A record number of tickets were quashed after being referred to Britain’s biggest private parking adjudicator last year amid growing anger at ‘cowboy’ operators.
Figures obtained by the Daily Mail show drivers launched at least 107,202 appeals against tickets issued by scores of private parking firms in 2025.
This was a 40 per cent jump from 76,292 in 2022 and the first time appeals dealt with by an official adjudicator hit six figures.
Staggeringly, half (54,100) were quashed – up from 34,635 in 2022 and another record.
Of these, parking firms chose not to contest 40,000 cases.
The total number of appeals launched will be much higher as some are dealt with by the parking firms before being escalated to the adjudicator by drivers if they are rejected.
But it suggests the army of wardens employed by ruthless firms, which have ballooned in number over recent years, are wrongly issuing tickets as much as 50 per cent of the time, accounting for potentially hundreds of thousands.
The most common reasons for appealing were vague or confusing signage in car parks, payment problems and operators shifting the goal posts in how they apply the rules.
Drivers launched at least 107,202 appeals against tickets issued by scores of private parking firms in 2025
Half of tickets were quashed on appeal last year, suggesting tens of thousands are being wrongly issued
Confusing or poor signage and problems with being able to pay were among the top reasons drivers appealed against tickets
The figures relate to tickets issued by private operators and do not include councils.
Motoring groups said it showed some firms were out of control and called on Labour to stop foot-dragging over a long-awaited code of practice aimed at stamping out rogue ticketing.
They also urged drivers to challenge operators when they believe they’re in the right because the vast majority don’t.
The RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said: ‘While it’s positive so many appeals have been upheld, it’s really concerning that so many tickets were wrongly issued in the first place, causing drivers so much unnecessary stress.
‘We badly need the Government-backed private parking code of practice to finally be brought into force to protect drivers.’
The AA’s Jack Cousens said: ‘While around half of drivers successfully won their appeal, many drivers simply pay up when they receive a letter, even when they know they’ve done nothing wrong.
‘These figures only highlight the urgent need for the parking code of conduct.’
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: ‘You have to ask why parking firms decided not to contest an astonishing 40,000 appeals.
‘Are there tens of thousands of cases where they know the evidence won’t stand up to scrutiny? If so, why were those tickets issued in the first place?
‘Drivers should think hard about appealing if they believe they are in the right – this shows that thousands who did so won their case.’
The figures relate to the number of appeals dealt with by the Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) service.
This is the official adjudicator for firms which are members of the British Parking Association, the country’s largest industry body with more than 800 members.
If a parking firm rejects an appeal, drivers can refer it to POPLA.
Ed Dodman, Interim CEO for Trust Alliance Group, which delivers the POPLA service, said: ‘Last year was a significant year for POPLA, with more motorists than ever turning to us when they felt a parking charge had been issued unfairly…Parking charges can be an emotive issue for drivers, so it’s vital that they have access to an independent review when they believe a charge is incorrect.
‘The high number of appeals shows the important role that independent redress plays in giving drivers confidence that their case will be considered fairly.’
Another body, the International Parking Community, is governed by a different adjudicator but is much smaller so the majority of drivers receive tickets from BPA members.
Tickets being issued by private firms continue to surge every year and they are currently slapping drivers with around 2,000 an hour on average.
Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total daily cost to drivers is currently up to nearly £5million.
While Labour has announced plans for a parking ‘Code of Practice’ aimed at cracking down on ‘cowboy’ firms, it has been accused of dragging its feet after putting it out to consultation.
Motoring groups have also criticised the proposals for being too soft.
A Bill to enable the introduction of a new code received royal assent in March 2019, but one is yet to be launched.
Alison Tooze, of the BPA, said: ‘The figures also show that just 0.64 per cent of parking charges issued last year progressed to a second‑stage appeal at POPLA, with a majority of parking charges being paid and the remainder resolved by operators at the initial appeals stage.
‘Of those that did reach this stage, around half were cancelled.’
A spokesman for the Communities department said: ‘Motorists must be protected when using private car parks.
‘That’s why we’re bringing in a strong parking Code of Practice as quickly as we can to create a fairer system and drive up standards across the industry.’
