Challenge a parking fine (ticket, Penalty Charge Notice, PCN)

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Warning

Do not pay your parking fine if you want to challenge it. We will let you know the result of your challenge within 11 weeks.

We have been made aware of scam messages about parking fines. Initial parking fines are only sent by letter, never by text or email. We will only email you after you have contacted us about a parking fine. Stay alert, don’t click suspicious links.

Important information about challenging parking fines (tickets, Penalty Charge Notices, PCNs):

any fines we issue start with DV. If yours does not, we did not issue it
we cannot accept challenges over the phone
you can only challenge online or in writing
our officers cannot cancel or take back a fine they have issued
there is no time limit on challenging
we recommend you challenge within 14 days. This way, if your challenge is rejected, you can still get the 50% discount.

Before you start

You will need:

your vehicle registration number
the parking fine (ticket, Penalty Charge Notice, PCN) number from the top of your parking fine

All fines we issue start with DV. If your number does not start with DV, we did not issue it.

Challenge online

Challenging your parking fine:

Start now

If you make your challenge online, we will email you the result. Make sure you check your junk and spam email folders.

Challenge in writing

If you cannot submit your parking fine challenge online, write to us at:

PO Box 7736
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 9GN

If you send us your challenge by post, we will write to you with the result.

Once we receive your challenge

We will let you know the result of your challenge within 11 weeks.

If you have already submitted a challenge, use our calculator to find out when you are likely to receive a response and how to contact us.

Example challenge timeframe:

challenge submitted: 2 March 2026
result expected: 18 May 2026

This can take longer during busy times.

If your challenge is accepted

If we accept your challenge there is nothing to pay, and you do not need to do anything else.

If your challenge is rejected

If we reject your challenge, you need to pay the parking fine. If you make a challenge within 14 days, we will put your parking fine (ticket, Penalty Charge Notice, PCN) on hold until we respond. This means that if we do not accept your challenge, you can still pay at the discounted rate starting from when you receive our decision.

If the penalty charge is not paid on or before the end of the 28-day period as specified on the front of the parking fine (ticket, Penalty Charge Notice, PCN), we may serve a Notice to Owner (NtO) on the owner of the vehicle requiring payment of the parking fine (ticket, Penalty Charge Notice, PCN).

If you have been served a Notice to Owner (NtO) you can make representations to us. We will carefully consider any representations. If the representations are then rejected the owner can appeal to an independent adjudicator.

You can appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. They are the independent adjudicator. You will need the Notice of Rejection (NoR) of Representations letter, which we will send you if we reject your challenge.

If you do not have the parking fine (ticket, Penalty Charge Notice, PCN) number

If you do not have the number, you can use our form to send details to us. We will send you the number within 5 working days.

What happens if you do not pay

Read our information on what happens if you don't pay your parking fine.

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