Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced new rules governing private parking charges, following repeated complaints from drivers over penalties they described as unfair and excessive.
The changes establish several protections for motorists. Drivers will receive a guaranteed five-minute period to decide whether to park, and a 10-minute window to leave without facing a penalty. Charges will be cancelled for issues beyond driver control, such as vehicle breakdowns in car parks, as well as for honest mistakes including stopping to check directions, medical emergencies, or broken ticket machines. Maximum charges on appeal for errors like forgetting a parking permit or entering the wrong vehicle registration are capped at £20. The maximum parking charge overall remains frozen at £100, matching the current private parking Code of Practice limit.
Burnham 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. These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I'm putting a stop to them."
The announcement follows specific cases that triggered public concern. One woman faced a £1,906 claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay at a car park in Derby. The charge was eventually dropped.
Private car park operators who fail to comply with the new rules risk losing access to DVLA data, which would make it far more difficult to pursue car owners even if they issue a charge.
RAC analysis of government data showed a record 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025/2026, a 17 percent increase from the previous year. With each charge worth up to £100, the data suggests drivers could collectively face private parking charges worth more than £4.6 million each day.
The AA warned some drivers pay charges even when they believe they have done nothing wrong, simply to avoid the hassle. 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."
The RAC's head of policy Simon Williams called the changes insufficient. He urged the government to ban debt recovery fees being added on top of parking charge notices and to replace industry-run appeals bodies with a single independent one. The government said it will consult on debt recovery fees and other recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority.
The new Code will apply in England, Scotland and Wales.