Parking tickets issued by the police

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

Find out what to do if you get a parking ticket from the police.

Who manages parking

In some areas, parking on public land is managed by the police. Where it isn't, the local council is responsible. Read more about parking tickets issued by the local council.

Parking on private land is often managed by private companies that issue their own parking tickets.

Parking restrictions on public land

If you park on public land and don't follow the parking restrictions, you could have to pay a fine. The rules about fines depend on the policy of the local council where you parked. Find your local council on mygov.scot.

In some local council areas the police are responsible for enforcing parking restrictions. You might get a fine called a 'fixed penalty notice'. This is a criminal matter.

Receiving a fixed penalty notice

If you've parked illegally, a police officer or traffic warden can give you a fixed penalty notice. The police officer or traffic warden will fix it to your car.

There's no time limit for how long after an infringement the police can issue a penalty charge notice.

The fixed penalty notice will say that you have 21 days to respond. You can:

  • pay the fixed penalty

  • ask for a court hearing

  • say you weren't the owner of the car.

If you accept you committed the offence, you can pay the amount the notice asks for. If you pay within a certain period, the amount you have to pay is reduced. The notice will tell you how and when to pay.

If you don't pay

If you don't respond to the notice within 21 days, the police will send you a 'notice to owner' reminding you to pay. If you don't pay on time, the amount you must pay will go up by 50%.

If you still don't pay, you can be asked to appear in court.

Disputing a fixed penalty notice

If you don't agree that you parked illegally, you can ask for a court hearing. You do this by filling in Part III on the back of the fixed penalty notice and returning it to the address provided. You'll then receive a summons to attend court.

Legal aid isn't normally available for representation in court for driving offences. But if you're on a low income, you might be able to get free legal advice and help from a solicitor.

If you didn't own the car when it was parked

If you weren't the owner of the car when it was illegally parked, you can send in a statement to say you weren't the owner. This is called a 'statutory declaration'. In this case, you won't have to pay.

If you had lent your car to someone else

If you had lent your car to someone else when the fixed penalty notice was issued, you can make a statement to say you weren't the driver at the time. This is called a 'statutory statement of facts'.

The person you lent your car to will have to countersign the declaration. This means the other person will have to appear in court.

If your car had been stolen

If your car had been stolen when the fixed penalty notice was issued, you can make a statement to say you weren't the driver at the time. This is called a 'statutory statement of facts'.

You'll also need to show evidence that your car had been stolen - for example, confirmation from the police or an insurance claim.