Failing to comply with a no entry restrictionThe official national descriptor for code 51, 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: 51j rather than just 51. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 51 can carry:
| j | camera 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 51 that case rests on:
- The prescribed no entry sign, correctly sited on the approach.
- A traffic order behind it.
- That the vehicle passed the sign.
Where code 51 tickets go wrong
A tree in leaf, scaffolding, a high-sided vehicle parked in front of it. Photograph the approach at the same time of year if you can.
Works traffic management, a diversion or an officer directing traffic. Look for the works notice and note the contractor.
Where the footage shows you realised and backed out, that is worth putting in front of them, especially at the first stage.
Some no entry orders exempt cycles, buses or access. Ask for the order rather than relying on the sign.
What to gather before you write
- Photographs of the sign from the approach, at driving height.
- The complete video.
- Any evidence of works or diversion on that date.
Code 51 questions, answered
I realised straight away and reversed back out. Does that help?
It helps at the first stage more often than people expect, particularly with a council that reviews challenges properly. Technically the contravention is passing the sign, so reversing out does not undo it. But it goes to how the council exercises its discretion, and the video showing you stop and back out immediately makes a considerable difference to how the case reads.
What does contravention code 51 mean?
Failing to comply with a no entry restriction. In plain terms: The red circle with the white bar. It is one of the clearest signs on the road, so the appeal here is rarely about whether you knew, and almost always about whether you could see it in time or had any choice.
How much is a code 51 penalty?
Code 51 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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