What to do when you get a ticket
The next 5 minutes are critical. Follow these steps and you'll have everything you need to beat your fine.
By the Beat It Editorial Team·Reviewed against POPLA Annual Reports, Traffic Penalty Tribunal decisions, POFA 2012, and TMA 2004·Last reviewed
Immediate actions — within 5 minutes
Don't panic
You have 28 days to appeal. There's no rush to pay or respond immediately.
DO NOT move your car yet
Photograph everything first. Once you drive away, you lose critical evidence.
Photograph the ticket
Front and back. Make sure every detail is legible.
Photograph all signs in the area
Every restriction sign visible from where you parked — close-up and wide. Distance shots count.
Photograph any broken or covered meters
If payment was impossible, you have grounds.
Photograph your vehicle's exact position
Show it relative to road markings, especially if lines are faded or absent.
Note the exact time
Your phone's metadata captures this automatically, but write it down too.
Check if signs are obscured, damaged, or missing
Overgrown vegetation, graffiti, broken fixings — all strong appeal grounds.
Photograph checklist
The PCN / ticket — both sides, all text legible
All signage within 50 metres of where you parked
Restriction signs — close-up and wide shot showing context
Yellow lines or road markings — any gaps or faded sections
Pay & display machine — especially if broken or out of order
Your vehicle in context — the full area around you
Any permit displayed — photographed inside the windscreen
All photos timestamped — GPS and time metadata is evidence
Why this matters
Councils must prove signage was adequate
Your photos can prove it wasn't. The burden of proof is on them, not you.
Faded lines or unclear signs
A strong appeal ground. If a reasonable person couldn't see the restriction, it's unenforceable.
A broken pay machine
Means you cannot be expected to pay. This is one of the strongest grounds for appeal.
ANPR camera errors
Disprove them with timestamp metadata — if your camera records a different time or location, that's direct evidence.
Types of ticket — what to look for
Council PCN — yellow/white ticket
Was it issued within 10 minutes of the alleged contravention?
Does it have your correct registration, date, time, and location?
Is the contravention code correct for the offence described?
Was the observation period respected? (5 mins for loading/unloading, 10 mins for others)
Private Parking Charge — white/red ticket
Is signage at the entry point clear and visible before you entered?
Was the charge amount clearly and prominently displayed?
Did you receive a Notice to Driver at the time of the alleged contravention?
Is the operator a member of an ATA (IPC or BPA)?
Private operators CANNOT clamp or tow — they can only send an invoice. You are not legally obliged to pay unless a court orders it.
What NOT to do
Don't pay immediately — you lose your right to formal appeal if you pay. Paying is an admission of liability.
Don't ignore it — unpaid tickets can escalate to debt collection and court action. Always respond.
Don't move your car before photographing everything — once gone, that evidence is gone.
Don't argue with enforcement officers — it's recorded and rarely helps. Stay calm, take your photos, leave.
Then what?
Come back to Beat It
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