Parked in a restricted area in an off-street car park or housing estateThe official national descriptor for code 81, 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: 81o rather than just 81. The letter narrows the allegation, and it tells you what the council actually says went wrong. These are the suffixes code 81 can carry:
| o | blue badge holder |
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 81 that case rests on:
- An order or, on an estate, the landlord’s scheme covering that area.
- Markings or signs identifying the area as restricted.
- That the vehicle stood within it.
Where code 81 tickets go wrong
Hatching wears away faster than bay lines because vehicles turn on it. Photograph the whole area, including the parts where the paint has gone.
A sign at the barrier does not tell a driver which patch of tarmac forty metres in is restricted. Say where you parked relative to the nearest sign.
Access ways in particular often permit brief stops. Ask what the scheme actually prohibits rather than accepting the label.
Estate enforcement runs on different footing from a council car park, sometimes on landlord powers rather than a traffic order. Ask them to state which they are relying on.
What to gather before you write
- Wide photographs showing the markings and their condition.
- A photograph of the nearest sign and how far it was from your vehicle.
- Your tenancy or permit documents if this is your own estate.
Code 81 questions, answered
The hatched area had almost no paint left. Does that help?
It is usually the whole case. A restricted area inside a car park or an estate is defined by what is on the ground, because there is rarely a sign at the spot itself. If the hatching has worn to a shadow, photograph the full area rather than just beside your car, so the extent of the wear is obvious, and ask the council when it was last repainted.
What does contravention code 81 mean?
Parked in a restricted area in an off-street car park or housing estate. In plain terms: Hatched areas, fire lanes, turning heads, bin stores and access ways inside council car parks and housing estates. The restriction is usually painted on the ground rather than signed at eye level, which is why drivers miss it.
How much is a code 81 penalty?
Code 81 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.
Other codes
01 02 05 06 12 14 16 19 21 23 24 25 26 27 30 40 46 47 62 99 04 07 08 09 10 11 20 22 35 29 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 50 51 52 53 54 81 89 92 93 95 28 41 42 43 45 48 49 55 56 57 63 18 61 58 59 67 68 All codes →