How to appeal a Leeds PCN
Updated 20 September 2026 · By the AppealGo team
Short answer
Leeds City Council PCNs are typically £70 (higher level) or £50 (lower level) for parking and £70 for bus lane and moving traffic contraventions, halved if paid within the discount period. Challenge a windscreen PCN informally within 14 days, make formal representations within 28 days of the Notice to Owner or of a posted camera PCN, and appeal free to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days of a rejection. Bus lanes whose operating hours change by section, and moving traffic cameras where no first-contravention warning was sent in the first six months, are the grounds that most often succeed.
| Parking PCN | £70 (higher level) or £50 (lower level) in most council areas; the notice states the amount |
|---|---|
| Bus lane and moving traffic PCN | £70 in most council areas |
| Discount | 50% if paid within 14 days (21 days for most PCNs sent by post from camera evidence) |
| Informal challenge | Within 14 days of a windscreen or hand-served PCN keeps the discount if it is rejected |
| Formal representations | Within 28 days of the Notice to Owner, or of a posted camera PCN |
| Independent appeal | Traffic Penalty Tribunal, within 28 days of a rejection; free |
Leeds runs a large enforcement operation covering on-street parking, council car parks, an extensive camera-enforced bus lane network, and, since the 2022 powers, moving traffic cameras on yellow boxes and banned turns. Parking PCNs are £70 or £50 and bus lane and moving traffic PCNs £70, halved if paid within the discount period. Appeals go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
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Check my noticeWhere Leeds PCNs go wrong
- Bus lanes on the main radial routes with operating hours that vary by section.
- Moving traffic cameras where the first-offence warning was not issued within the first six months of enforcement at that location.
- Pay-by-phone errors in the city centre.
- Loading restrictions enforced without observation.
- Council car park machine faults.
The Leeds PCN process
- PCN served. On the windscreen or by hand for parking, or by post for camera-enforced contraventions. 28 days to pay or challenge; 50% discount for the first 14 days (21 for postal notices).
- Informal challenge (windscreen and hand-served PCNs only). Write to Leeds through its online portal or by post. If rejected within the discount period, the discount is normally re-offered for 14 days.
- Notice to Owner after 28 days, then 28 days to make formal representations on the statutory grounds.
- Appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days of a Notice of Rejection. It is free, independent, and handled online or by phone.
- If ignored: Charge Certificate (+50%), registration at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, then enforcement agents. A TE9 witness statement can reset the process if you never received the notices.
Your PCN number and registration let you view any camera footage or officer photographs on the council's website. Always look at those before deciding how to respond.
Common questions
Will Leeds re-offer the 50% discount if my challenge is rejected?
For an informal challenge made within the discount period, Leeds, like most councils, re-offers the discount for 14 days from the rejection. After a Notice to Owner the discount has usually gone, though the council retains discretion and the tribunal can direct it to re-offer the discount in some circumstances.
Can I see the evidence Leeds has against me?
Yes. Enter the PCN number and registration on the council's PCN portal to see the civil enforcement officer's photographs or the camera footage. If the evidence does not show a contravention, say so in your representations and describe exactly what it does show.
Sources
- SI 2022/71 Schedule 3: penalty charge levels outside London
- Traffic Management Act 2004, Part 6 (civil enforcement)
- 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
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal
Got one of these? Check it for free.
Snap a photo of the notice. We read it, tell you the grounds we found, and only charge £6.99 if you ask us to file the appeal.
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.
