Burnham pledges new driver protections against 'rip-off' parking fines

New rules grant grace periods, cap fines at £100, and allow challenges for honest mistakes

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

Updated19 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources4 outlets

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced new rules giving drivers the right to challenge 'rip-off' private parking charges, including a 10-minute grace period to leave without penalty and a £20 maximum charge for minor slip-ups such as entering the wrong vehicle registration. The changes, which will apply in England, Scotland and Wales, come after a record 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025/2026, up 17% from the previous year.

The new code of practice, which will be presented to Parliament, aims to tackle what Mr Burnham called unfair fines. 'Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn't end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat,' he said. 'These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I'm putting a stop to them.'

The measures include a guaranteed five-minute period to decide whether to park, cancellation of charges for issues drivers cannot control such as breakdowns or medical emergencies, and a freeze on the maximum parking charge at £100. Operators who do not comply risk losing access to DVLA data, making it harder to pursue charges.

The RAC motoring group said the government's changes would protect drivers from the 'poor practices of some private parking companies,' but its head of policy, Simon Williams, said it was not the leap his firm had been campaigning for. He called for the banning of debt recovery fees and a single independent appeals body. The AA's head of roads policy, Jack Cousens, said drivers 'finally have something which could offer them better protections against the worst private parking operators,' noting that in the past they had 'aggressively attacked drivers to the point where many simply pay up.'

The British Parking Association welcomed the changes but said 'many of the principles within the new framework are already reflected in the existing voluntary Code of Practice,' which was introduced in 2024 by the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community. The government said it will consult on debt recovery fees and other recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The new rules directly affect millions of UK drivers who use private car parks, offering clearer rights and limits on penalties.
The record 17 million tickets issued in a year shows how widespread the issue has become, with the RAC estimating drivers face combined charges of more than £4.6 million each day.
The government action follows high-profile cases, such as a woman taken to court over a £1,906 claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay in Derby, which was later dropped.

Background

The private parking industry has operated under a voluntary code of practice created in 2024 by the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community. However, drivers and motoring groups have repeatedly complained that penalties are too harsh and that appeals are unfair. The AA warned that some drivers pay up even if they have done nothing wrong, fearing legal action. The new formal code is the government's response to public pressure and calls for independent oversight.

Key Perspectives

Drivers and motoring groups (AA, RAC): They welcome the extra protections but want more. The RAC points to outstanding issues such as debt recovery fees and wants a single independent appeals body instead of the current industry-run system. Private parking operators (British Parking Association): They welcomed the changes but contend that many of the principles are already covered by the existing voluntary code. They will now be required to comply or risk losing access to DVLA data. Critics/Skeptics: Some argue the new maximum charge of £100 is the same as the current limit and that the rules do not go far enough to address aggressive debt recovery practices. The RAC says the changes are not the full reform they had campaigned for.

What to Watch

The government's consultation on banning debt recovery fees, which could address a major source of driver complaints.
Whether private parking operators comply with the new code and how many risk losing DVLA access.
The creation of an independent appeals body, which was not included in this announcement but remains a demand from motoring groups.

Sources

Andy Burnham outlines new rules to outlaw ‘rip-off’ private parking fines · UK news | The Guardian
Andy Burnham outlines new rules to outlaw ‘rip-off’ private parking fines · World news | The Guardian
Burnham vows end to 'rip-off parking charges' under new rules · BBC News
Burnham vows end to 'rip-off parking charges' under new rules · BBC News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedBurnham pledges new driver protections against 'rip-off' parking finesBBC News: “Burnham vows end to 'rip-off parking charges' under new rules”
SupportedThe new rules provide a 10-minute grace period to leave without penaltyBBC News: “A 10 minute window to leave without facing a penalty”
Partly supportedA £20 maximum charge for minor slip-ups such as entering the wrong vehicle registrationBBC News: “Maximum charges of £20 on appeal for slip-ups like forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle registration”
Partly supportedA record 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025/2026, up 17% from the previous yearBBC News: “RAC analysis of government data showed a record 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025/2026 - a 17% increase from a year earlier.”
SupportedBurnham said: 'Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn't end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.'BBC News: “Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn't end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.”
SupportedThe measures include a freeze on the maximum parking charge at £100BBC News: “A freeze on the maximum parking charge at £100, which is the same limit as the current private parking Code of Practice”
SupportedThe measures include cancellation of charges for issues drivers cannot control such as breakdowns or medical emergenciesBBC News: “Cancellation of charges for issues drivers can't control, like vehicle breakdowns in car parks”
SupportedOperators who do not comply risk losing access to DVLA data, making it harder to pursue chargesBBC News: “Operators who do not comply risk losing access to DVLA data, making it far more difficult to pursue the car's owner even if they do issue a charge.”
SupportedRAC said the changes would protect drivers from 'poor practices of some private parking companies', but Simon Williams said it was not the leap his firm had been campaigning for, and called for banning debt recovery fees and a single independent appeals bodyBBC News: “the RAC motoring group said the government's changes would protect drivers from the 'poor practices of some private parking companies'... But the RAC's head of policy Simon Williams said it wasn't the leap his firm had been campaigning for. He called for the banning of debt recovery fees being added on top of PCNs and said the current industry-run appeals bodies should be replaced by a single independent one.”
SupportedAA's Jack Cousens said drivers 'finally have something which could offer them better protections' and that in the past operators 'aggressively attacked drivers to the point where many simply pay up'BBC News: “Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said drivers "finally have something which could offer them better protections against the worst private parking operators". He said in the past they have "aggressively attacked drivers to the point where many simply pay up".”
SupportedThe British Parking Association welcomed the changes but said the principles are already reflected in the existing voluntary Code of Practice introduced in 2024BBC News: “The British Parking Association told the BBC it welcomed the changes, but said 'many of the principles within the new framework are already reflected in the existing voluntary Code of Practice'... The current private parking industry Code of Practice, created by the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community, was introduced in 2024.”
SupportedThe government said it will consult on debt recovery fees and other recommendations from the Competition and Markets AuthorityBBC News: “The government said it will be consulting on the issue of debt recovery fees, as well as other recommendation from the Competition and Markets Authority.”