I have a valid Blue Badge but got a code 40. Why?

Usually because the officer could not see the badge's front, expiry date or serial number, or no clock was shown where needed. Send a copy of both sides of the badge and explain.

Do I need a parking clock in a disabled bay?

Only where the bay has a time limit. The sign at the bay will say. Where a clock is needed, set it to the quarter hour in which you arrived and display it with the badge.

Can I use my relative's Blue Badge to park in a disabled bay?

Only when the badge holder is travelling in the vehicle and the bay is being used for their benefit. Using a badge otherwise is misuse.

Is code 40 higher or lower level?

Higher level. Outside London that is £60 or £70 depending on the council's band, halved if paid within the discount period.

PCN code 40: parked in a disabled person's parking place without a valid badge

Council parking PCN · England · Code 40 · Higher level · Last checked 23 October 2026

Code 40 is issued when a vehicle is in an on-street disabled bay and the officer cannot see a valid Blue Badge displayed in the prescribed way. Many of these tickets go to genuine badge holders whose badge was the wrong way up, partly hidden or out of date. The display rules are strict, so they are worth knowing.

What code 40 means

40: Parked in a designated disabled person's parking place without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge in the prescribed manner

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 gives the usual reasons for a code 40: no badge seen, a badge that is illegible or obscured, an expired badge, or no parking clock where the bay has a time limit.

The Department for Transport's guide The Blue Badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England says the badge must be displayed on the dashboard or facia panel where it can be read through the windscreen, with the front of the badge facing upwards, showing the hologram; the side with the photograph should not be visible. Where a time limit applies, the blue parking clock must also be displayed, set to the quarter hour in which you arrived.

In council car parks the equivalent code is 87.

How much it costs

Where	Penalty	If paid within the discount period
England outside London (council's band 1 or band 2)	£60 or £70	£30 or £35
London (band A or band B, from 7 April 2025)	£160 or £140	£80 or £70

This is a higher 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%. The amount printed on your PCN is the one that applies to you: if it does not match the published level for your area, that is itself a ground for representations.

Situations where code 40 is issued

The badge was displayed back to front, so the officer could not see the expiry date and serial number.
The badge slipped off the dashboard when a door closed.
The badge had expired and a renewal was in progress.
The bay had a time limit and no clock was displayed.
The badge holder was not travelling in the vehicle, and the badge was used for someone else's trip.

Badge holders: what to send

If you are a badge holder and the badge was valid, send a copy of both sides of the badge with your representations, and explain what happened to the display. Councils often consider this, especially for a first ticket, but it is a matter for their discretion where the badge was not properly displayed. If the badge had expired, send proof of the renewal application and the date it was made.

Personalised bays

Some disabled bays outside homes are reserved for one badge holder and carry an identifier on the road. Another badge holder parking there may still receive a PCN. Check the bay marking and the sign.

Grounds and evidence that fit code 40

The contravention did not occur: a valid badge (and clock, where needed) was displayed as required.
Compelling reasons: a valid badge was held but not seen.
Evidence: both sides of the badge; the renewal application; the officer's photos; photos of the bay sign showing any time limit.

Common pitfalls

Using a Blue Badge when the holder is not present is misuse, and councils can take separate action. Be accurate about who was travelling. If someone who is not a badge holder used the vehicle, do not suggest otherwise in your representations: false statements to the council are an offence.

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 40

I have a valid Blue Badge but got a code 40. Why?: Usually because the officer could not see the badge's front, expiry date or serial number, or no clock was shown where needed. Send a copy of both sides of the badge and explain.
Do I need a parking clock in a disabled bay?: Only where the bay has a time limit. The sign at the bay will say. Where a clock is needed, set it to the quarter hour in which you arrived and display it with the badge.
Can I use my relative's Blue Badge to park in a disabled bay?: Only when the badge holder is travelling in the vehicle and the bay is being used for their benefit. Using a badge otherwise is misuse.
Is code 40 higher or lower level?: Higher level. Outside London that is £60 or £70 depending on the council's band, halved if paid within the discount period.

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); DfT, The Blue Badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England; 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.