Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new set of rules for private car parks in England, Scotland, and Wales, aimed at reducing penalties for minor errors. The changes include mandatory grace periods and a cap on fines for technical mistakes, such as entering a wrong digit on a license plate. The government stated the policy is intended to address concerns that current private parking penalties are excessively harsh.
The announcement follows reports of drivers being penalized for minor delays or administrative errors. In one instance cited by the government, a woman in Derby faced a £1,906 legal claim after taking more than five minutes to pay for parking; the charge was eventually dismissed. While private car parks currently follow a voluntary industry code of practice introduced in 2024, the new government code will be presented to Parliament to provide formal oversight.
Under the new regulations, drivers will receive a guaranteed five-minute period to decide whether to park and a 10-minute window to leave a lot before a penalty can be issued. Charges will be canceled for circumstances beyond a driver's control, such as vehicle breakdowns, medical emergencies, or broken ticket machines. For "honest mistakes," such as forgetting a permit or entering an incorrect registration number, fines will be limited to a maximum of £20 on appeal. The general maximum parking charge will remain frozen at £100.
The new rules affect motorists who use private car parks across England, Scotland, and Wales. According to analysis by the Press Association and the RAC Foundation, private operators issued a record 17 million parking tickets during the 2025/2026 period, representing a 17% increase from the previous year. With individual charges capped at £100, the data suggests drivers collectively face approximately £4.6 million in potential daily penalties. The AA reported that some motorists currently pay these fines regardless of fault to avoid the threat of legal action or the difficulty of the existing appeals process.
The change for drivers will be the ability to challenge what the Prime Minister described as "rip-off" charges and the assurance of specific time buffers. Drivers who make minor clerical errors will see their potential liability reduced from up to £100 down to £20 on appeal. For private parking operators, the stakes of non-compliance are high: those who fail to follow the new code risk losing access to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data. The DVLA maintains a database of drivers and vehicles; losing access would prevent operators from identifying and pursuing vehicle owners for unpaid charges.
The British Parking Association, which represents the industry, stated that many principles in the new framework are already present in their voluntary code but welcomed the changes. However, motoring groups such as the RAC argued the policy should go further by banning debt recovery fees and replacing industry-run appeals bodies with a single independent entity. The government has not yet set a specific effective date for the new code, but officials confirmed they will launch a consultation regarding debt recovery fees and other recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority.