Appeal your Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

When to make an appeal 

You can only appeal one PCN at a time. If you want to appeal more than one PCN, you'll need to complete a separate form for each one. 

All appeals must be made in writing. You will need your:

• PCN number, this is on the notice you received, starting with the letters BH (if you do not have your PCN, you can contact us to obtain the number)
• vehicle registration number

You should make your appeal within 28 days of receiving the notice. If you make your appeal within 14 days, the cost of your fine will be held at the lower rate until after we have made our decision on your appeal.

Before you appeal your PCN

To make sure your appeal is valid, it's a good idea to review the photo/CCTV footage for the bus lane/CCTV PCNs evidence we have supplied on our portal.

To appeal a PCN, you must show evidence that your PCN was issued incorrectly or provide a reason why you do not need to pay the charge.

Examples of acceptable evidence include:

• evidence of a valid paid-for parking session
• a valid Blue Badge, if parking in a Blue Badge Bay
• photos to show there’s no restricted parking
• evidence of loading or unloading, such as a delivery invoice
• a photo of parking signs and where your car was parked
• a copy of a valid permit or parking ticket
• a repair note, if your car broke down 

If you got a fine when using a parking permit, you should review the terms and conditions and where you can and can’t park for your permit type.

Hired or leased vehicles

If the vehicle was hired or leased, responsibility may be transferred to the hirer/lessee. You must provide evidence that the vehicle was hired or leased under a valid agreement at the time the PCN was issued. 

How to appeal a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

Appeal online

You’ll be able to upload documents and images to use as evidence as part of your online challenge.

The online challenge form will time out after 20 minutes. We recommend you write your comments offline and cut and paste them into the form.

Appeal by post

You can also challenge a PCN by post by writing to: Brighton and Hove City Council, PO Box 204, Sheffield, S98 1LS.

You should include:

• your PCN number
• your vehicle registration number
• any supporting evidence

We do not accept any challenges over the phone.

What happens when I appeal a PCN

For all appeals: 

• we'll put your case on hold while we investigate
• we'll normally respond to the appeal within 6 weeks
• if your appeal is accepted, we'll cancel the ticket and confirm our decision in writing
• if your appeal is rejected, we’ll explain the reasons for our decision, and we'll allow 14 days from the date of our reply to pay the reduced charge if the appeal was received within the first 14 days of issuing the PCN

A response letter will be sent using the same method by which the appeal was submitted, unless you advise us to use a different method.

Please check your spam or junk folders for any emails regarding our decision.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about the conduct of a Civil Enforcement Officer, contact Parking Services, selecting the category “Other”.