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As of May 10, 2026, British drivers are closer to getting new protections against the most aggressive private parking charges. A planned code of practice would guarantee five minutes to decide whether to park and ten minutes to leave after paid time ends. The government says the aim is to end “rip-off” parking fines, yet consumer group Which? argues the plan does not go far enough. The new code is scheduled to be laid before Parliament on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, although no start date has been confirmed.
Private firms issue millions of parking tickets every year in Britain. The latest figures from the RAC show the trend heading in one direction: ticket numbers jumped 17% in a year, hitting a record 16.9 million. That scale has turned private parking into a mainstream consumer grievance. Complaints focus on confusing signage, aggressive enforcement, and appeal processes that seem designed to wear people down.
Reform has been discussed for years. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act was passed in 2019, but the first official code did not appear until early 2022. It took less than six months to collapse after several parking companies challenged it in court. The new version is intended to be more legally durable, but it still has to run the parliamentary gauntlet before it changes anything for drivers.
The headline change is a guaranteed five-minute window at the start of a parking session. During that time, a driver can decide not to park and leave without being ticketed. At the end of a paid session, a ten-minute window lets the driver return, get in the car, and drive away before a charge can be issued. That is a direct attempt to stop the “a minute late equals a fine” model that has caused so much anger.
There is also new language on appeals. A fine will be cancelled on appeal if it is the result of an honest mistake, such as stopping briefly to check directions, dealing with a medical emergency, breaking down, or finding the ticket machine out of order. For smaller errors, such as forgetting to display a permit or typing in the wrong registration number, the maximum charge after appeal would be £20.
One important detail: that £20 limit is less generous than the abandoned 2022 code, which required parking charges to be cancelled in “all mitigating circumstances.” Some campaigners are likely to see this as a backward step.
The government is also keeping the existing maximum parking charge at £100. Which? had called for the cap to be cut to £50. The consumer body said it is “particularly concerning” that ministers have not taken that further step. The old, withdrawn code would have capped some charges at £50, so the final version may look much less consumer-friendly than what was originally proposed.
Which? is not alone in thinking the reforms are too soft. The same criticism applies to the appeals system. Campaigners wanted an independent appeals body to handle disputes, but the new plan does not create one. And the government has not yet dealt with debt recovery fees, which parking companies stack on top of overdue fines. Those fees are currently capped at £70 and can be added to a bill without the motorist’s knowledge. Ministers have promised a consultation on cutting or removing them, but that will not start until next year at the earliest.
US tourists who rent cars in the UK should not ignore this issue. Private parking companies can trace a vehicle to the rental agency and eventually to the person who was driving it. A parking charge notice can arrive weeks after the trip, sometimes with extra fees bolted on. Under a properly functioning code, drivers would have clearer routes to appeal, but until the code is actually in force, the practical guidance is to keep evidence.
Photograph the payment screen, the parking signage, and the car in the bay before leaving. Keep the rental agreement and the payment receipt. If a charge notice arrives, raise an appeal immediately using the operator’s official process. Do not assume that ignoring it will make it disappear; in the UK, private parking charges can be pursued through debt recovery, and in some cases through court. That is exactly why consumer groups keep pressing for stronger checks on the industry.
What is happening here is a test of whether a code of practice can change behaviour in an industry built on high-volume enforcement. The new rules may cut the number of ticketed drivers, particularly those who are a few minutes late or who make a small data-entry mistake. But unless the charge cap is reduced and an independent appeals body is created, the underlying business model survives.
Andy Burnham, a prominent voice behind the changes, put it in plain terms: “Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your number plate wrong shouldn’t end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.”
The outcome matters beyond the UK. If Britain’s streets and car parks become more hostile to drivers, it will be felt by tourists too. The next few weeks will show whether the new code delivers real rights or just a more polished complaints system.
