Appeal parking charge after 28 days: what you can still do

What you can do today

The usual window is 28 days from the notice. If you've missed it, write to the company anyway: explain briefly why you're late, set out your points and attach your evidence. Some companies will still look at it; none are required to today.

What to write in a late appeal

• Why you're late, in one or two sentences — for example a hospital stay or the letter going to an old address.
• Evidence of the reason, if you have it.
• Your points about the charge itself, each with a short heading.
• A request that they consider it, and confirm in writing whether they will.

POPLA and IAS limits

The independent appeal services usually need a rejection from the company first, with a code, and have their own time limits: 28 days for POPLA, and we use 21 days for the IAS to be safe. If the company won't consider a late appeal, you may not get a code. See our POPLA appeal and IAS parking appeal guides.

A missed appeal isn't the end

• Points like a late notice to keeper can still be raised later, in a reply to a Letter of Claim or in a court defence.
• Keep every letter and envelope, and note when each one arrived.
• If a Letter of Claim arrives, reply within 30 days of the date on it.
• If a claim form arrives, respond by the date printed on it.

If the letter went to an old address

Parking companies get keeper details from the DVLA. If your address there was out of date, letters may have gone elsewhere. Update your DVLA record now, tell the company when you moved, and ask for copies of every notice and proof of posting. If a court judgment was made because the claim went to an old address, see our parking CCJ guide on setting it aside.

What the new Code allows (not yet in force)

The government says the new Code will let motorists appeal outside the normal 28-day window in exceptional circumstances. Its examples include being in hospital as an in-patient, holidays or extended work trips, a family emergency, and a parking charge delivered to the wrong address through no fault of the motorist. The list isn't exhaustive.

• Where a late appeal is accepted, operators must apply to pause any court proceedings.
• Enforcement and debt recovery must not start — or must be suspended — until the outcome of the second-stage (independent) appeal is known.

If you're relying on this later, keep evidence of the reason you were late — hospital letters, travel bookings or proof of your address change.

Today vs when the new Code starts

See the new private parking code of practice 2026 for everything else that's changing. Last checked against GOV.UK: Monday 2 November 2026.

This is self-help information, not legal advice. You don't have to say who was driving, but never say anything untrue. 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.