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38

Contravention code 38: Wrong side of a keep left or keep right sign

The blue circle with a white arrow, on a traffic island or a build-out. Passing the wrong side of it is a contravention in its own right, and it is usually caught where an island has been added to an existing road.

Failing to comply with a sign indicating that vehicular traffic must pass to the specified side of a sign The official national descriptor for code 38, as published in the Department for Transport statutory guidance list.
Penalty bandSingle rate, not banded like parking
Where it is usedOn the road, usually camera-enforced
10-minute grace periodDoes not apply, this is not a parking contravention
DiscountNormally 50% off, 21 days if camera-issued

The letter after the number on your ticket

Codes are often written with a suffix: 38j rather than just 38. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 38 can carry:

jcamera enforcement

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 38 that case rests on:

Where code 38 tickets go wrong

The sign was damaged or unlit

These get hit by vehicles regularly and a bollard that is flattened, missing or dark at night cannot instruct anyone.

You were avoiding an obstruction

A broken-down vehicle, works or a cyclist can leave no lawful line. Explain it and ask for the whole clip.

The island was newly installed

Layout changes produce clusters of these. Ask when the island went in and whether a warning period ran.

You were making way for an emergency vehicle

A recognised compelling reason.

What to gather before you write

Write your code 38 appeal → Free letter generator: pick the grounds that fit, get properly-worded wording in two minutes. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Code 38 questions, answered

The bollard had been knocked down. Where does that leave me?

In a good position, if you can show it. A keep left or keep right sign that is flattened, missing or unlit at night is not conveying anything to a driver. Photograph the site as soon as you can, and ask the council when that bollard was last inspected and when it was repaired. Damage records are disclosable and they often confirm the timeline.

What does contravention code 38 mean?

Failing to comply with a sign indicating that vehicular traffic must pass to the specified side of a sign. In plain terms: The blue circle with a white arrow, on a traffic island or a build-out. Passing the wrong side of it is a contravention in its own right, and it is usually caught where an island has been added to an existing road.

How much is a code 38 penalty?

Code 38 is a moving traffic or bus lane contravention, so it is not banded higher and lower the way parking codes are. In London the charge is £160 across the board. Outside London it is set at the higher level, commonly around £70. Half is normally taken off for early payment, and because these notices are usually issued from a camera rather than by an officer at the roadside, that discount period is often 21 days rather than 14. Your notice states the actual figures and the actual deadline, and it is the notice that governs.

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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