Government data analysed by the RAC has found that private car parks issued 14.4 million parking tickets in the year to March 2025, the highest number ever.
Total revenue from parking tickets could be as high as £1.4bn, unless drivers pay at a reduced rate, or successfully appeal.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC said: “Sadly, our prediction earlier this year that private parking companies were on course to issue around 14.5m tickets to drivers for alleged contraventions has come true.
“This is more than double the number issued six years ago before the Government passed an Act of Parliament intended to clamp down on the dubious practices of too many private parking operators.
“Unfortunately, the government-backed code is still not in force which means drivers don’t have the protection it was intended to provide.
“As it is, too many unfair tickets are still being handed out by operators who haven’t been forced to adhere to stricter rules and too many drivers are still being hounded by debt collection companies.”
The number of tickets issued doubled since 2018-19, when 6,808,344 tickets were issued.
An average of 39,375 tickets were issued per day by private car parks.
The Private Parking Code of Practice intended to scrutinise private parking companies more closely, however this was withdrawn in 2022, following legal action by debt recovery and private parking companies.
Williams said: “We still don’t have a single, truly independent appeals service that drivers can go to if their initial appeal to the operator concerned is rejected.
“We don’t believe the parking industry’s argument that PCNs are only at record levels purely because they’re managing more car parks.
“We urge the Government to ensure the official code is launched this year with all the protection it was intended to have so that we don’t see these figures go even higher in the future.”
