Pay for or challenge a Penalty Charge Notice

How to pay your Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), also known as a parking fine or parking ticket.

Types of parking fines

We issue Penalty Charge Notices if you park in a way that breaks our parking rules, for example parking on yellow lines or on a dropped kerb.

If your Penalty Charge Notice was issued by Cumberland Council your PCN will start with the prefix OM.

If you do not pay or appeal within 14 days , then you will lose the opportunity to pay at the discounted rate.

What you need to do if you get a PCN

You should check that you have complied with the parking regulations. If you have not, you will need to pay.

If you feel you have complied with the regulations or believe the notice was issued incorrectly, you may decide to challenge or appeal the PCN. Details are on the reverse of the Penalty Charge Notice.

Challenge or appeal a PCN

Charges

PCNs are rated on a higher or lower scale, depending on the seriousness of the offence.

Higher rate charges

You will be charged £70 for this level of PCN. This is discounted to £35 if you pay within 14 days of the date the PCN was issued.

Types of higher level offences include parking in a:

  • restricted area in a car park
  • permit bay without clearly displaying a valid permit
  • in a car park or area not designated for that class of vehicle
  • on yellow lines
  • loading area without loading

Lower rate charges

You will be charged £50 for this level of PCN. This is discounted down to £25 if you pay within 14 days of the date the PCN was issued.

Types of lower level offences include:

  • parking after the expiry of paid time
  • parking in a car park without displaying a valid pay and display ticket
  • not parking correctly within the markings of a bay space
  • parking in a closed car park
  • parking in a disc zone without displaying a valid disc
  • parking for longer than permitted

If you park on a drop kerb

If you park across a dropped kerb then you may be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.

This applies to:

  • dropped kerbs which have been lowered to the level of the carriageway, for example pedestrian crossing points, with tactile slabs on the pavement
  • crossing points denoted by white keep clear bars and others without additional markings where the footway has been lowered to the level of the carriageway
  • cycle tracks that have been lowered to the level of the carriageway or where the carriageway has been raised to the level of the footway, cycle track or verge

This does not apply to private driveways.