Parked or loading / unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading / unloading restrictions are in forceThe official national descriptor for code 02, as published in the Department for Transport statutory guidance list.
The letter after the number on your ticket
Codes are often written with a suffix — 02a rather than just 02. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 02 can carry:
| a | temporary traffic order |
| j | camera enforcement |
| o | blue badge holder |
What the council has to be able to show
An appeal is not an apology, it is a challenge to the council’s case. For code 02 that case rests on:
- Kerb blips present and visible along the frontage where the vehicle stood.
- A plate stating the hours during which loading is banned.
- A traffic order behind both.
Where code 02 tickets go wrong
Kerb blips take a beating and are often gone or down to a shadow. Photograph the whole frontage, not just next to the car — a gap in the marks matters.
If the plate says one set of hours and the marks suggest another, the restriction is not properly signed.
If there are no kerb blips at all, this is not a loading ban and the wrong code has been used. Say so plainly.
A Blue Badge does not exempt you from a loading ban. That surprises people, and it is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon writing the wrong appeal.
What to gather before you write
- Wide photos of the kerb along the full length you were parked on.
- The loading plate, or evidence there is not one.
Code 02 questions, answered
Does a Blue Badge let me park where there is a loading ban?
No. A Blue Badge gives concessions on yellow lines, but it does not exempt you from a ban on loading and unloading. That catches a lot of badge holders out. What can still work on a code 02 is the state of the kerb marks and whether the hours plate is present and legible.
What does contravention code 02 mean?
Parked or loading / unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading / unloading restrictions are in force. In plain terms: This is the stronger cousin of code 01. Here the restriction bans loading as well as waiting, which is marked by short blips on the kerb rather than on the road.
How much is a code 02 penalty?
Code 02 sits in the higher band, so it carries the more expensive of the two rates that council uses. Outside London that is commonly around £70; in London it is £160 in Band A or £140 in Band B. Half is normally taken off if you pay within 14 days, and your notice states the actual figures.
Your notice is definitive. This page explains the national code. Councils use extra codes and local suffixes, and the wording printed on your own notice always takes precedence. Check the deadline on the notice before you do anything else — the discount usually runs out after 14 days.
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