Appeal against a parking, bus lane or Clean Air Zone fine

We want to enforce parking (and some moving traffic) restrictions in a fair and transparent way. Enforcement is carried out in accordance with:

• the Traffic Management Act 2004
• the Transport Act 2000 
• guidance provided by the Department for Transport

If you think your fine should not have been issued, or you have been charged unfairly, you can make an appeal. Advice on your case is also available using our interactive tool Chatbot Max.

To appeal your fine you will need your:

• Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) number
• Contravention Code number shown on your PCN (if you want to advice using Chatbox Max)
• your vehicle registration number as shown on the PCN – make sure you enter this correctly: current UK registrations have two letters, two numbers, then three further letters

Before you appeal, you can view photo/CCTV evidence on our portal. You can also use our portal to appeal your fine if you don't need support from Chatbox Max.

You can also check the status of your fine using the portal after you make an appeal.

Chatbox Max

You can make an appeal and get help on whether to challenge your fine through our interactive tool, Chatbox Max. It is available 24/7 and can:

• explain why your fine was issued
• advise on if your reason for appeal may be accepted
• advising you of proof you may need to provide with your appeal

It will ask what your query is or why you want to appeal the fine.

It will give you information about your case instantly and in line with our policies. Tthis includes advising you about evidence you may need to provide if you decide to appeal.

After discussing your case with Max, you will be given options to exit, appeal or make a payment.

Please be advised that appeals cannot be made over the phone. If you cannot appeal online, a written appeal can be sent to:

Parking Services, Sheffield City Council, P.O. Box 3830, Sheffield S1 9AQ

Unless your vehicle has been removed, do not pay your fine if you want to appeal it.

Patrol's I Have Received a PCN also provides further information about the appeals process and guidance, as well as about the different stages of fines.

Informal appeals before issue of a notice to owner

If your PCN was attached to the windscreen of your vehicle (or handed to the driver), you can make an informal appeal against the PCN. Your PCN document will explain the process for making an informal appeal.

If you appeal, we will keep the fine on hold until we write to you with our decision.

We will normally send replies to informal appeals by email (please check your junk mail folder in case our reply gets directed there). Emailed responses will be sent from no_reply_sheffield@tarantoportal.com.

If your appeal is successful, the fine will be cancelled and you will receive an email or letter confirming this.

If you are unsuccessful, you will receive a letter or email explaining why and what your options are. We will re-apply the discounted charge if your appeal was received in the discount period.

If we haven’t received your payment within 28 days (or within 14 days of the reply of a formal challenge) we will send the registered keeper a Notice to Owner letter.

Formal appeals after issue of a notice to owner or postal PCN

If we send you a Notice to Owner letter (or a postal PCN) you will be allowed 28 days to make a formal appeal.

If you appeal, we will keep the fine on hold until we write to you with our decision.

If your appeal is successful, you will receive a letter confirming this.

If your appeal is rejected, you will receive a Notice of Rejection letter. This will explain how to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days. You cannot appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal unless you have received this notice.

We will re-apply the discounted charge if a representation against a postal PCN was received within the discount period. This will not be reoffered if you make an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

If you do nothing

If the PCN is not paid or cancelled within the timescales allowed for appeal, we may increase the charge and take debt recovery action.

We would first send you a Charge Certificate. This would increase the original full charge by 50%, for example a £50 charge would rise to £75. You will have 14 days to pay.

You no longer have a right to appeal at this stage. If you believe you have valid grounds why you did not appeal within 28 days after we sent you a Notice to Owner or postal PCN, you can still use the Appeal your fine link to appeal, but you should explain the reason for the late appeal. It is at our discretion whether to consider a late appeal.

If you received a Notice of Rejection from us before you received the Charge Certificate and you have a valid reason why you did not appeal with 28 days, you would need to apply to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal to make a late appeal. An adjudicator will then decide whether to consider the case. 

Debt recovery for PCNs

If the case remains unpaid after the Charge Certificate stage, we may register the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) and send you an Order for Recovery document. A £10 debt registration fee will be added to the charge and you will then have 21 days to pay.

You cannot appeal the case at this stage, but you could make a legal declaration to the TEC using the form we send with the Order for Recovery if one of these statements is true:

• you did not receive the Notice to Owner or postal PCN 
• you made representations to us within 28 days of the Notice to Owner / postal PCN being received, but you did not receive a Notice of Rejection of Representations 
• you made an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days of the Notice of Rejection of Representations, but no response was received
• the PCN has already been paid in full

You can find government advice on how to challenge a court order or you can call the TEC on 0300 123 1059.

You should not ignore documents we send you. As a final resort for unpaid fines, we may apply for a warrant to be issued. This would be referred to a Civil Enforcement Agent (previously known as bailiffs) to recover the amount owed for the fine. They are also allowed to add their own fees to the amount due.

If the PCN has already been referred to enforcement agents (bailiffs) for collection, you must either pay the enforcement agent or contact the TEC. Only contact the TEC if you have grounds to challenge the order and a valid reason why you did not do this when the case was registered as a debt. The Traffic Enforcement Centre will not be able to discuss why the PCN was issued.

If your vehicle has been towed

If your vehicle has been towed, you need to collect it from the pound first and pay the charges. You may then write to us to make a formal appeal against your case (within 28 days). 

If your appeal is rejected, you will receive a Notice of Rejection letter. This will explain how to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days. You cannot appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal unless you have received this notice.

You may have to pay storage fees if your vehicle is left in the pound.