Charge Certificate, Order for Recovery and the TE9 witness statement
Updated 20 September 2026 · By the AppealGo team
Short answer
A Charge Certificate adds 50% to an unpaid council PCN and cannot itself be appealed. If the debt is then registered at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, the Order for Recovery gives you 21 days to pay or to file a TE9 witness statement on one of four grounds: you never received the notice, you made representations and got no reply, you appealed and got no reply, or you already paid. An accepted TE9 cancels the Order for Recovery and the Charge Certificate and returns the case to the stage where you can make representations; outside the 21 days, file a TE7 asking for more time with it.
| Charge Certificate | Penalty increased by 50%; 14 days to pay; no right of appeal |
|---|---|
| Order for Recovery | Debt registered at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, Northampton; 21 days to pay or file a TE9 |
| TE9 grounds | Notice not received; representations made but no rejection received; appeal made but no response; penalty already paid |
| Late filing | Form TE7 (application for more time), filed together with the TE9 |
| If the TE9 is accepted | The Order for Recovery and Charge Certificate are revoked and any bailiff warrant falls away |
| Warning | A TE9 is a statement to a court; knowingly making a false one is an offence |
Many drivers first learn about a PCN when a letter arrives demanding 150% of the original amount, or when an enforcement agent knocks on the door. If that is you, the process has moved on from the challenge stages, but it is not the end. The TE9 witness statement exists precisely for people who never got the earlier notices, and filing one puts the case back to a point where you can make representations.
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Check my noticeThe escalation steps
- Charge Certificate. Served if the Notice to Owner is unpaid and unanswered after 28 days, or if representations or a tribunal appeal have failed and the penalty is still unpaid. The penalty increases by 50%, so a £160 London PCN becomes £240 and a £70 PCN becomes £105. You have 14 days to pay. There is no right of appeal at this stage.
- Order for Recovery. After 14 days the council registers the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, part of the county court in Northampton, and a registration fee is added. The Order for Recovery gives you 21 days to pay or file a witness statement.
- Warrant of control and enforcement agents. If neither happens, the council obtains a warrant and instructs enforcement agents (bailiffs). Their fees start with a compliance fee on first contact and rise sharply if they attend your address. The original £70 penalty can become several hundred pounds.
The TE9 witness statement
Form TE9 is a sworn statement to the Traffic Enforcement Centre that one of four things is true:
- You did not receive the Notice to Owner (or the Enforcement Notice, or the PCN itself for postal notices).
- You made representations within 28 days of the Notice to Owner but did not receive a Notice of Rejection.
- You appealed to the adjudicator within 28 days of the Notice of Rejection but received no response.
- You paid the penalty in full.
It is not an appeal on the merits. You are not arguing that the PCN was wrong; you are saying that the process was not properly completed. If the statement is accepted, the Order for Recovery and Charge Certificate are revoked and the council must go back and serve the notice you did not receive, which reopens your right to make representations and, if needed, to appeal to the tribunal.
If the 21 days have passed, file a TE7 application for more time alongside the TE9, explaining why you are late. Late applications are frequently accepted where the delay is short and the explanation is credible.
Stopping the bailiffs
Once a TE9 has been filed, tell the enforcement agents in writing and send them a copy. Their fees cannot be recovered while the statement is being considered, and if it is accepted the warrant falls away. Do not let an agent into your home, and do not pay under pressure before checking whether a witness statement is available to you.
AppealGo prepares and files TE9 and TE7 forms for people in this position, including the posted copy the Traffic Enforcement Centre requires. Upload whatever letter you have and we will tell you where the case has got to.
Common questions
Can I still challenge the original PCN after a Charge Certificate?
Not directly, because the representation window has closed. But if you never received the earlier notices, a TE9 witness statement resets the process and reopens your right to make representations.
How long does the Traffic Enforcement Centre take to decide a TE9?
Usually two to four weeks. The council can object to a late statement, in which case a district judge decides. You will be told the outcome by post.
Do bailiff fees get cancelled if my TE9 succeeds?
Yes. If the Order for Recovery is revoked the warrant is void and any enforcement fees fall away. Fees already paid can be reclaimed from the enforcement company.
Sources
- GOV.UK: form TE9, witness statement
- GOV.UK: form TE7, application for more time
- GOV.UK: form TE9 for Dart Charge, Mersey Gateway and clean air zones
- Traffic Management Act 2004, Part 6 (civil enforcement)
- Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Representations and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/576
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This guide is general information about UK motoring penalties, not legal advice. Deadlines, amounts and procedures are set by the issuer and the regulations in force, and the notice you were sent is always the authoritative source for your own dates. See our disclaimer.
