PCN contravention code 46: stopped where prohibited on a red route or clearway
Updated 20 September 2026 · By the AppealGo team
Short answer
Contravention code 46 on a council PCN means "stopped where prohibited on a red route or clearway". Higher-level contravention: £160 or £140 in London depending on the charging band (£160 on TfL red routes), and £70 in most of the rest of England (£60 in a few areas). Halved if paid within the discount period. The challenges that most often succeed are: you were in a marked red route bay; the red lines or signs were defective; the restriction was not in force.
| Code | 46 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Stopped where prohibited on a red route or clearway |
| Penalty | Higher-level contravention: £160 or £140 in London depending on the charging band (£160 on TfL red routes), and £70 in most of the rest of England (£60 in a few areas). Halved if paid within the discount period. |
| Challenge route | Informal challenge (windscreen PCNs), formal representations within 28 days of the Notice to Owner, then a free tribunal appeal within 28 days of a rejection |
Code 46 means stopping, even briefly, on a red route or clearway when the restriction was in force. Red routes are London's major roads, enforced mostly by TfL at £160; clearways elsewhere are enforced by councils. Unlike yellow lines, red lines prohibit stopping altogether, so the loading and passenger exemptions are narrower and depend on whether you were in a marked red bay.
Higher-level contravention: £160 or £140 in London depending on the charging band (£160 on TfL red routes), and £70 in most of the rest of England (£60 in a few areas). Halved if paid within the discount period.
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Check my noticeGrounds for challenging a code 46 PCN
- You were in a marked red route bay during its permitted hours, for parking or loading as the bay's sign allows.
- The red lines or signs were defective. Single red lines need a plate with the hours; missing or obscured plates are a full defence.
- The restriction was not in force at the time on the PCN.
- You stopped because of traffic, an obstruction, or a police officer's direction. Stopping in a queue is not a contravention.
- Emergency or breakdown, with evidence.
- Licensed taxi picking up or setting down where permitted, or a Blue Badge holder boarding or alighting where allowed.
How to challenge it
Council PCNs follow the statutory process: an informal challenge within the 14-day discount period for windscreen and hand-served notices, formal representations within 28 days of the Notice to Owner, and a free appeal to London Tribunals or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days of any rejection. The full route is in our council PCN guide.
Whatever the ground, photographs of the location, the signs and the road markings taken from the driver's viewpoint are the evidence that wins. AppealGo reads the PCN, checks the code against the details, and drafts and files the challenge for you.
Common questions
Can I stop on a red route to let a passenger out?
On a double red line, no, except for a Blue Badge holder in limited circumstances. On a single red line, only outside the hours on the plate. Licensed taxis have specific exemptions. Most drivers ticketed for a quick drop-off do not have an exemption and need to rely on the signage or traffic grounds instead.
Is a red route PCN always from TfL?
In London, almost always, because TfL controls the red route network. Outside London, clearways are enforced by the local council under the same code.
Sources
- London Councils: parking and traffic PCN levels from 7 April 2025
- SI 2022/71 Schedule 3: penalty charge levels outside London
- Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Representations and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/576
- SI 2022/71 regulation 5: the 10-minute grace period
- London Tribunals (Environment and Traffic Adjudicators)
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal
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Check my noticeRelated guides
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.
