Stopped on a taxi rankThe official national descriptor for code 45, 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: 45n rather than just 45. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 45 can carry:
| n | red route |
| w | e-scooter 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 45 that case rests on:
- A traffic order creating the rank and its hours.
- Rank markings and a plate, both legible.
- That the vehicle stopped within the marked extent during those hours.
Where code 45 tickets go wrong
Plenty run evenings and weekends only. Compare the plate against the timestamp, minute by minute.
Ranks have a start and an end. Photograph your position against the markings.
Rank markings take constant traffic and fade quickly. Photograph the length of it.
Traffic, an emergency vehicle, or a pedestrian stepping out are all compelling reasons, and the video shows them.
What to gather before you write
- A photograph of the rank plate showing the hours.
- Photographs of the markings and where they begin and end.
- The complete footage if it was camera-enforced.
Code 45 questions, answered
I only stopped to let a passenger out. Surely that is allowed?
On a yellow line it usually would be, because those restrict waiting. A taxi rank restricts stopping, which is a stricter thing and catches even a brief halt. What is worth checking instead is whether the rank operates part-time, because a great many do, and whether you were inside the marked extent, because ranks have a defined start and end.
What does contravention code 45 mean?
Stopped on a taxi rank. In plain terms: Ranks are for licensed taxis and the restriction is on stopping rather than waiting. That distinction matters: even a brief halt to let a passenger out can be caught, where on a yellow line it would not be.
How much is a code 45 penalty?
Code 45 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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