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Council PCNs · Moving traffic

Moving traffic PCN: should you have had a warning?

Councils across England now use cameras to fine drivers for box junctions, banned turns and no-entry signs. If the camera was new, you may have been due a warning notice instead of a £70 PCN. Check your dates below, then see how to challenge it.

Warning notice checker

Only councils with moving-traffic powers are listed.

The council’s camera-location list, a local news story or a sign.

As shown on the PCN.

Guidance read on gov.uk on . Your dates never leave your browser.

The six-month warning rule

“for a period of 6 months following implementation of enforcement of moving traffic contraventions, at each particular camera location, local authorities outside London should issue warning notices for first-time moving traffic contraventions. This also applies to any new camera location in the future.”
“Warning notices should be issued in respect of new restrictions, for example at new junctions and new (or major changes to) road layouts, or existing restrictions, such as a long-established box junction, being civilly enforced by camera for the first time.”

So the clock runs per camera, not per council: a camera added in 2026 gets its own six months even if the council has enforced elsewhere for years. The guidance says “should”, so it doesn't cancel a PCN automatically, but a council that ignored it should explain why. Read the DfT guidance.

Councils that enforce moving traffic

From each council's own published facts on our council pages. SI 2025/1181 (Moving Traffic Contraventions Designation Order 2025), in force from 9 December 2025, added eight councils; a designation means the council can enforce, and each still has to install cameras before any PCN is issued.

England outside London (49)

London (29)

Wales (1)

Not listed? We haven't confirmed that council's moving-traffic powers from its own pages yet. Check the council guides.

Moving traffic contravention codes

The code on your PCN tells you what the council says you did.

31 · yellow box junction fine29 · drove the wrong way50 · banned turn51 · drove past no entry52 · restricted vehicle type53 · pedestrian zone32 · wrong way past a blue arrow sign33 · bus gate fine37 · give way to oncoming vehicles38 · keep left / keep right sign

How to challenge a moving traffic PCN

  1. Watch the footage. Most councils let you view the camera video online. Check the signs, the box junction exit and whether you actually stopped.
  2. Decide inside the discount window. A posted PCN is halved if paid within 21 days.
  3. Make formal representations within 28 days of the PCN being served. Include the warning-notice point if it applies.
  4. Appeal to the tribunal within 28 days if the council rejects you. It's free and independent of the council.

In London, moving traffic PCNs are issued under separate London legislation. See also bus lane fines, TfL PCNs and our moving traffic appeal guide.

Challenge your moving traffic PCN

AppealIQ writes formal representations to the council in seconds. Mention the warning-notice point in your details and it is built into the letter, alongside the grounds that fit your code.

1 free letter every month, then £2.99 per extra letter — no subscription. See pricing

Frequently asked questions

What is a moving traffic PCN?
A council Penalty Charge Notice for how a vehicle was driven rather than where it was parked: stopping in a yellow box junction, a banned turn, ignoring a no-entry sign, driving through a pedestrian or restricted zone, or going the wrong way on a one-way street. They are almost always camera-enforced and posted to the registered keeper.
Should I have got a warning letter instead of a fine?
Possibly. Department for Transport statutory guidance says councils outside London should issue a warning notice for a first moving traffic contravention at each camera location during its first 6 months. If your PCN came within that window and it was your first time there, say so in your challenge. It is guidance, not a regulation, so the council decides.
How much is a moving traffic PCN?
Outside London it is usually £70, halved to £35 if you pay within 21 days of a posted PCN. In London it is £160 (Band A) or £140 (Band B), also halved for early payment.
Which councils can issue moving traffic PCNs?
London boroughs (under London legislation), and councils elsewhere in England that the Secretary of State has designated. SI 2025/1181 (Moving Traffic Contraventions Designation Order 2025) added eight councils from 9 December 2025. The list on this page is drawn from each council's own published facts.
How long do I have to challenge a moving traffic PCN?
A camera PCN is posted, so there is no Notice to Owner stage: you make formal representations to the council within 28 days of the PCN being served. If the council rejects them, you can appeal free to the tribunal within 28 days.
Is a bus lane PCN a moving traffic PCN?
Not for the warning-notice rule. Bus lanes are enforced under separate powers, and the six-month warning notice covers moving traffic contraventions only. See our bus lane guide for those.

General information, not legal advice.

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