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Car parking fines: Excess Charge Notices

We issue car parking fines, called Excess Charge Notices (ECNs), when you have not followed the conditions of use in a council car park.

ECNs are different to Penalty Charge Notices. 

Scammers may send fake text messages claiming you owe fines or penalties for parking. These messages often include links that can steal your personal or financial information.

To find out how to identify them and what to do, view fake PCN text messages which also apply to ECNs.

Why you may have got an ECN

ECNs are most commonly issued due to:

  • Failure to display a valid parking ticket
  • Parking outwith a marked bay
  • Not displaying a valid Blue Badge

Please make sure you get and display the correct ticket, display your Blue Badge if you have one and always park within the marked bays.

For full conditions of use, please view our Off Street Parking Orders.

Penalties

There are different payment scales and the quicker you act, the less you pay.

If a fine is issued for wrongfully parking in a disabled bay the full payment applies and no reduced payment rates are available.

Instant payment

The fine will be reduced to £26 if payment is made within 24 hours of the issue date shown on your ECN. There is no course of appeal if you choose this payment option.

Discount payment

The fine will be reduced to £52 if payment is made after 24 hours of issue date shown on your ECN, but within 14 days of the issue date.

Full payment

The full fine amount of £78 will be payable if you don't make payment within 14 days of the issue date shown on your ECN.

How to pay

There are different ways you can pay your car parking fine. For all payment options view details on the ECN.

To pay online you will need to have your ECN reference and your vehicle registration handy. You will need to provide your name, address and card details for the online payment.

Pay parking fines online

If you have difficulty making payment please contact us by phone on 01467 536060 or email parkingteam@aberdeenshire.gov.uk. 

How to appeal

You can appeal a parking fine if you believe you have not breached the car park conditions. Before making an appeal, you can review the valid and invalid reasons guidance (PDF 100KB).

Please note:

  • Appeals must be received within 14 days of the issue date on the fine
  • If an ECN is paid, any appeal regarding that fine will not be considered
  • If you appeal an ECN, the discounted payment rate will remain available for 14 days after the appeal decision is issued
  • Appeals can't be made by telephone or in person
  • Car Park Operatives can't cancel or revoke an ECN once issued

You will need to provide the ECN reference, vehicle registration, name, address, email, reasons for your appeal and any supporting evidence. 

Supporting evidence can include: 

  • Photographs (signs, bay markings, ticket or permit, machine screens)
  • Receipts or transaction confirmations (cashless parking, card payment attempts)
  • Permits or tickets (including the date, time and location where possible)
  • Breakdown or recovery confirmation
  • Crime reference number
  • Clear timeline of what happened

Appeal a fine online

If you have difficulty appealing online please contact us by phone on 01467 536060 or email parkingteam@aberdeenshire.gov.uk. 

Processing an appeal

We will review any photographic or body worn camera evidence when assessing an appeal. We will also examine any evidence you have provided.

If it is found that our staff have been subjected to verbal or physical abuse your ticket will not be cancelled. We will not cancel an ECN where false allegations or inaccurate information has been provided.

We will let you know the outcome of your appeal within 20 working days.

If we don't cancel the ECN, we will explain why and advise you of any further options available, including any relevant timescales for payment or escalation.

What happens if you don't pay

Ignoring an ECN will not cancel the charge and may result in increased costs.

If you don't pay or appeal the ECN within 28 days, the council may request the registered keeper details from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). A letter will then be sent to the registered keeper requesting payment of the outstanding charge.

If the charge remains unpaid, the case may be passed to the council's Legal and Governance Service for recovery action. This may include:

  • Registering the unpaid charge as a civil debt
  • Recovery action by sheriff officers
  • Additional recovery costs being added