Applies to private parking charges and council PCNs
The payment machine was not working
A driver cannot be penalised for failing to use a payment system that the operator itself failed to keep in working order.
No account, no card, nothing stored.
New private parking rules · October 2026
Cancelled on appeal if there was no other way to pay
- Payment machines out of operation, with no reasonable alternative way to pay, are on the list of charges that should be cancelled on appeal.
- Operators must explain what you should do if a machine fails. If nothing told you, that helps you.
- The code calls more than one way to pay best practice rather than a requirement. An app-only car park is not automatically in breach, but a dead machine and no signal together make a strong case.
This is from the government's new Private Parking Code of Practice, which covers private car parks only. Council tickets are not affected. It applies once the code comes into force, around the end of 2026 at the earliest, so do not wait for it before appealing. Read the full new rules
Why this works
Ask for the maintenance records
Request machine fault logs and transaction records for the date. If the machine took no payments that morning, that is decisive.
App-only sites have a signal problem
Where payment by app was the only alternative, ask them to produce evidence of mobile coverage at the site. Multi-storey car parks and rural sites frequently have none.
Show that you tried
A photograph of the blank screen or error message, taken at the time, is worth more than any description of it afterwards.
Evidence to attach
- A photograph of the machine showing the fault or out-of-order notice
- A screenshot showing no mobile signal or a failed payment attempt
- A note of the time you tried to pay
More appeals fail on missing evidence than on weak arguments. Send copies, never originals, and keep a proof of posting.
Common questions
Can I appeal a parking ticket if the machine was broken or the app would not load?
Where the only means of payment was unavailable, the operator frustrated its own mechanism. That is their failure, not yours. Challenging costs nothing, and if the issuer rejects you the escalation to an independent adjudicator is also free.
How long do I have to appeal?
Usually 28 days from the date on the notice, but the deadline that matters is often 14 days. Challenge within that window and most councils keep the 50% discount open for a further 14 days if they reject you. Private operators normally offer a reduced sum for the same period.
What evidence should I send?
A photograph of the machine showing the fault or out-of-order notice. A screenshot showing no mobile signal or a failed payment attempt. A note of the time you tried to pay.
What do the new 2026 private parking rules say if the machine was broken or the app would not load?
Cancelled on appeal if there was no other way to pay. Payment machines out of operation, with no reasonable alternative way to pay, are on the list of charges that should be cancelled on appeal. Operators must explain what you should do if a machine fails. If nothing told you, that helps you. The code calls more than one way to pay best practice rather than a requirement. An app-only car park is not automatically in breach, but a dead machine and no signal together make a strong case. The new Private Parking Code of Practice was laid before Parliament on 20 October 2026 and applies once it comes into force.
Does it cost anything to appeal?
No. Challenging the issuer is free, and escalating to POPLA, the Independent Appeals Service, the Traffic Penalty Tribunal or London Tribunals is free for motorists. Voidly does not charge you either.
Write your appeal now
Answer a few questions and Voidly assembles the right grounds for your case, with a checklist of what to attach.
Start my appealOther reasons people appeal
- The signs were not clear
- The notice arrived too late
- You were not the driver
- You paid but mistyped your registration
- Your vehicle was never at that location
- You were only a few minutes over
- You had a Blue Badge
- You were at a hospital
Voidly produces a draft letter to help you appeal. It is not legal advice. Always check the letter and the deadline on your notice before sending.