Appeal a Late Parking
Charge Notice (15+ Days)
If the parking company posted your Notice to Keeper (NTK) more than 14 days after the date on the ticket, the law stops them making you - the vehicle's registered keeper - pay. It's one of the strongest grounds for a successful appeal, and one of the easiest to spot. We check the dates and appeal for you.
A law called the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (POFA) gives a parking company just 14 days from the date of the alleged incident to post your Notice to Keeper. If it arrived on day 15 or later, they lose the right to make you, the registered keeper, pay - even if the charge would otherwise have been valid. In short: if your notice turned up late, you most likely do not have to pay it.
How to Check If Your Notice Was Late
Checking eligibility takes less than a minute. You need two pieces of information:
This is printed on the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) - usually labelled 'date of contravention' or 'date of issue'. This is day 1.
The Notice to Keeper will have a date printed on it, or you can use the postmark date. If this is 15+ days after the contravention date, you qualify.
Upload the PCN and the NTK when you start your appeal. We confirm eligibility and submit the appeal on late service grounds.
Other POFA Defects We Check
Even if your notice was served within 14 days, there are other POFA requirements that operators frequently get wrong:
POFA requires NTKs to contain specific language and information. Missing elements - such as the invitation to name a hirer or the correct appeal reference - render the notice defective.
The NTK must correctly identify the creditor. If the named company does not match the actual landowner or operator at the time of the alleged contravention, this is a defect.
The NTK must state the period of parking to which the charge relates. A notice that only states a time without a clear period may be defective.
The NTK must be served to the registered keeper's address as recorded at DVLA. Service to an out-of-date address may not satisfy the POFA requirements.
Late Notice Appeal FAQ
Under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, a parking company must serve a Notice to Keeper (NTK) on the registered keeper within 14 days of the alleged parking contravention. If the NTK arrives on day 15 or later, keeper liability is not established and the keeper cannot be lawfully pursued for the debt.
Check the date of the alleged contravention (usually printed on the PCN) and the date you received the Notice to Keeper in the post. If more than 14 days passed between the two dates, the late service argument applies. Upload both documents when you submit and we will confirm.
POFA also requires the NTK to contain specific prescribed information. If the notice is missing required details - such as the right to name a hirer, an appeal invitation, or specific warning language - it may be defective even if served on time.
If your appeal is accepted on late NTK grounds, the charge is cancelled and the parking company cannot lawfully pursue the registered keeper for that specific charge. They may only pursue the actual driver, whose identity they do not have.
Related parking appeal guides
APCOA is the operator most often caught serving late notices. See our dedicated APCOA appeal guide for the full approach.
Airport drop-off Notices to Keeper are frequently posted late - one of the most common ways keeper liability is broken.
Station charges on byelaw land can be challenged even when the 14-day rule does not apply, because POFA keeper liability is excluded entirely.
Upload your PCN and NTK - we confirm eligibility and appeal for £10.