Parked wholly or partly in a suspended bay or spaceThe official national descriptor for code 21, as published in the Department for Transport statutory guidance list.
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 21 that case rests on:
- That the suspension was in force at the time.
- That notices were on display, in the right place, before it took effect.
Where code 21 tickets go wrong
This is the whole ball game for code 21. Councils normally require suspension notices to be displayed for a set period before the suspension bites, often several working days. If you parked before the cones and notices appeared, say exactly when you parked and how you know.
A cone with a laminated sheet at the far end of a long bay is not adequate notice. Photograph the whole run of the bay.
Read the dates and times on the notice against the time on your ticket.
Get in the habit of photographing the bay when you park in an unfamiliar street. For this code that one photo decides it.
What to gather before you write
- A dated photograph of the bay as you left it — a phone photo carries its timestamp.
- Photos of the suspension notice, including its stated dates and times.
Code 21 questions, answered
The suspension signs were not there when I parked. Does that matter?
It is usually decisive. Councils are expected to display suspension notices for a set period before the suspension takes effect, so that drivers already parked can move. If you can show when you parked, a phone photograph carries its timestamp, and the notices went up afterwards, the penalty should not stand.
What does contravention code 21 mean?
Parked wholly or partly in a suspended bay or space. In plain terms: The bay was taken out of use — usually for works, a skip, a removal or an event — and the vehicle was in it. Off-street this is code 78.
How much is a code 21 penalty?
Code 21 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 21 and code 78?
They describe the same behaviour in different places. Code 21 is used on-street; code 78 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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