Check Vehicle Fines Against Me Online

Are you unsure if you have a vehicle fine waiting for you? You’re not alone. Every month, over 32,000 people visit our site seeking guidance on this topic.

This article is here to help you find out if you have any fines, how to check them, and what to do next. We’ll guide you through these key points:

•  How to check if there’s a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) against your vehicle 
•  What to do if you find a Parking Charge Notice 
•  Understanding who is responsible for parking fines in the UK 
•  What happens when you don’t pay your charges
•  How to appeal against a fine and possibly beat it

We know it can be worrying to think you might have fines you don’t know about, or that fines might have been sent to an old address.

But don’t worry. We understand your concerns, and we’re here to guide you through this. So, take a deep breath, and let’s get started on checking your vehicle fines online.

How can you check a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)?

Do you think you may have a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) registered against you for a parking violation? If so, it means the PCN was issued by any of the following authorities:

• A local council
• The Police
• The Transport Agency
• A Highways Agency

A PCN is an official fine backed by UK legislation. So, if you think you might have one or you’ve lost one, you can check with the issuing authority. For instance, if you think you got one in a London Borough, you should get in touch with the borough in question.

It helps if you know the approximate date and where the parking violation occurred. Plus, you’ll have to provide a vehicle registration number so the council can check if there’s an outstanding fine against you.

How can you check a Parking Charge Notice?

When you get a parking ticket on private land (Parking Charge Notice), get in touch with the issuer to see if anything is outstanding. However, you must have a reference number to do this.

The best way is to contact the private operator concerned and tell them you’ve lost the parking charge. You’ll need to provide the following so the issuer can check if there’s anything recorded against you:

Approximate date and time of the parking infringement

Your vehicle registration number – VRN

Where the parking infringement took place

Is a parking charge the same as a penalty charge?

No. A Parking Charge Notice is an invoice raised by a private car park management company. The operator can’t lawfully demand you pay an invoice. They can, however, take you to court and if the operator wins the case, the amount owed becomes enforceable.

In short, a Parking Charge Notice is only enforceable when a court orders you to pay!

A Penalty Charge Notice, on the other hand, is backed by UK law. A council or other authority doesn’t have to take you to court to get paid! When a PCN goes unpaid, you’re sent a Charge Notice followed by an Order of Recovery!

What happens when you don’t pay a Parking Charge Notice?

You might get lucky and the issuer doesn’t start court proceedings against you over an unpaid parking charge. But it could be a risky decision because there’s just as much chance of having to attend a hearing in a small claims court.

However, before any of that happens, you’ll likely receive payment reminders/demands from the issuer. They may even ask a debt collector to chase you for the payment.

When you still don’t pay, you might get a Letter Before Claim which is basically a threat of court action! In short, it might end up being expensive when you ignore a parking charge!

It’s better to appeal a parking charge notice rather than ignore it as demonstrated by a motorist below:

Source: Moneysaving expert

What happens when you don’t pay a Penalty Charge Notice?

There’s a strict legal process that’s triggered when a Penalty Charge Notice goes unpaid. As mentioned, you’d get a Charge Notice if the payment isn’t made within 28 days.

After this, an Order for Recovery drops through your post box. Then, if the amount still goes unpaid, and you continue to ignore things, a Warrant of Execution is drawn up against you!

Best to avoid things getting this far because you could end up with a County Court Judgement registered on your credit file. The CCJ remains on your credit history for 6 years making it harder to borrow, get a credit card, or mortgage!

Who is responsible for parking fines the UK?

The law governing Penalty Charge Notices states the owner/registered keeper is responsible for paying penalty charge notices unless they can prove otherwise.

Who is liable for Parking Charge Notices?

The person who was driving is liable for a parking charge notice. So, if someone else was driving when the parking charge was issued, you should give the issuer their details. 

However, the driver may refuse to pay in which case, the registered keeper is liable!

What happens when you don’t pay a Penalty Charge Notice?

The penalty charge increases by 50% when you don’t pay within the 28-day deadline. You’ll get a Charge Certificate and a further 14 days to pay the full amount plus the increased fine.

If you still don’t pay the PCN, you’d get a court order to pay the penalty charge!

What happens when you don’t pay a Parking Charge Notice?

You shouldn’t deal with a Parking Charge in the same way as a Penalty Charge. For example, a private operator must win a case against you in a small claims court to get you to pay. 

In short, a car park management company cannot lawfully demand payment for a parking charge notice without a court order!