A commercial vehicle parked in a restricted street in contravention of the Overnight Waiting BanThe official national descriptor for code 55, 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 55 that case rests on:
- An order imposing the ban on that street, with its hours.
- That your vehicle is a commercial vehicle above the threshold the ban uses.
- That it was there during the banned hours.
Where code 55 tickets go wrong
These bans usually bite above a stated weight. A large van is often outside it. Produce the plated weight.
A motorhome or a converted van may not be commercial for these purposes, whatever it looks like.
Bans typically run overnight and at weekends. Compare the notice time against the plate.
Loading, or a driver taking a legally required rest period, can be exempt. Produce the tachograph or the job sheet.
What to gather before you write
- The plated gross weight and the V5C.
- Tachograph or working time records if a rest period is the reason.
- A photograph of the street signage stating the ban and its hours.
Code 55 questions, answered
My van is 3.5 tonnes. Does the overnight lorry ban apply to me?
Usually not. These bans bite above a stated weight, and the threshold is normally well above a standard van. Get the plated gross weight from the door pillar or the V5C and set it against the wording of the ban. If you are under it, that answers the notice outright, and it is worth leading with.
What does contravention code 55 mean?
A commercial vehicle parked in a restricted street in contravention of the Overnight Waiting Ban. In plain terms: The overnight waiting ban keeps heavy commercial vehicles off residential streets at night. It runs on its own hours and its own weight threshold, and both are worth checking before you accept the notice.
How much is a code 55 penalty?
Code 55 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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