Private parking firms could issue record 17.5 million penalties as government delays crackdown

Private parking firms could issue a record 17.5 million penalty notices to motorists this year as the UK government delays a planned crackdown on so-called parking “cowboys,” according to an industry analysis and critics of current enforcement practices.

The number is based on an examination of requests made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for vehicle keeper details by private operators. Between April and June 2025 private firms lodged 4.3 million such requests — an average of roughly 2,000 requests per hour — and last year private operators pursued about 14.4 million motorists, the analysis found. Penalties can be as high as £100 each; at current rates the daily cost to motorists could approach £5 million.

The figures apply only to private car parks and not to council-run parking, and reflect a growth in the number of private sites and firms seeking to recover alleged breaches. About 180 companies requested keeper records from the DVLA between April and June 2025, with ParkingEye recorded as the most active, requesting 668,000 records in that period.

Ministers face renewed calls from motoring groups and some consumer campaigners to tighten regulation of private parking operators after proposals from the previous government — including a ban on debt collectors pursuing motorists for private parking debts — were signalled to be dropped. Labour, which took office last year, has delayed consultations on a new code of practice, a decision campaigners link to the resignation in July of the former local government secretary, Angela Rayner. Officials have said consultations remain under consideration.

The government has proposed a £20 “mitigation” fee for motorists who cannot prove their innocence in disputed cases but where the operator also cannot prove a breach; critics say the charge amounts to an unfair settlement that benefits private operators. Motoring groups argue that such fees should be waived when drivers make genuine mistakes or where operators cannot demonstrate a breach, for example if a pay machine is out of order or poor phone signal prevents payment.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said some firms "are acting aggressively and seem to be targeting drivers." Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said private parking management "is essentially a one-way street to big profits," and noted private equity interest in the sector.

The British Parking Association, which represents many in the industry, said it was important to recognise that "99.6 per cent of [parking] visits do not result in a charge." The association and some operators have said that legitimate enforcement is necessary to manage private sites and deter misuse by drivers.

Consumer groups and opposition politicians have urged ministers to press ahead with stronger controls, including clearer signage standards, limits on charges and tighter rules on how and when operators can access keeper details and pursue debt collection. Industry growth and consolidation, they say, make regulation more pressing for motorists already coping with wider cost-of-living pressures.

Officials in the Department for Levelling Up and other departments were asked for comment on the analysis and the timetable for consultations but had not issued a full response by publication. Parliament and consumer groups are likely to continue pushing for clarity on next steps as the number of private parking enforcement actions rises.