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14

Contravention code 14: In an EV charging bay without charging

An EV bay is for charging, not for parking. Sitting in one connected to nothing, or long after the charge finished, is a contravention. Off-street it is code 71.

Parked in an electric vehicles’ charging place during restricted hours without charging The official national descriptor for code 14, as published in the Department for Transport statutory guidance list.
Penalty bandHigher — the more expensive rate
Where it is usedOn-street — code 71 in car parks
10-minute grace periodDoes not apply to this code
DiscountNormally 50% off if paid within 14 days

The letter after the number on your ticket

Codes are often written with a suffix — 14a rather than just 14. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 14 can carry:

apermit holder only electric vehicle charging bay
yelectric solo motorcycle bay
1electric vehicles bay
9electric vehicle car club bay

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 14 that case rests on:

Where code 14 tickets go wrong

You were charging and the charger dropped out

Sessions fail constantly. Your charging app holds the log — start time, end time, kWh, and often the fault. That log is the strongest evidence there is for this code, and almost nobody thinks to download it.

The bay is not clearly signed as charging-only

Photograph the sign, the bay markings and the hours. Some bays are marked for EVs generally rather than for charging.

The charge finished but you were within the signed period

Read the sign carefully. Some restrict to the duration of charging, others give a maximum stay.

This code is being issued far more than it was two years ago as councils install bays faster than they sign them properly. If the signage is thin, say so.

What to gather before you write

Write your code 14 appeal → Free letter generator — pick the grounds that fit, get properly-worded wording in two minutes. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Code 14 questions, answered

The charger cut out partway through. Does that help my appeal?

It is the strongest thing you have. Charging networks log every session, including faults, and that log shows you were connected and drawing power when the ticket was issued. Download or screenshot it from the network app before it ages out of the history, then send it with a short explanation.

What does contravention code 14 mean?

Parked in an electric vehicles’ charging place during restricted hours without charging. In plain terms: An EV bay is for charging, not for parking. Sitting in one connected to nothing, or long after the charge finished, is a contravention. Off-street it is code 71.

How much is a code 14 penalty?

Code 14 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.

What is the difference between code 14 and code 71?

They describe the same behaviour in different places. Code 14 is used on-street; code 71 is the off-street version, issued in a council car park. The facts you would argue are the same, and only the location and the code on the notice change.

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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