Private Parking Firms on Course to Issue Record 14.5 Million Tickets in 2025

Calls grow for government action as drivers face £1.4 billion in parking charges.

Parking notice fixed penalties attached to the windscreen of a car on Dec. 29. 2017. Jonathan Brady/PA

Private parking companies are set to hand out nearly 14.5 million tickets to drivers this year, sparking renewed concern over the lack of regulation in the industry.

An analysis by RAC of the latest government data reveals that car park management firms made 7.2 million requests for vehicle keeper details from the DVLA in the first half of the 2024/25 financial year.

This is equivalent to 41,000 requests a day and marks a 12 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

If current trends continue, drivers could receive a record number of £100 parking charge notices by April 2025, amounting to £1.4 billion in fines.

The projected figure is more than double the number of tickets issued six years ago, despite legislation passed in 2019 intended to curb unfair practices by private parking operators.

However, the government’s Private Parking Code of Practice, designed to regulate the sector, was withdrawn in 2022 following legal challenges from parking and debt recovery firms.

In the absence of statutory oversight, critics warn that motorists remain vulnerable to “heavy-handed” enforcement.

5 Firms Behind Nearly Half of All Requests

DVLA data showed that just five companies account for 45 percent of all requests for driver details. ParkingEye alone was responsible for 1.1 million requests, followed by Euro Car Parks (891,600), Horizon Parking, Smart Parking, and APCOA Parking.

Each request costs £2.50, generating millions in fees paid to access motorists’ information.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams described the figures as “very concerning.”

“As drivers don’t generally set out to break the rules, we fear more may be being treated unfairly by private parking companies that are still operating without government scrutiny,” he said.

Williams urged ministers to accelerate the introduction of a new regulatory code, warning that “the number of parking charge notices issued has more than doubled since the law was passed to introduce the code in 2019.”

High-Profile Cases Raise Alarm

Recent incidents have highlighted ongoing issues within the sector. In Leicestershire, more than 130 motorists joined a Facebook group after receiving £100 charges from Euro Car Parks owing to an alleged fault with a payment machine at Syston Town Square.

Meanwhile, a Derby driver faced court action over £1,906 in fines after exceeding a five-minute payment window on multiple occasions. The case was dropped only after media coverage and intervention by an MP.

Both cases surfaced shortly after the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC) published a revised self-regulated Code of Practice in October 2024.

The RAC and AA have criticised these voluntary measures as insufficient, calling for a government-backed code and an independent appeals process.

‘5-Minute Rule’ Change

Earlier this year, private parking firms scrapped penalties for drivers taking longer than five minutes to pay at camera-monitored car parks. The BPA and IPC hailed the move as a sign of progress.

IPC Chief Executive Will Hurley welcomed the change and urged drivers to read signage carefully when parking.

“Our sector is making significant strides in elevating standards. The single Code, along with the creation of the panel and its swift action reflects the sector’s positive progress and commitment to fairness,” Hurley said.

However, motoring groups dismissed the measure as cosmetic.

“We believe any driver who has paid for parking shouldn’t ever be given a parking charge notice for taking too long to pay.

“Parents with kids, disabled people, and those struggling to get a mobile signal are unlikely to win a race against the clock,” said Williams.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, warned that without statutory regulation, “drivers will continue to receive aggressive letters from shark-like companies that scare people into payment even though they may have done nothing wrong.”

Government Pledges Action

In February, minister for local growth Alex Norris MP reaffirmed the government’s commitment to introducing a single Code of Practice for private parking firms.

But with no clear timeline, motoring groups fear drivers will continue to face unfair treatment.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government has said ministers will set out further details on the private parking code of practice “as soon as possible.”

An RAC survey conducted in August 2024 found that eight in 10 drivers were frustrated by the absence of proper regulation.

To support affected motorists, the RAC has published a step-by-step guide on appealing private parking charges.

“If anyone feels they’ve been wrongly told to pay £100, they should challenge it,” said Williams.