Incorrect Vehicle Details on PCN
Summary
A parking charge notice must correctly identify the vehicle. Where the PCN contains an error — wrong registration number, wrong make or model, wrong colour — it is fundamentally defective. Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 requires correct vehicle identification as part of the mandatory notice content. POFA Schedule 4, Paragraph 7(2) lists the specific information a notice to driver must contain, including the vehicle. An incorrect registration means the operator cannot prove the notice relates to your vehicle. Success rate is approximately 85% where the error is clearly documented.
Legal Basis
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4, Paragraph 7(2): the Notice to Driver must specify 'the vehicle.' General procedural fairness: a PCN that fails to correctly identify the vehicle is fundamentally defective and cannot be enforced. A charge issued against the wrong vehicle cannot give rise to a lawful claim against the registered keeper of a different vehicle.
When This Defense Applies
This defense applies where any of the following are wrong on the PCN: the vehicle registration number (including transposed characters); the vehicle make or model; the vehicle colour. ANPR misreads are the most common cause — partial plate captures where a character is similar to another (0/O, 1/I, B/8) can lead to a notice being issued against a completely different vehicle. Check every detail on the PCN against your V5C.
Evidence Required
Simple but important to document properly:
- Photo of the PCN clearly showing the incorrect detail
- V5C or DVLA check showing your correct vehicle registration, make, model, and colour
- Request the ANPR photographic evidence — if the photo shows a different vehicle, this is conclusive
Win Rate
Approximately 85% success rate where the vehicle detail error is clearly documented. One of the highest-success technical defenses because it goes to the fundamental question of whether the notice was ever validly issued for your vehicle.
Operator-Specific Patterns
Smart Parking: Known for ANPR misreads — partial plate captures leading to wrong vehicle identification. Characters most commonly misread: 0/O, 1/I, B/8, S/5. If your registration contains these characters, check the captured plate on any ANPR image against your registration character by character.
Sources
- Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4, Paragraph 7
- General procedural fairness principles
Frequently Asked Questions
- My registration is correct but the make/model is wrong — does that matter?
- Yes. The notice must correctly identify the vehicle. While a wrong make/model may seem minor, it is evidence the notice was not properly prepared and potentially that the ANPR matched a different vehicle. Raise it — combined with a request for the ANPR image, it may reveal the notice was intended for a different vehicle.
- The registration on the PCN is my plate but with one character wrong — is that enough?
- Yes. One transposed character means the PCN was issued to a different registration. It cannot be enforced against you as the keeper of a different vehicle. Submit your V5C as evidence of your correct registration.
- Can the operator correct the error and reissue the PCN?
- In principle an operator could issue a fresh PCN, but they would need to be within time limits and re-serve notices correctly. If the original notice period has expired, a fresh PCN may also be out of time. Raise the defect now — do not wait.
- I need the ANPR image to prove the error — how do I get it?
- Submit a Subject Access Request under GDPR to the parking operator requesting all personal data including ANPR images associated with the notice. This is free and they must respond within 30 days. The ANPR image will show the actual plate captured.
Related
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