Why this matters: a record 16.9 million private parking tickets were issued in a year — the new code decides what drivers can challenge and what a small mistake will cost.
October 20, 2026 — Prime Minister Andy Burnham has set out a new Private Parking Code of Practice, laid in Parliament on October 20, giving drivers a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave after a session ends. Charges will be cancelled on appeal for honest mistakes and capped at £20 on appeal for smaller slip-ups, while the maximum charge stays frozen at £100.
Image: A driver at a private car park payment machine at dusk, with Parliament in the distance. Credit: AI-generated illustration / Red Eye Eagle News, original illustration.
Editor's Highlight: The enforcement lever is data. Operators who do not comply risk losing access to DVLA vehicle keeper data, which companies use to identify a car's keeper and pursue payment.
Table of Contents
- Key Facts
- What the New Code Gives Drivers
- Why the Government Acted Now
- Oversight, Reporting and Debt Recovery Fees
- Reaction: Welcome, With Reservations
- A Companion Crackdown on Car Clocking
- Bottom Line
- FAQ
- Sources
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Measure | New Private Parking Code of Practice |
| Laid in Parliament | October 20, 2026 |
| Where it applies | England, Scotland and Wales |
| Grace periods | 5 minutes to decide; 10 minutes to leave |
| Small mistakes on appeal | Maximum charge of £20 |
| Maximum charge | Frozen at £100 |
| Tickets last year | Record 16.9 million, year to end of March |
| Sanction for operators | Possible loss of DVLA data access |
What the New Code Gives Drivers
The code guarantees drivers five minutes to decide whether to park. It also gives them 10 minutes to leave a car park without facing a penalty once their paid session ends.
Charges will be scrapped on appeal for honest mistakes, such as stopping briefly to check directions. The same protection covers situations drivers cannot control, including a medical emergency, a vehicle breakdown or a broken ticket machine, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
For smaller slip-ups, the bill is limited rather than cancelled. Forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle registration or forgetting to confirm it in the machine will mean a maximum charge of £20 on appeal.
Newsroom Focus: Burnham framed the change around ordinary errors. He said: "Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn't end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat."
Why the Government Acted Now
The scale of private enforcement is the backdrop. A record 16.9 million parking tickets were handed out by private businesses in the year to the end of March, according to analysis of government data by the Press Association and the RAC Foundation.
That was up from 14.4 million a year earlier and 6.8 million in 2018/19. With each ticket worth up to £100, the analysis suggests drivers could collectively face charges worth more than £4.6 million per day.
| Period | Private tickets issued |
|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 6.8 million |
| Year before last | 14.4 million |
| Year to end of March | 16.9 million |
The parking industry has attributed the rise to more car parks being managed — its explanation, reported by the Press Association, not a government finding.
In one case reported by the BBC, a woman was taken to court in a £1,906 claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay in Derby. The charge was eventually dropped.
Oversight, Reporting and Debt Recovery Fees
The code applies in England, Scotland and Wales. It brings in a fully independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board for the first time, and operators must report data on charges and appeals for scrutiny by the board.
Analysis Note: One major question was left open. The government said it will consult on private parking debt recovery fees, including whether to cut the existing £70 cap or scrap the fees entirely, with the consultation promised as soon as possible next year.
Parliament will now have time to scrutinise the code before ministers bring it into force. The government has said it is expected to come into force by the end of this year.
Reaction: Welcome, With Reservations
RAC head of policy Simon Williams called the code a "step in the right direction" but "not the leap" the organisation had campaigned for. He said the RAC had long called for banning debt recovery fees and for a single independent appeals body to replace the two industry-run ones — neither was included.
IAM RoadSmart policy director Nicholas Lyes welcomed the protections but wanted a single appeals system. The British Parking Association welcomed the code as a step building on its existing voluntary code.
Shadow transport minister Greg Smith said, in a Conservative party claim reported by the Press Association, that the £100 maximum "stays exactly where it is" and Labour had not banned debt recovery fees — a party argument, not a neutral assessment.
A Companion Crackdown on Car Clocking
The government also announced tougher action against second-hand car dealers who wind back mileage clocks. Fraudulently selling a "clocked car" is already illegal, according to the government.
It will now be added to an official list of banned practices, which the government says will make enforcement easier.
Bottom Line
Drivers are set to gain clear grace periods, cancellation on appeal for circumstances beyond their control, and a £20 appeal cap for small mistakes. The £100 maximum and debt recovery fees remain contested, so next year's consultation and the start date are what to watch.
FAQ
Does the code cover council parking fines?
No. The measures in the sources are for private parking charges. Private car parks are different from council-owned car parks and streets.
What happens if I type my registration number wrong?
Entering the wrong vehicle registration is classed as a smaller slip-up. On appeal, drivers in that situation will face a maximum charge of £20.
When will the new rules take effect?
The code was laid in Parliament on October 20. The government has said it is expected to come into force by the end of this year, after parliamentary scrutiny.
What happens to operators who ignore the code?
According to the government, operators who do not comply risk losing access to DVLA data, which companies currently use to pursue parking charges.
Are debt recovery fees being banned?
Not in this code. The government said it will consult on the fees, including whether to cut the existing £70 cap or scrap them entirely.
Sources
- The Oldham Times / Press Association — drivers' new rights, reaction and figures: https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/national/26651611.drivers-get-new-rights-challenge-rip-off-private-parking-charges/
- The Oldham Times / Press Association — new rights in car parks, oversight details: https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/26651541.drivers-get-new-rights-car-parks-avoid-100-fines/
- LADbible — Burnham announces major changes to parking fines, October 20, 2026: https://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-news/andy-burnham-changes-parking-fines-crackdownrip-off-charges-155248-20261020
- The NEN, reproducing the UK government statement — parking charges and car clocking: https://nen.press/burnham-puts-the-brakes-on-rip-off-parking-charges-and-car-scams/
- Brit Brief — new £20 parking charge rule: https://britbrief.co.uk/politics/policymaking/burnham-announces-20-parking-charge-rule-to-end-rip-off-parking.html
- The Hona News / BBC reporting — including the Derby £1,906 court claim case: https://www.thehonanews.com/2026/10/20/burnham-vows-end-to-rip-off-parking-charges-under-new-rules/
- Image: original AI-generated illustration created for Red Eye Eagle News for this article.
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