Pavement parking rules in the UK: London, Scotland and England

What you need to do

If you are driving in London or anywhere in Scotland, keep all four wheels off the pavement unless signs and bay markings clearly allow pavement parking. The Highway Code, in Rule 244, says you MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London or Scotland, with exceptions allowed only in limited circumstances.

In the rest of England the law is different, but the advice is the same: the Highway Code says you should not park partially or wholly on the pavement elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, wheelchair users, people with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.

In practice:

• In London and Scotland, treat the pavement as off limits unless you see a sign or bay showing that pavement parking is permitted.
• In the rest of England, look for local restrictions, and remember that yellow lines also cover the pavement and verge.
• If you get a Penalty Charge Notice, pay or challenge it quickly to keep the discount.

London: a ban since 1974

According to the Department for Transport, parking on pavements, with certain exceptions, has been prohibited in Greater London since 1974 by the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1974. This is a default ban: you do not need a sign to tell you it applies.

Councils can allow pavement parking at specific locations through an administrative resolution, and these places are marked with traffic signs. London Councils explains how to recognise them:

• there will be bays painted in white indicating where you can park;
• signs show the parking P and a car parked on the footway.

If you see neither, do not put a wheel on the pavement. TfL lists parking with one or more wheels on or over the footway among the contraventions for which penalty charges are commonly issued.

London Councils also notes that many roads in the capital are reserved for resident permit holders, and that using car parks is often preferable to parking on the street. Car parks may also allow parking for longer periods, which makes them a sensible choice for visitors.

Scotland: a national ban

Scotland has a national prohibition under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. According to the Department for Transport, it was enacted in November 2019. The rules as described by Stirling Council cover three situations.

Pavements. The ban applies to parked and stationary or idling vehicles on private and public roads where one or more wheels are on the footway. Sitting in your car with the engine running does not make it legal.

Double parking. You cannot park in front of, or alongside, another vehicle, or more than 50cm away from the edge of the carriageway. The edge can be the kerb, a painted white line or the edge next to a verge.

Dropped kerbs. You cannot park next to a footway where it has been lowered, or where the carriageway has been raised, to help people walking or cycling to cross. Falkirk Council confirms that raised crossing points are enforceable too.

A note on conflicting sources

The Department for Transport consultation page on pavement parking states that the Scottish national prohibition was enacted in November 2019 but had yet to come into force. That page is older than the current guidance from Scottish councils. Stirling and Falkirk councils now describe the prohibitions as rules that apply, and the Highway Code states that you must not park on the pavement in Scotland. Drivers should follow the current Highway Code and council guidance.

England outside London: street by street

Outside London, the Department for Transport says the reverse applies. Parking on pavements and verges is permitted unless specifically prohibited by a local authority, either street by street or zonally. Each prohibition requires a formal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).

According to the government response on managing pavement parking, councils in England outside London can currently enforce against pavement parking where vehicles break existing waiting restrictions, for example yellow lines, which also apply to the pavement and verge. So a car parked on the pavement next to a yellow line can be penalised even if there is no specific pavement ban.

The government has looked at changing this. In its options for change, the Department for Transport set out a possible England wide rule: you must not park on a pavement except where signs permit. Under that approach, councils would survey their roads, decide where pavement parking remains necessary and mark those places with signs and bays, either completely on the pavement where there is enough width, or part on, part off. The department also says it is running a project to make TROs easier to implement, including for pavement parking. Responses to the consultation noted that England would otherwise be out of line with London and Scotland.

Until any change reaches your street, check local signs and lines, and keep in mind that the Highway Code still advises against pavement parking anywhere unless signs permit it.

How to pay a penalty

There is nothing to buy in advance for pavement parking: it is either permitted by signs or it is not. What you may need to pay is a penalty.

