PCN code 30: parked for longer than permitted
Code 30 is for limited-waiting bays where parking is free but time-limited, for example "2 hours, no return within 1 hour". With no ticket to read, everything depends on how the officer established when the vehicle arrived. It is a lower level code, and the 10-minute grace period applies.
What code 30 means
30: Parked for longer than permitted
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.
Redcar and Cleveland's code list describes code 30 as staying in a free bay for longer than the time shown on the adjacent sign. Because there is no ticket, the officer has to observe the vehicle at least twice: once to note it, and again after the permitted time has passed. Officers often record the position of the tyre valves on the first visit to show the vehicle has not moved.
The 10-minute grace period in regulation 5 of SI 2022/71 applies to free parking as well as paid parking: no penalty charge may be imposed if the vehicle has overstayed by 10 minutes or less.
Returning to the same bay too soon is a different contravention, code 22. In car parks the equivalent of code 30 is code 80.
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 30 is issued
- A vehicle moved and came back to the same bay, but the officer's records treated it as a single stay.
- The first observation was recorded later than the vehicle actually arrived, or earlier than it could have.
- The sign's time limit was missed, or misread (for example "1 hour" in one bay and "2 hours" in the next).
- The officer issued the PCN within 10 minutes of the time limit ending.
What to check in the officer's records
- The time of the first observation and the time of the PCN. Subtract the permitted time: is the remaining overstay more than 10 minutes?
- The valve-position notes or photos from both visits. If they differ, the vehicle may have moved.
- The location recorded on both visits. If the vehicle was in a different bay or street on the first visit, the two observations do not show one stay.
Grounds and evidence that fit code 30
- The contravention did not occur: the vehicle arrived later than recorded, moved between observations, or overstayed by 10 minutes or less.
- Evidence: the officer's observation log and photos (ask for them); receipts, card payments, dashcam or phone location history showing when you arrived; photos of the time-limit sign.
Common pitfalls
Driving round the block and returning to the same bay often breaches a "no return within" rule, which is enforced as code 22 if the sign includes it. Check the sign's exact wording. If you rely on location history from your phone, export it with the times visible and keep the original; it supports the timeline, but it is the officer's records you are testing.
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 30
- How do parking officers prove how long I stayed in a free bay?
- They observe the vehicle at least twice and record the times, often with photos and notes of the tyre valve positions. Ask the council for these records.
- Does the 10-minute grace period apply to free bays?
- Yes. Regulation 5 of SI 2022/71 applies to the permitted parking period whether it was paid for or free.
- I moved my car and came back. Why did I get a code 30?
- The officer may have treated it as one stay. If your vehicle moved, show it with evidence such as receipts or location history. Also check the sign for a "no return" rule, which is a different code.
- Is code 30 higher or lower level?
- Lower level. Outside London that is £40 or £50 depending on the council's band, halved if paid within the discount period.
Related codes: Code 05: paid time expired · Code 21: suspended bay · Code 24: not within bay markings · 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 reg 5 (10-minute grace period); 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.