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Parking, bus lane and LEZ fines

Penalty charge notices from the council

Last updated
1 Aug 2024

The council can give you a penalty charge notice (PCN) if you:

  • do not have a valid parking ticket
  • park on the pavement or in front of a dropped kerb
  • double park in the street
  • drive in a bus lane in certain council areas
  • drive in a low emission zone (LEZ) in a vehicle that does not meet emission standards

Check if your vehicle meets LEZ standards on the Low Emission Zones Scotland website.

How to pay a PCN

You have 28 days to pay. The fine is reduced by 50% if you pay within 14 days.

When paying you’ll need:

  • your fine number
  • the vehicle registration number
  • your payment method, such as a debit or credit card

You can check how to pay a PCN on your council’s website if it’s listed below. Otherwise check the back of the ticket for how to pay.

Aberdeen City Council Angus Council Argyll and Bute Council Dundee City Council East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Lothian Council East Renfrewshire Council Edinburgh Council Falkirk Council Fife Council Glasgow City Council Highland Council Inverclyde Council Midlothian Council Moray Council North Ayrshire Council North Lanarkshire Council Perth and Kinross Council Renfrewshire Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Stirling Council

If you do not pay

You’ll get a reminder if you do not pay within 28 days.

If you still do not pay, you’ll get a second reminder. This tells you to pay an increased fee by a new date – usually 50% more.

If you do not pay or challenge by this date, the council can register the debt with the court. They can try to recover the money from you.

If you break LEZ rules more than once

You can be fined extra if you break LEZ rules again within 90 days. Check the rules for LEZ fines on the Low Emission Zones Scotland website.

Challenging a PCN

You can challenge a PCN if it should not have been given to you.

For example, you could challenge it if the offence did not happen, or you did not own the vehicle at the time it happened.

You can check how to challenge a PCN on your council’s website if it’s listed below. Otherwise check the back of the ticket for how to challenge it.

Aberdeen City Council Angus Council Argyll and Bute Council Dundee City Council East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Lothian Council East Renfrewshire Council Edinburgh Council Falkirk Council Fife Council Glasgow City Council Highland Council Inverclyde Council Midlothian Council Moray Council North Ayrshire Council North Lanarkshire Council Perth and Kinross Council Renfrewshire Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Stirling Council

If the council accepts your challenge

The fine will be cancelled. You do not have to pay.

If the council rejects your challenge

You’ll get a letter called a ‘Notice of Rejection’. You must then pay the fine or appeal it at a tribunal.

Appealing a council fine at the tribunal

You can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber if your challenge is unsuccessful.

You can only appeal after you’ve challenged the fine with the council and have a ‘Notice of Rejection’ letter.

How to appeal to the tribunal

Visit the General Regulatory Chamber website for information on:

  • how to appeal
  • getting a decision
  • how to appeal a tribunal decision 
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