The letter arrived weeks after I supposedly parked

A charge for a day you barely remember, arriving a month or more later, addressed to you as "the registered keeper"? The law that lets operators pursue keepers instead of drivers only works if their paperwork hit strict deadlines — and late notices break it.

Phrases to look for on your letter: “notice to keeper” · “as the registered keeper you are liable”

Why this is an appealable position

Under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, an operator can only hold the KEEPER liable if the Notice to Keeper arrived within strict windows: for postal/ANPR charges, within 14 days of the event; for windscreen tickets, between days 29 and 56. Miss the window, or omit the prescribed wording, and keeper liability fails — and if you don't name the driver (you are never obliged to), there may be nobody they can lawfully pursue.

The clause to put in the letter

Name the paragraph, not just the rulebook. An operator answering "the Code requires a grace period" can wave it away; an operator answering its own clause number, quoted back at it, has to deal with what the clause says.

PoFA 2012 Sch 4 para 9(5): The relevant period for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) is the period of 14 days beginning with the day after that on which the specified period of parking ended. (Notice to keeper where no notice to driver was given; read at source 2026-09-05)

PoFA 2012 Sch 4 para 8(5): The relevant period for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) is the period of 28 days following the period of 28 days beginning with the day after that on which the notice to driver was given. (Notice to keeper after a notice to driver; read at source 2026-09-05)

Code of Practice v1.1, Annex C, Table C note: Where the keeper fails to identify the driver (name and serviceable address) they will become liable after 28 days of the NTK. Unless the vehicle was stolen. (Appeals and Liability, page 38 of 57; read at source 2026-09-05)

Your position is strongest when

• ANPR notice arrived 15+ days after the event date
• Windscreen ticket's follow-up NtK arrived before day 29 or after day 56
• Notice omits POFA-prescribed information

Evidence to gather now

• The envelope (keep it — the postmark matters)
• The NtK itself showing issue and event dates
• A note of the date it actually arrived

Your first move

Count the days, keep the envelope, and appeal as the keeper WITHOUT identifying the driver. State that POFA conditions are not met and keeper liability does not arise.

Not sure yet? Check whether you'll lose your discount first — free

Answer 8 questions about what happened and get a ready-to-send appeal letter in minutes. It costs nothing, and you can download it.

The one thing on this site you can pay for is one operator’s full POPLA record, £20 once: three years of that company’s appendix rows, the grounds and the clause of its own rulebook that answers each one, its own published route and your clock. See what is in it, free. You never need it to appeal.

Common questions

Who issued your ticket?

Private operators and councils run entirely different appeal routes. Find your operator to see whether your independent appeal goes to POPLA or the IAS — or read the council PCN route if your letter says “Penalty Charge Notice”.

Still deciding whether it is worth it?

The question underneath this one is usually about money, not law: if I appeal and lose, does it cost me more than paying today? Check whether appealing puts your discount at risk — free, with the rule quoted from the code that applies to your issuer, and the published odds at independent appeal.

Where these rules come from: Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 (keeper liability; the notice deadlines are its paragraphs 8 and 9) · British Parking Association · International Parking Community.