Do I have to name the driver? Private parking rules explained

Keeper liability in plain English

A private parking charge is a claim that the driver agreed to the terms on the signs and broke them. If the company doesn't know who the driver was, it can only pursue the registered keeper using the rules in Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA). Those rules are strict: the right notices, the right wording and the right timing.

This is very different from council parking tickets and police notices, where other laws apply.

Registered keeper vs driver

When not naming the driver makes a difference

Not naming the driver matters most when the company can't use the keeper route. Our checker looks at each of these from your answers. For example:

• The notice to keeper was late — see the notice to keeper 14 days rule.
• A ticket was put on the car and the notice to keeper didn't arrive between 29 and 56 days later.
• The letter says it isn't relying on PoFA ('non-PoFA').
• The parking was in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• The land is covered by byelaws, such as many airports and ports. Railway station car parks have counted as 'relevant land' since 26 December 2025.

Honesty comes first

Staying silent about who was driving is allowed. Saying something false is not, and it can cause you serious problems in court.

In practice, that means you can leave the question unanswered in letters. But don't sign anything — such as a form — that names someone as the driver unless it is true.

If you've already told them who was driving

Then the keeper rules matter much less, because the company can pursue the driver directly. Focus on the other points: whether the signs were clear, whether you were within the parking grace period, or whether you were a genuine customer.

What to write instead

You don't need to explain why you aren't naming the driver. In an appeal or reply, a short line is enough:

Use this wording only if it's true for you. If you were the driver and you're asked directly in court, you must say so. Our letters use keeper wording by default and switch to driver wording if you tell us you were driving.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

PoFA doesn't apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland, so there is no keeper liability there at all. The company has to show who was driving. Some company letters say only the driver can appeal in those places, so check what yours says.

Company cars and hire cars

If the car belongs to an employer, the company may be asked to say who was using it. For hire and lease cars there are separate 'notice to hirer' rules — see parking charge on a hire car.

Examples on this page are illustrative and based on typical situations, not real cases.

This is a free self-help guide, not legal advice. Check your own letters and dates. If you're unsure, get free advice from Citizens Advice. Written by the Parking Help team.