What is a Notice to Owner?

The formal enforcement notice a council sends the registered keeper after an unpaid windscreen PCN, opening the 28-day window for statutory representations.

How long do I have to respond to a Notice to Owner?

28 days from service (posting plus two working days is the presumption). Missing it leads to a charge certificate at 150% of the penalty.

What happens if the council rejects my representations?

You receive a Notice of Rejection explaining why, and may appeal to the independent adjudicator (Traffic Penalty Tribunal outside London; London Tribunals in the capital) within 28 days - at no cost.

Process · Deadlines

Notice to Owner: the stage where appeals get serious

The Notice to Owner (NtO) arrives after 28 days if a windscreen PCN is unpaid or an informal challenge is pending. This is the formal stage: only the owner may make representations, the nine statutory grounds apply, and the response window is 28 days from service. Miss it and the charge rises.

What the NtO must contain

Under the 2022 regulations the NtO must state the date of notice, the contravention details, the amount, the 28-day payment window, that representations may be made on the statutory grounds, and how. Missing mandatory contents is a procedural impropriety ground - check every field against the PCN.

The 28-day clock

Representations are due within 28 days of service. Service is presumed two working days after posting (check the postmark). Diarise from the postmark date, not the date you opened it. If you challenged informally first, the discount is usually re-offered if the formal representation is rejected.

After you submit

Accepted - PCN cancelled, nothing to pay.
Rejected - Notice of Rejection (NoR) with reasons; you have 28 days to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (outside London), where the council must prove its case and you lose nothing for trying.
No response in 56 days - the PCN is deemed accepted by law.

If you missed the window

The process continues to charge certificate (+50%) and Order for Recovery. At that stage a witness statement on court form TE13 (published by HMCTS on 14 October 2026; the court's order tells you which form to use), made on one of the set grounds - for example, you never received the Notice to Owner - revokes the order and the charge certificate, although the council may serve a fresh notice. You normally have 21 days from service of the order; if you are late, form TE14 asks for more time. This is a strict documentary exercise: the statement must match the prescribed grounds exactly.

FAQ

What is a Notice to Owner?: The formal enforcement notice a council sends the registered keeper after an unpaid windscreen PCN, opening the 28-day window for statutory representations.
How long do I have to respond to a Notice to Owner?: 28 days from service (posting plus two working days is the presumption). Missing it leads to a charge certificate at 150% of the penalty.
What happens if the council rejects my representations?: You receive a Notice of Rejection explaining why, and may appeal to the independent adjudicator (Traffic Penalty Tribunal outside London; London Tribunals in the capital) within 28 days - at no cost.

General information about parking enforcement in England (outside London), not legal advice. Sources: Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/71); Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Representations and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/576); Traffic Penalty Tribunal guidance; council enforcement policies.