Bus lane Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)
If you've got a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for illegally using a bus lane, there is information about paying, challenging or making a representation against a PCN.
Paying a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
If you've been detected by the CCTV cameras illegally using a bus lane, bus-only street or bus gate, a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN, £90.00) letter will be sent by post to the registered vehicle keeper.
However, if you pay within 14 days of the issue date on the letter a 50 per cent discount will apply and you will only have to pay £45.00.
Payments may be made online at this link:
The page also has information about paying by phone or post.
Information on how to pay is also given on the PCN letter issued to the registered vehicle keeper.
Video evidence
If you get a PCN and want to see video evidence of your vehicle using a bus lane, this can be viewed at the following link:
The video is not available for the public to view, as the PCN number and vehicle registration number must be entered to see the video.
Notice to Owner
If a PCN is not paid within 28 days, a Notice to Owner will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle.
When a Notice to Owner has been sent, the PCN must be paid within 28 days or a Charge Certificate will be issued. A Charge Certificate increases the amount from £90.00 to £135.
If you did not get the bus lane Penalty Charge Notice but have received a Notice to Owner asking you to pay £90.00, you won't be able to pay the discounted rate of £45.00 as this is only available for 14 days from the date of issue of the Penalty Charge Notice.
Challenging or appealing a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
If you have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and you want to challenge it, you can do so online or by post through this link:
You will not be able to make an online challenge until the PCN information has been uploaded. This can take up to 24 hours.
If a challenge to the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is received within 14 days, the discount period will continue while the challenge is considered.
When the challenge has been dealt with, and if the PCN is upheld, you will be informed of a new discount deadline date in the letter of reply.
If a challenge is received after the expiry of the discount period, the full charge will apply if the PCN is upheld.
If the challenge is successful, the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) will be cancelled and the case will be closed. You will be informed of this in writing by the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit.
If the challenge is refused, you will be informed in writing. You can then either pay the PCN or, if you are the registered keeper and wish to continue to contest the PCN, you should await the issue of a Notice to Owner.
When a Notice to Owner has been issued, the registered keeper of the vehicle may make a representation, which will be considered by the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit.
Making a representation about a bus lane Penalty Charge Notice
A representation is how you state the reason(s) why you feel you should not have to pay the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). It will be considered by the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit.
The grounds for making a representation are listed in the Notice of Owner document you receive.
You can make a representation using the link below:
If a representation is successful, the Penalty Charge Notice will be cancelled and the case will be closed. You will be informed of this in writing.
If a representation is refused, you will be informed in writing and you will receive information about how to make an appeal to an independent adjudicator.
You can then either pay the Penalty Charge Notice or make an appeal.
Adjudicator appeals
To make an appeal to an adjudicator, you must first have received a Notice of Rejection of representation from the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit.
At that time you will also receive information about how to make an appeal (the amount due at appeal stage is normally £90.00 and the prompt payment discount period is for PCNs settled within 14 days of the PCN being issued).
You will be given the opportunity to explain fully why you feel the Penalty Charge Notice should not have been issued.
You may make a request for a personal hearing to be arranged so that you can present your case directly to the adjudicator, or you may choose to have the matter dealt with by post.
In either case the adjudicator will consider the material provided by both the person appealing and by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) before reaching a decision.
Both the person appealing and DfI will be informed in writing of the adjudicator’s decision.
If you lose an appeal
If an adjudicator decides the Penalty Charge Notice was correctly issued, it must be paid within 28 days of the adjudicator’s decision.
If it isn’t paid, a Charge Certificate which increases the amount from £90.00 to £135 will be issued.
Statutory Declarations
A Statutory Declaration is a sworn written statement, signed by either a solicitor, Commissioner of Oaths, Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, or Resident Magistrate/ Lay Magistrate.
It is an offence to knowingly or wilfully make a false statement.
When a Notice of Enforcement of Charge Certificate is served, it explains that the liable person (the registered keeper of the vehicle) may make a Statutory Declaration to an adjudicator within 21 days.
A Statutory Declaration may be made on one of the following grounds:
- the person appealing did not receive a Notice to Owner
- the person appealing sent a representation to DfI but did not receive a Notice of Rejection
- the person appealing sent an appeal to an adjudicator but did not receive a notice of his/ her decision
Statutory Declarations are dealt with by an adjudicator.
Non-payment of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
If a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is not paid or is not cancelled as a result of a challenge, representation, or appeal, the amount owed will be sought using debt recovery procedures.
The amount owed may be pursued through the procedures of the Enforcement of Judgements Office and/ or may be sought using vehicle clamping and removal operations.
If there are any additional fees and costs as a result of debt recovery procedures (including clamping/ removal/ storage), these will be added to the amount owed.
Processing of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)
All Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are processed by DfI's Parking Enforcement Processing Unit. All correspondence about PCNs should be sent to the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit.
Enquiries about a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
Enquiries about a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) may be made by writing to or phoning the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit.
When writing or enquiring by telephone, you should provide the following information:
- Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) number
- vehicle registration
Payment and enquiries information is given on the reverse side of the PCN.
Cancelling a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
Once a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) has been issued, it cannot be cancelled by the Traffic Attendant.
If you feel it should be cancelled, you must write to the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit at the address given on the reverse side of the PCN.
If you no longer own the vehicle issued a PCN
The most likely reason you have received a PCN is that you are still the registered keeper of the vehicle with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
The registered keeper of the vehicle at the time a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is issued is responsible for the parking ticket.
If you are no longer the registered keeper of the vehicle, you need to tell DVLA the name and address of the person you sold the vehicle to and make sure you get confirmation back from DVLA that it has updated its records.