Stopped in a parking place designated for diplomatic vehiclesThe official national descriptor for code 41, 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 41 that case rests on:
- A traffic order designating that bay for diplomatic vehicles.
- Signage or bay markings identifying it as such.
- That the vehicle stopped there.
Where code 41 tickets go wrong
These bays look like any other unless the plate says otherwise. Photograph the plate and the bay text.
The restriction is on stopping, but a genuine brief set-down can be worth raising, particularly at the first stage.
Security staff and police around embassies do direct traffic. If someone waved you in, say who and when.
Works and events change these bays frequently. Photograph any temporary notices.
What to gather before you write
- A photograph of the plate covering the bay.
- A photograph of the bay markings and their wording.
- The full video or the officer’s photographs, requested in writing.
Code 41 questions, answered
There was nothing saying it was a diplomatic bay. What now?
Photograph the plate and the bay text exactly as they are, then ask the council to identify the sign that conveyed the restriction. These bays look like ordinary parking unless the signage says otherwise, and in central London they sit among a lot of other bay types. If the only thing marking it is faded lettering on the road, that is a genuine argument.
What does contravention code 41 mean?
Stopped in a parking place designated for diplomatic vehicles. In plain terms: Bays reserved for diplomatic vehicles outside embassies and high commissions, almost all of them in central London. They are enforced firmly and the bay markings are often the only thing telling you.
How much is a code 41 penalty?
Code 41 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.
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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