Can a Private Parking Ticket Affect Your Credit?

Have you received a private parking fine and are wondering what to do next? This is the right place for you. Every month, over 130,000 people dealing with fines and parking tickets visit our website seeking advice.

In this article, we’ll help you understand:

•  What a private parking ticket is.
•  If it’s necessary to pay for a private parking ticket.
•  How to challenge a private parking ticket.
•  The effect of a private parking ticket on your credit score.
•  The process of paying a private parking ticket.

We know that getting a private parking fine can make you feel upset. But don’t worry; you’re not alone. In fact, over 19,000 parking fines are issued each day in the UK.¹

We’ve got plenty of useful tips and examples to guide you through the process. 

Can a private parking ticket affect your credit score?

Keeping in mind that a credit score is a check of how well you manage your debt, you might think that a parking ticket would have no impact. 

Parking tickets, civil judgements and tax liens used to be included in credit reports, but the big companies Experian no longer include them. 

So getting a private parking ticket in the first place will not have any impact on your score. That’s not the end of the story, though; how you handle the private parking ticket could make a difference to your score. 

If you don’t pay your private parking ticket, will it show up on your credit checks?

If you continue to ignore your parking ticket, the issuing company will likely decide to take action in the form of bailiffs and/or going to court. If you go to the court, and the courts decide that you have to pay the fine, you will have a CCJ. 

A county court judgement will show up on your credit file. So while getting a parking ticket in the first place will not show up, by ignoring the fine and letting the case escalate, you might get a CCJ which will impact your credit score. 

Appeal Process Steps

As mentioned above, ignoring your parking ticket might lead to some unwanted consequences. So, if you think the ticket wasn’t fair, it’s a good idea to try appealing it.

The table below explains the steps you should take to appeal your parking ticket. If you want to learn more, don’t forget to read our complete guide.

How long will a CCJ from not paying a private parking ticket impact your credit score?

Any CCJ will be on your credit file for 6 years unless you pay the debt in full within 1 month. If you pay the CCJ within 1 month, you can apply to the court to have the entry removed from the register. 

Paying your CCJ off after the first month means you can apply for a certificate of satisfaction, and while the CCJ will still appear on your file it will be noted as ‘satisfied’.

You will need to cover the cost of the certificate to show you have paid the debt – but there are reduced fees if you are on a low income. 

Can you ignore a private parking fine?

You should never ignore a private parking fine. By ignoring the parking charge, the company that issued the fine can escalate the case, increase the charges, and they may choose to take it to court. 

A PCN requires that you either pay it or appeal it. 

What if you disagree with the private parking ticket?

You have the right to appeal both private and council-issued parking tickets. The parking charge notice should give you a number to call, a website you can visit, or a postal address to which you can send your appeal. 

Janine, our financial expert, advises to formally appeal a parking ticket within 28 days of receipt, providing evidence such as a photo of your car’s registration number if the PCN is incorrect.

For private parking companies that are members of a parking association like the IPC or the BPA, they cannot ask you to pay while your appeal is in process. 

They will send a letter or an email to let you know the outcome of the appeal and what action you can take. 

Note: if the private parking company is not part of any parking association, they may not volunteer the information to escalate the appeal, so you should ask them for clarification. 

How can private parking tickets be enforced?

If you do not pay your parking ticket or do not appeal, there are several actions the private parking company can take, and some of them might impact your credit. 

• They may continue to ask for the money
• They may hand the debt to a debt collectors agency, who may add fees
• They may take you to county court to recover the fine

What if you can’t afford to pay your private parking ticket?

If you cannot afford to pay your parking ticket, get in touch with the issuing company and explain your situation. 

Get detailed advice on what to do if you can’t pay a PCN: I Can’t Afford to Pay my Fixed Penalty Notice ‚Äì Things You Can Do. 

How can you pay for your private parking ticket?

You can find all of the details and instructions you need to pay your parking charge notice within the letter or the notice that was placed on your windshield. 

For extra information on private parking ticket companies and how to pay or appeal, check here: Private Parking Fines. 

You should be offered a discount of at least 40%, although it is typically 50% if the parking fine is paid within 14 days. Once you have paid, there is no further action taken on either side of the case. 

Do not pay the fine if you intend to appeal.

References

1. Sky News — Parking Tickets Statistics