Parked at an out-of-order meter during controlled hoursThe official national descriptor for code 08, 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: 08c rather than just 08. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 08 can carry:
| c | buses only |
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 08 that case rests on:
- That the restriction was in force at that time.
- That a means of paying was available to you, whether another machine within a reasonable distance or a signed phone or app option.
- That the machine was in the state they say it was.
Where code 08 tickets go wrong
If the machine was dead, the nearest working one was not reasonably close, and no app was advertised on the signage, you had no lawful way to comply.
A declined payment, or an app that would not accept the location, is evidence in your favour. Screenshot it at the time.
Councils often argue you could have paid by phone. That argument weakens sharply if the number was not displayed anywhere you could see it.
Ask when the machine was last serviced and when the fault was logged. One broken for weeks is a different picture from one that failed that morning.
Do not build a challenge on the broken machine alone. Adjudicators expect a driver to make a reasonable effort to pay by another advertised means before concluding that payment was impossible.
What to gather before you write
- A clear photograph of the machine showing the fault, with the time.
- Photographs of every payment sign at the bay, including any phone or app instructions.
- A screenshot of any failed payment attempt.
- A note of where the nearest other machine was, and how far.
Code 08 questions, answered
The machine was broken. Does that mean the parking was free?
No, and it is the commonest misunderstanding about this code. A faulty machine suspends neither the traffic order nor the charge. What it does is put the council to proof that you had another reasonable way to pay. If the signage advertised a phone or app option and it worked, they will say you should have used it. If it did not, or it failed, you have a real argument.
What does contravention code 08 mean?
Parked at an out-of-order meter during controlled hours. In plain terms: A broken machine does not turn the bay into free parking, which surprises most people who get this code. The restriction still runs. What changes is how you were supposed to pay.
How much is a code 08 penalty?
Code 08 sits in the lower band, so it carries the cheaper of the two rates that council uses. Outside London that is commonly around £50; in London £110 in Band A or £90 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, because the discount usually runs out after 14 days.
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