Overview
- The government published the revised Private Parking Code on Monday, October 19, 2026, and it guarantees drivers a five‑minute period on arrival and a 10‑minute grace window to leave after paid time expires.
- Under the code individual private parking penalties are frozen at a maximum of £100 and many minor mistakes will carry a capped appeal charge of up to £20 rather than a full fine.
- Drivers can have charges cancelled on appeal for honest mistakes or unavoidable events such as medical emergencies, breakdowns, or faulty ticket machines and initial disputes must be made to the operator before escalation.
- Operators that fail to follow the code risk losing access to DVLA vehicle‑keeper data, a move designed to stop firms from using keeper details to pursue unpaid charges and to give ministers a direct enforcement lever.
- The package also adds odometer clocking to an official banned list, proposes an independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board with regular operator reporting, and opens a consultation on whether to cut or abolish debt recovery fees while Parliament prepares to scrutinise the code ahead of its expected roll‑out by year end.