A moving traffic PCN is a civil penalty for something you did while driving, not while parked. It arrives by post with camera stills, because the whole regime runs on camera evidence.
These notices feel harder to fight than a parking ticket. A camera photographed your car. What is there to argue?
More than most drivers think. The authority has to get the signs right, the road markings right, the camera certification right, the service deadline right, and the legal definition of the contravention right. Miss any one of those and the penalty is not enforceable. This guide covers the framework. The linked guides below go deep on each contravention type.
Who can fine you, and under what law
Two different regimes cover England, and it matters which one applies to you:
- In London: the 33 boroughs and Transport for London have enforced moving traffic contraventions for years under section 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003. Bus lane enforcement in London runs under the London Local Authorities Act 1996.
- Outside London: since 31 May 2022, councils have been able to apply to the Secretary of State for moving traffic enforcement powers under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. A council can only enforce once its Designation Order is in force. If your council does not hold the power for the location and date on your PCN, the notice has no legal basis.
Either way, the practical machinery is the same: an approved camera device records the alleged contravention, the authority serves a PCN by post on the registered keeper, and you have a statutory right to make representations and then appeal to an independent adjudicator.
The main moving traffic contraventions
| Code | Contravention | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Entering and stopping in a box junction | Read the guide |
| 34 | Being in a bus lane | Read the guide |
| 50 | Performing a prohibited turn | Read the guide |
| 51 | Failing to comply with a no entry restriction | Read the guide |
| 52 | Failing to comply with a vehicle type prohibition | Read the guide |
| 53/54 | Entering (or entering and waiting in) a pedestrian zone | Read the guide |
ULEZ and Congestion Charge penalties are separate TfL schemes with their own rules. They are covered in the ULEZ challenge guide.
The five conditions the authority must satisfy
1. The power must exist.
Outside London, check the council actually holds a Designation Order covering the location. New enforcement locations appear constantly and councils occasionally enforce restrictions their order does not cover.
2. The signs and markings must comply with TSRGD 2016.
Every sign and road marking relied on must match the specifications in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016, must be visible to an approaching driver in time to comply, and must reflect the underlying Traffic Regulation Order. Faded box markings, obscured signs, and signs positioned after the point of no return are recurring reasons adjudicators cancel these penalties.
3. The camera must be an approved device.
Enforcement cameras must be certified under the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/71). The evidence must show the contravention as legally defined, not merely a vehicle near a restriction.
4. The PCN must be served in time and in proper form.
The notice must state the mandatory information and be served within the statutory window (28 days in most cases). Defects in the notice itself are a ground of challenge.
5. The contravention must actually meet its legal definition.
This is where most winnable cases live. A box junction contravention requires entering and stopping due to stationary traffic, with exceptions for turning right. A bus lane contravention requires use of the lane during its hours of operation by a non-exempt vehicle. The camera stills often do not establish the full definition.
Challenge your moving traffic PCN with the right letter
Every moving traffic contravention code has its own challenge letter, built on the grounds adjudicators actually uphold. £15 each.
The process and the deadlines
The PCN arrives by post with a discount for early payment (usually 50%). Paying at the discount ends the matter, and with it your right to challenge.
If you challenge, make representations to the authority within 28 days of service, on the statutory grounds plus any compelling circumstances. The authority must respond within 56 days under the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Representations and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/576).
If it rejects your representations, you get a Notice of Rejection and 28 days to appeal to the independent adjudicator: the Traffic Penalty Tribunal outside London, London Tribunals inside it. Both are free. The authority carries the burden of proving the contravention.
Why generic appeals fail
Most drivers reply to these notices with an apology and an explanation. Adjudicators cannot cancel a penalty because the driver is sorry, was in a hurry, or did not intend the contravention.
They cancel penalties for legal reasons: non-compliant signage, defective camera evidence, procedural failure, or a contravention that does not meet its statutory definition. A challenge that identifies the correct ground, cites the correct regulation, and demands the correct evidence reads very differently to the case officer deciding whether to fight or fold.
That is what our contravention-specific letters do. Each moving traffic code has its own challenge letter built on the grounds that succeed at the tribunals, for £15.
The letter for this
Council PCN Formal Representations
Written for this specific ground, with the law cited and the evidence demands built in. Complete the placeholders and send it.
Included free with the letter
- How to Submit Your Tribunal Appeal
- How Council Parking Appeals Work
Frequently asked questions
What is a moving traffic PCN?
A Penalty Charge Notice issued by a council or Transport for London for a contravention committed while the vehicle was moving, rather than parked. Box junctions, bus lanes, banned turns, no entry signs, pedestrian zones and weight limits are the most common. These are civil penalties enforced by camera, not criminal matters, and they never involve points on your licence.
Can councils outside London really fine me for a box junction now?
Yes, if they have applied for and been granted the power. Since 31 May 2022, councils in England outside London have been able to apply to the Secretary of State for a Designation Order under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. A growing list of councils now hold these powers. Inside London, boroughs and TfL have enforced moving traffic contraventions for much longer under the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003.
How long does the council have to send a moving traffic PCN?
Moving traffic PCNs are served by post, because the contravention is detected by camera. The notice must be served within 28 days of the contravention in most cases. Check the date of the alleged contravention against the date of service on your notice. Late service is a ground of challenge.
Is camera evidence always enough to prove the contravention?
No. The camera must be an approved device certified under the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022, and the footage must actually show the contravention as defined in law. Stills that do not show your exit was blocked, or that do not show the relevant sign, regularly fail at adjudication.
What happens if I ignore a moving traffic PCN?
Do not ignore it. These are statutory penalties. If you neither pay nor challenge, the authority issues a Charge Certificate increasing the penalty by 50%, then registers the debt and can eventually instruct enforcement agents (bailiffs) without going through a County Court claim. Challenge within the deadline or pay. Ignoring is the one option that always ends badly.
Where do I appeal if the council rejects my challenge?
Outside London, to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. In London, to London Tribunals. Both are free, independent, and decide the case on the law and the evidence. The authority must respond to formal representations within 56 days under the 2022 Regulations.
Match your contravention code to its letter.
Box junction, bus lane, banned turn, no entry, pedestrian zone. Every code has a dedicated challenge letter built on the grounds adjudicators uphold.