Parked in a parking place for a purpose other than that designatedThe official national descriptor for code 95, 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 95 that case rests on:
- A designated purpose for that parking place, in the order.
- Signage conveying it.
- Evidence of what you were actually doing there, not merely an assumption.
Where code 95 tickets go wrong
The council has to show a purpose other than parking. If their case rests on a sticker in the window or a roof rack, ask what evidence they hold.
Station and hospital car parks restrict use to travellers, patients and visitors. If you were one, produce the ticket, appointment letter or receipt.
A purpose restriction that appears only in the order and nowhere on the ground is hard to enforce.
Some car parks expressly allow trading with a licence, or overnight lorry use in a marked area. Check what the order allows before accepting the allegation.
What to gather before you write
- Your train ticket, appointment letter, or receipt showing why you were there.
- A photograph of the signage stating the designated purpose.
- Anything showing what the vehicle was actually doing.
Code 95 questions, answered
I parked at the station car park but did not catch a train. Is that really a contravention?
It can be, because those car parks are usually designated for people using the station, and using one as general town parking falls outside that purpose. The practical question is what evidence the council has. If they are relying on the absence of a ticket, and you were meeting someone off a train or bought nothing because you had a season ticket, say so and produce what you can.
What does contravention code 95 mean?
Parked in a parking place for a purpose other than that designated. In plain terms: A catch-all for using a bay as something other than a place to leave a vehicle: trading from it, storing a trailer, leaving a car with a for sale sign, or using a station car park without travelling.
How much is a code 95 penalty?
Code 95 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.
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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