How to appeal a West Sussex County Council PCN
West Sussex County Council enforces parking, bus-lane and (where designated) moving-traffic contraventions by issuing statutory Penalty Charge Notices under the Traffic Management Act 2004. Most West Sussex County Council PCNs turn on whether the contravention actually occurred and whether the signs and road markings clearly indicated the restriction. A rejected appeal can be taken - free - to an independent adjudicator at Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
Council facts last verified
Just want to pay, view or manage your PCN?
Paying, viewing and managing a PCN are all handled on West Sussex County Council's own website, not here - pay or manage your PCN on the official West Sussex County Council site →
Want to appeal it?
You're in the right place - here's how ↓
Work out your exact dates with the free PCN discount & deadline calculator.
- Council
- West Sussex County Council
- Area
- England (outside London)
- Type of notice
- Statutory PCN (Traffic Management Act 2004)
- Penalty charge
- £70 at the higher level or £50 at the lower level, halved to £35 / £25 if you pay within 14 days.
Source: West Sussex County Council · 2024 · verified
- Discount window
- Pay/challenge within 14 days to keep the 50% discount - or 21 days if the PCN was posted to you from camera evidence
- Formal stage
- Notice to Owner → 28 days to make representations
- What it enforces
- It does not enforce bus lane or moving-traffic contraventions.
Source: West Sussex County Council · 2026 · verified
- Appeal outcomes
- TPT lists the West Sussex district councils (Chichester, Horsham, Crawley, Worthing, Arun, Adur, Mid Sussex) separately rather than West Sussex County Council, so no county-level figure is published.
Source: Traffic Penalty Tribunal · checked · verified
- Independent tribunal
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal · official site ↗
- Challenge your PCN
- www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/parking/civil-parking-enforcement-cpe/#challenge-a-pcn
This is the county council's own page, but it does not process challenges: 'All correspondence relating to a PCN should be directed to the district or borough council that issued it.' The page links out to Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Worthing for paying/appealing.
Source: West Sussex County Council - “Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) - West Sussex County Council” · official channel · verified
The exact challenge channel and reference for your PCN are printed on the notice - always use those and mind the deadlines. Time limits and the discount are set by statute and apply nationally; the council just administers them. Charges and enforcement powers change - each figure above shows the date we last checked it against the official source.
What a West Sussex County Council PCN costs
£70 at the higher level or £50 at the lower level, halved to £35 / £25 if you pay within 14 days.
Posted on camera evidence? The discount window is 21 days, not 14.
How West Sussex County Council PCN appeals actually go
TPT lists the West Sussex district councils (Chichester, Horsham, Crawley, Worthing, Arun, Adur, Mid Sussex) separately rather than West Sussex County Council, so no county-level figure is published. What is known is that appealing to Traffic Penalty Tribunal is free, the adjudicator is independent of the council, and you do not have to pay the penalty before appealing.
Grounds for challenging a West Sussex County Council PCN
- The contravention did not occur - you were parked correctly, had a valid ticket or permit, or the restriction did not apply then.
- The signs or road markings were missing, unclear or did not comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations, or the traffic order is invalid.
- A procedural error - the PCN or Notice to Owner was defective, late or wrongly worded.
- You were not the keeper at the time, or the vehicle was taken without consent.
- An exemption applied (Blue Badge, loading/unloading), the penalty was the wrong amount, or there are compelling reasons to cancel.
How to appeal, step by step
- 1
Challenge West Sussex County Council within 14 days
Send an informal challenge with your ground and evidence (photos, permit, receipt) - acting early protects the 50% discount.
- 2
Respond to any Notice to Owner
If rejected, West Sussex County Council serves a Notice to Owner; make formal representations on a statutory ground within 28 days.
- 3
Appeal to Traffic Penalty Tribunal if rejected again
The appeal to Traffic Penalty Tribunal is free and independent, and you do not pay the penalty first.
West Sussex County Council PCN appeals - frequently asked questions
How much is a West Sussex County Council PCN?
£70 at the higher level or £50 at the lower level, halved to £35 / £25 if you pay within 14 days. Source: West Sussex County Council, 2024 (we last checked this on 2026-08-07).
What percentage of West Sussex County Council PCN appeals succeed?
TPT lists the West Sussex district councils (Chichester, Horsham, Crawley, Worthing, Arun, Adur, Mid Sussex) separately rather than West Sussex County Council, so no county-level figure is published. What is known is that appealing to Traffic Penalty Tribunal is free, the adjudicator is independent of the council, and you do not have to pay the penalty before appealing.
Does West Sussex County Council enforce bus lanes and moving-traffic contraventions?
It does not enforce bus lane or moving-traffic contraventions.
How long do I have to challenge a West Sussex County Council PCN?
Make an informal challenge as soon as possible. If you pay within 14 days you usually get the 50% discount, and most councils freeze the discount while they consider an early challenge. If West Sussex County Council rejects your informal challenge it will normally issue a formal Notice to Owner, and you then have 28 days to make formal representations.
What happens if West Sussex County Council rejects my appeal?
If West Sussex County Council rejects your formal representations it issues a Notice of Rejection, which must tell you how to appeal to an independent adjudicator at Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The adjudicator is free to use and independent of the council - you do not have to pay the penalty before appealing to the tribunal.
Common contravention codes on a West Sussex County Council PCN
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Related reading
Got a charge from a private car park instead? See our guides by parking operator and by appeal reason.
Sources
- 1.Penalty charge - West Sussex County Council (2024), last checked .
- 2.Appeal outcomes - Traffic Penalty Tribunal (checked), last checked .
- 3.Enforcement powers - West Sussex County Council (2026), last checked .
Not legal advice. A council PCN is a statutory penalty - never ignore it; use the channel and deadlines printed on your notice.