Parked in a parking place or area not designated for that class of vehicleThe official national descriptor for code 23, 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 — 23e rather than just 23. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 23 can carry:
| e | car club bay |
| g | motorcycle bay |
| k | ambulance bay |
| w | e-scooter bay |
| 0 | local buses or trams only |
| 1 | electric vehicles bay |
| 2 | goods vehicle loading bays |
| 3 | bicycle bay |
| 7 | taxis only |
| 8 | zero emission capable taxis only |
| 9 | electric 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 23 that case rests on:
- Signs and markings identifying the permitted class.
- That your vehicle falls outside it.
Where code 23 tickets go wrong
Obvious, but it happens — car club vehicles ticketed in car club bays, electric vehicles in EV bays. The suffix tells you which class they mean, so check it against your V5C.
Where the bay is painted for one class and the sign says another, the restriction is not clearly conveyed.
Markings alone are frequently not enough to establish the class.
What to gather before you write
- Photos of the bay markings and every sign around it.
- The V5C or vehicle details if class is the point.
Code 23 questions, answered
How am I supposed to know which vehicles a bay is for?
From the sign, which has to be there. Bay markings alone rarely establish the class on their own. The suffix on your notice tells you which class the council says applies, so compare it against the sign that was actually at the bay, and photograph anything missing or contradictory.
What does contravention code 23 mean?
Parked in a parking place or area not designated for that class of vehicle. In plain terms: The bay is reserved for a particular kind of vehicle — motorcycles, car club cars, taxis, goods vehicles, electric vehicles — and yours is not it. In a car park the same thing is code 91.
How much is a code 23 penalty?
Code 23 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 23 and code 91?
They describe the same behaviour in different places. Code 23 is used on-street; code 91 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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