.
They are calling for greater transparency and consistency in the use of this term, to avoid confusing drivers and to ensure that they understand the consequences of receiving a parking ticket, with 31 percent of drivers arguing that private companies should use the term ‘Private Parking Charge’ instead.
It is essential that drivers are aware of their rights and the rules surrounding these tickets, and by understanding the rules and regulations surrounding parking tickets, drivers can avoid unnecessary fines and penalties.
Drivers can take steps to protect themselves by being aware of the terms and conditions of private car parks, and by knowing their rights if they receive a parking ticket, and according to official government guidance, drivers have the right to appeal a parking ticket if they believe it was issued unfairly.
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