Parked with engine running where prohibitedThe official national descriptor for code 63, 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 63 that case rests on:
- That the engine was running while the vehicle was stationary.
- That the driver was asked to switch off.
- That the driver then refused, or failed to do so.
Where code 63 tickets go wrong
The request is normally the trigger for the penalty, not an optional courtesy. If no officer spoke to you, ask them to explain the basis on which the notice was issued.
Compliance ends the matter. If you turned the key and still received a notice, say exactly what was said and when.
A vehicle in traffic, a refrigeration unit, a lift or a defrost cycle on a cold morning are not idling in the ordinary sense.
Where the driver is absent there is nobody to ask, which raises a real question about how the procedure was followed.
Anti-idling penalties come from separate emissions regulations rather than a parking order, which is why the ask-first step exists. It is the first thing to check on any code 63.
What to gather before you write
- A note of exactly what the officer said and when, written down while it is fresh.
- Anything showing why the engine needed to run.
- The officer’s notes, which you can ask for.
Code 63 questions, answered
Nobody spoke to me before the ticket appeared. Is that a problem for them?
It is often decisive. Anti-idling penalties come from separate emissions regulations, and in the ordinary case an officer is expected to ask the driver to switch the engine off, with the penalty following only a refusal. If nobody asked, put that in the first line of your challenge and invite them to explain the basis on which the notice was issued.
What does contravention code 63 mean?
Parked with engine running where prohibited. In plain terms: Anti-idling enforcement. This one behaves differently from every other code on the list, because in the ordinary case an officer has to ask the driver to switch off first, and the penalty only follows if the driver refuses.
How much is a code 63 penalty?
Code 63 sits in the lower band, so it carries the cheaper of the two rates that council uses. Outside London that is commonly around £50; in London £110 in Band A or £90 in Band B. Half is normally taken off if you pay within 14 days, and your notice states the actual figures.
What is the difference between code 63 and code 96?
They describe the same behaviour in different places. Code 63 is used on-street; code 96 is the off-street version, issued in a council car park. The facts you would argue are the same, and only the location and the code on the notice change.
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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