In London, according to TfL, PCNs are issued by civil enforcement officers or by CCTV enforcement officers:

• PCNs from civil enforcement officers are issued on the spot, directly to the driver;
• PCNs from CCTV enforcement are sent by post to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

Each PCN carries a two digit code explaining why it was issued. Pay as instructed on the penalty or the accompanying payment slip. If you have questions, contact the issuing authority. The police may also occasionally issue Fixed Penalty Notices, particularly if a vehicle is causing an obstruction to other road users.

Prices, discounts and fines

The sources do not publish a standard amount for a pavement parking PCN, but they do explain how the amount can change.

London. London Councils says most PCNs have a 50 per cent discount if paid within 14 days, and that PCNs may carry extra penalties if they are not paid or contested promptly. If you challenge a PCN and receive a notice of rejection, TfL says you can pay immediately or appeal. If you do not respond to the notice of rejection, you will receive a charge certificate which increases the penalty charge to £195. In 2025, London Councils announced that London boroughs were raising parking and traffic PCN levels for the first time since 2011, so check the amount printed on your notice.

Scotland. Transport Scotland’s consultation on enforcement regulations sets out this timetable:

• you have 28 days to pay the penalty;
• if paid within 14 days, a 50% discount is offered;
• between the 15th and 28th day, the full charge is due;
• after the 28th day, if unpaid and not appealed, the council can send a notice to the owner or registered keeper, in effect a reminder to pay;
• after a further 14 days, the council can issue a charge certificate which can increase the penalty by 50%.

Challenging a PCN

In London, check the PCN for the contravention you are said to have committed and write to the address on the back. The council will either cancel the PCN or explain why it is still valid, and tell you how to take the matter further through an independent adjudicator at London Tribunals.

The sources differ on the name of the appeal body. The TfL leaflet refers to the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS), while London Councils, in its more recent guidance, refers to the independent Adjudicator at London Tribunals. Use the details printed on your own notice.

Exemptions and exceptions

There are two kinds of relief: places a council has exempted, and situations where a vehicle may lawfully stop on the pavement.

Exempted streets

In London, councils can exempt places by administrative resolution, marked with white bays and the P sign showing a car on the footway.

In Scotland, councils can exempt areas of pavement if certain criteria are met. According to Transport Scotland, an area can only be considered if:

• its layout or character would leave a width of 1.5 metres of footway unobstructed when any part of a vehicle is parked on it; or
• the carriageway is such that a vehicle parked on it would impede the passage of an emergency vehicle.

Exempt areas must have signs and lines showing that pavement parking is permitted. Falkirk Council adds that a wide pavement alone is not enough: if there is space on the carriageway to park and still let vehicles pass, an exemption is not appropriate.

Exceptions for certain vehicles and situations

The Department for Transport says the London and Scottish legislation includes exceptions for, for example, breakdown or emergency service vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles, utility maintenance vehicles, and vehicles that can be proved to have been loading or unloading goods for up to 20 minutes, or longer if the authority permits it.

In Scotland, Transport Scotland lists exceptions including:

• normal operation of the emergency services, or medical practitioners in emergency situations;
• responding to an emergency or accident;
• certain deliveries and collections;
• vehicles undertaking works on roads or removing obstructions.

These are only valid if specific criteria are met and there is no other reasonable parking available. Stirling Council adds that the ban does not apply when saving life or in a similar emergency, for only as long as necessary, where a police or fire constable in uniform permits it, or where the vehicle is parked wholly within an authorised and designated parking place under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Checklist before your trip

• In London and Scotland, never park with a wheel on the pavement unless signs or bays permit it.
• In Scotland, also avoid double parking more than 50cm from the kerb and never block a dropped kerb or raised crossing.
• In England outside London, check for local bans and remember yellow lines cover the pavement and verge.
• Do not rely on a Blue Badge or a wide pavement as a reason to park on it.
• In London, consider a car park rather than street parking.
• If you get a PCN, pay within 14 days to use the discount where offered, or challenge it promptly in writing.
• Never ignore a notice of rejection in London: a charge certificate raises the penalty to £195.