I was only a few minutes over

Ten minutes late back to the car and the charge is £100? The industry's own code of practice says a paid or permitted stay must carry a grace period on top — many overstay charges are issued inside the very period the rules protect.

Phrases to look for on your letter: “exceeded paid time” · “overstay” · “exceeded maximum stay”

Why this is an appealable position

The BPA Code of Practice requires a minimum 10-minute grace period AFTER a paid-for or permitted period ends before a charge can be issued, plus a consideration period on arrival to read the signs and decide. An ANPR "stay" also measures camera-to-camera, not parking: queueing at the exit, finding a space, or a stop at the on-site shop are inside that measurement. Charges issued within the grace window are issued against the operator's own rulebook.

Your position is strongest when

• Overstay is 10 minutes or less past paid/permitted time (BPA operator)
• Long queue at exit or barrier inflated the measured stay
• Total ANPR duration barely exceeds the free period

Evidence to gather now

• Payment record showing paid-until time
• Anything evidencing exit delay (receipts, photos)
• The NtK's own ANPR timestamps — do the maths in the letter

Your first move

Subtract paid-until from the exit timestamp in the Notice itself. If the difference is inside 10 minutes with a BPA operator, quote the grace period and appeal.

Answer 8 questions about what happened and get a ready-to-send appeal letter in minutes.

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”.