Is a parking charge notice the same as a PCN?

No. Councils and TfL issue Penalty Charge Notices under their own regulations. Private operators issue Parking Charge Notices, and the hire route for those comes from PoFA Schedule 4.

Does the six-month rule apply to private parking?

No. Under PoFA a hire agreement can be of any duration.

What if the operator never sent a Notice to Keeper?

The Schedule 4 protection depends on a proper Notice to Keeper. Without one, naming the hirer is a voluntary step rather than the legal transfer.

Does this work in Scotland?

No. Keeper and hirer liability under PoFA covers England and Wales only.

Private parking charge on a hire car

General information for England, not legal advice. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and every notice is different. Always check the notice and the issuer's own guidance. Last reviewed 13 November 2026.

How the hire vehicle route works

Private operators such as ParkingEye, Euro Car Parks, UKPC and MET Parking send a Notice to Keeper: a letter to you as the registered keeper. Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA) lets a hire company pass the charge on. Once you send the right documents in time, the operator can't pursue you as keeper. It has 21 days to send a Notice to Hirer, with copies of your documents, and then deals with the hirer.

This route only works if the operator gave a proper Notice to Keeper. It covers England and Wales, not Scotland.

What the operator needs

A statement from you that the vehicle was on hire to a named person, signed by or for the company.
A copy of the hire agreement covering the date and time.
A statement of liability signed by the hirer, saying they are responsible for any parking charges during the hire, and giving an address for documents.
The hirer's name and address.

There is no six-month limit, and the Schedule 2 list of particulars used for council and TfL PCNs doesn't apply. A hire of any length counts.

The 28 days are strict

The documents must reach the operator within 28 days, starting the day after the Notice to Keeper was given. Sending on day 27 by a slow route can miss it.

Each operator does it differently

ParkingEye: an appeal as registered keeper, naming the hirer as the driver. Up to 5 files of 4 MB each, and evidence can't be added later.
Euro Car Parks: a change of liability form with type Hirer and one file upload, so the agreement and statement go in one PDF.
UKPC: "Transfer Liability" with the nominated party set to Hire & Lease. Files up to 10 MB each.
Parking Control Management: asks for a copy of the signed hire agreement, and files go up only after the final Send.
PPS: email or post only. It also asks for the make and model, operator number and car park location.

The government's new private parking code, published on 20 October 2026, says operators must provide a process for rental and leasing companies to transfer liability once it is in force.

Common reasons it goes wrong

Late documents, received after the 28 days.
No address in the hirer's statement, or an unsigned one.
Missing files. Some forms allow one file, or none after sending.
No proper Notice to Keeper. Without one, the Schedule 4 protection doesn't apply.

How PCN Flow handles private parking charges

You upload the notice. PCN Flow reads it with AI, finds the hire agreement covering the date and time, and checks the signed agreement, the liability clause or statement, and the hirer's name and address. It takes private parking charges on a hire of any length, and warns you when the notice isn't a Notice to Keeper. When you press Make Representation, it files on the issuer's website where it can, otherwise by email. Nothing goes by post. Then it tells the hirer in your company's name.

For airports, see airport drop-off charges. For every issuer, read transfer of liability, explained.

Private parking charge on a hire car: transferring it to the hirer