PCN code 06: parked without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket
Code 06 means the officer could not see a valid pay and display ticket in a bay that requires one. Many of these tickets are issued where the driver did pay, but the ticket fell off the dashboard, landed face down or was for a different bay. What you can show about the ticket is what matters.
What code 06 means
06: Parked without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket or voucher
Standard wording as published in council code lists: Knowsley Council and Wandsworth Council. Some councils use slightly different wording or add a letter suffix to the code.
Pay and display bays require the ticket (or voucher) to be clearly displayed, normally on the dashboard and readable through the windscreen. "Valid" means it covers that bay, that vehicle and that time. In council car parks the equivalent code is code 83.
The published code lists show code 06 as a lower level contravention. Check that your PCN charges the lower level.
How much it costs
| Where | Penalty | If paid within the discount period |
|---|---|---|
| England outside London (council's band 1 or band 2) | £40 or £50 | £20 or £25 |
| London (band A or band B, from 7 April 2025) | £110 or £90 | £55 or £45 |
This is a lower level code. Outside London the bands are set by Schedule 3 to SI 2022/71; London levels are set for all boroughs together. If a charge certificate is issued, the penalty goes up by 50%. Check the amount on your PCN against the published level for your area: charging the higher level for a lower level contravention is a ground for representations.
Situations where code 06 is issued
- The ticket blew off the dashboard when a door closed, or slid onto the floor.
- The ticket was displayed face down or behind a tinted strip, so the officer could not read it.
- The ticket was for another zone, street or tariff.
- The machine was out of order and the driver left without paying.
- The bay had switched to pay by phone and the driver paid with the wrong location code.
Paid but not displayed
If you did buy a valid ticket, the strict position is that the contravention is about displaying it, not paying for it. Even so, councils regularly consider a valid ticket produced with the challenge, and many have published policies on this. Send the original ticket (keep a copy), and say where it was found. A photo of the ticket where it ended up, taken before you moved it, is useful.
Broken machines
If the machine was out of order, look at the signs: many say to use another machine or pay by phone. Take a photo of the machine's screen or error message with the time, note the machine number and report the fault to the council the same day. That report is your best evidence that you tried.
Grounds and evidence that fit code 06
- The contravention did not occur: a valid ticket was displayed, and the officer's photos show it, or the ticket simply could not be read through glare.
- Compelling reasons: a valid ticket was bought but was not visible, or every payment method was unavailable.
- Evidence: the original ticket, a card statement, the officer's photos (ask for them), photos of the machine and tariff board, and any fault report reference.
Common pitfalls
Do not send the only copy of the ticket without keeping a scan. If the ticket shows a time after the PCN was issued, it will not help. Check the bay's location code carefully if you paid by app: payment for the next street over is a common cause of code 06 tickets where the driver did pay.
Deadlines for this PCN
This code is usually issued by a civil enforcement officer, with the PCN fixed to the vehicle or handed to the driver. The clock runs from the dates on your notices, and post is treated as served on the second working day after posting (SI 2022/71 reg 3).
| Stage | Time limit |
|---|---|
| Discounted payment | 14 days, beginning with the day the PCN was served |
| Informal challenge | Any time before a Notice to Owner; challenging inside the 14 days keeps the discount question open, and councils should consider re-offering it if they reject an early challenge |
| Notice to Owner | Can be sent once 28 days pass without payment, and normally within 6 months (reg 20) |
| Formal representations | 28 days, beginning with the day the Notice to Owner is served |
| Council's decision | 56 days from receiving your representations, or they are treated as accepted (SI 2022/576 reg 6) |
| Appeal to the tribunal | 28 days, beginning with the day the Notice of Rejection is served (reg 7) |
The dates printed on your own notices set your deadlines; where the count is in doubt, work to the earlier date. Our stage-by-stage guide to council PCNs explains each stage, and the one-page PCN deadlines checklist has space to write your own dates.
Questions people ask about code 06
- I paid but the ticket fell off the dashboard. Can I challenge a code 06?
- You can. Send a copy of the ticket with an explanation. Strictly the rule is about display, but councils often consider a valid ticket produced with the challenge, so check your council's policy.
- What if the pay and display machine was broken?
- Check whether the signs offered another way to pay, such as by phone or another machine. Photograph the fault, note the machine number and report it to the council. Include that evidence with your challenge.
- Is code 06 the same as code 83?
- They describe the same thing in different places. Code 06 is used on the street; code 83 is used in council car parks.
- Does the officer have to wait before issuing a code 06?
- Councils set their own observation periods. Knowsley's published list, for example, gives 5 minutes for code 06. Ask your council for its policy and for the officer's notes.
Related codes: Code 05: paid time expired · Code 83: car park, no ticket · Code 19: invalid permit or ticket · All contravention codes
Last checked 23 October 2026. Sources: Knowsley Council, Standard PCN codes: on-street; Redcar and Cleveland Council, PCN contravention codes and charges; Wandsworth Council, PCN contravention codes (London levels); SI 2022/71 Schedule 3 (penalty bands outside London); Wandsworth Council, London-wide penalty charge changes from 7 April 2025; SI 2022/71 (General Provisions Regulations 2022); SI 2022/576 reg 5 (grounds for representations); Traffic Penalty Tribunal; London Tribunals. General information about council enforcement in England, not legal advice about your ticket. Wales has its own regulations; Scotland and Northern Ireland have different systems.