Unless you have a disabled parking permit (see related question for full details of disabled parking scheme) you are not permitted to park on double yellow lines at any time, the restrictions apply 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year.
You could face a fine if you park illegally or you could even have your car towed away.
There are restrictions on each specific sign that will identify the times when you cannot park there, generally 0800hrs -1800hrs but check the sign prior to parking.
You could face a fine if you park illegally or you could even have your car towed away
Between sunset and sunrise all motor vehicles parked on a road must be parked with the nearside of the vehicle as near to the kerb as possible and the vehicle cannot be parked within 10m of a junction.
There are exceptions:
A heavy goods vehicle (over 7.5 tonnes) must be lit and must not cause an obstruction if parked on a road during the hours of darkness.
Failure to comply with these rules will lead to a fixed penalty notice being issued.
The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 bans pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs, with certain exceptions and exemptions designated by local authorities. The Parking Prohibitions (Enforcement and Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 came into force on 11 December 2023. This secondary legislation gives local authorities enforcement powers to implement the Act by issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCN).
Parking a vehicle on a pavement may also be causing an obstruction or danger for which the owner might be liable to prosecution by the Police.
There are many rules regarding parking with blue badges and this is only to be used as a guide, not a definitive list.
YOU CAN PARK
• Parking free of charge and without time limit at parking meters on-street and "pay and display" on-street parking. In some instances exemptions from time limits imposed on other users;
• Scotland - Parking on single or double yellow lines without any time limit, providing that no obstruction is caused;
• England and Wales - Parking on single or double yellow lines for up to 3 hours, providing that no obstruction is caused;
• Parking in greenways out-with times of operation;
• You should make every attempt to park in marked disabled bays, on-street parking bays or where there are no restrictions, with parking on single or double yellow line only utilised as a last resort.
PARKING RESTRICTIONS
• In Scotland and Northern Ireland, there is no time restriction on parking for badge holders, unless local restrictions apply;
• In England and Wales you will need a parking clock which must be displayed every time you park on yellow lines or in other places where there is a time restriction. The clock should be set to show the time of arrival;
• Badge holders living in Scotland who intend to visit England or Wales should apply to their council for the loan of a parking clock which can be used for the duration of their stay.
PLACES WHERE YOU CANNOT PARK
• Places where a ban on loading is in force, normally indicated by one or two yellow marks on the kerb. Roadside signs display times of operation for loading bays; some allow specific time limits for badge holders;
• Parking places reserved for specific users such as resident's bays. Always check whether badge holders are exempt from these restrictions;
• Pedestrian crossings (including zebra, pelican, toucan and puffin crossings), including areas marked with zigzag lines;
• Clearways (no stopping);
• A bus stop during hours of operation;
• Double or single red lines during their hours of operation;
• An urban clearway within its hours of operation. You may pick up or drop off passengers. All parking is forbidden;
• School "KEEP CLEAR" markings during the hours shown on the yellow no-stopping plate;
• Bus, tram or cycle lanes or cycle tracks. Badge holders are not entitled to drive in bus lanes during their hours of operation;
• Where there are double white lines in the centre of the road (even if one of the lines is broken);
• Suspended meter bays or when use of the meter is not allowed;
• Where temporary parking restrictions are in force along a length of road, e.g. as indicated by no-waiting cones.
When parking using a blue badge, it is important to park carefully and thoughtfully, giving thought to other road users. For example, when parking on single or double yellow lines, do not park your vehicle where it will cause an obstruction or hold up traffic.
Please note that the blue badge scheme is not in force in Central London, including; the City of London, the City of Westminster, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and that part of the London Borough of Camden bounded by and including Euston Road, Upper Woburn Place, Tavistock Square, Woburn Place, Russell Square, Southampton Road, Theobalds Road and Clerkenwell Road. They do offer some concessions for disabled drivers and these usually consist of parking spaces reserved for blue badge holders.
For full details on the blue badge scheme, please see the Related Information for the website.
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A parking permit should be available from the police. It is usually the traffic wardens who have such permits. The permit will enable vehicles to park in areas where vehicles are not normally permitted.
If the vehicle is blocking access to your driveway then you should first make enquiries with the neighbours to see if they know whom the car belongs to. If no one knows, then you should contact the police who will attend to the matter as soon as they are able.
It is illegal to clamp cars in Scotland as this is viewed as extortion or theft. You should report this to the police.
Only the DVLA or the police can legally clamp cars in Scotland.
It is now the responsibility of the council to enforce parking issues in most council areas throughout Scotland. It is always best to report any parking matters to your local parking warden in the first instance.
Most parking issues are now dealt with by council parking wardens and not the police as it is now decriminalised. In the first instance you should contact the council parking wardens.
Yes, as long as it does not cause an obstruction. When parking your caravan try and park it as considerately as possible for other residents in the street.
Also the caravan MUST be lit at night if it is parked on a road.
Any motor vehicle that is on a public road is required to display the registration plates. Covering the vehicle could prevent them from being seen and this could be an offence.
It would not be illegal to cover the vehicle as long as the registration plates could be seen. Clear plastic panels could be used in the appropriate places to enable the registration plates to be visible.
Not necessarily.
It depends on how worn the lines are and if they are still visible. If the wear and tear is slight then the courts would probably say that it is so minimal as not to make a difference to the legality of the lines.
If the damage is more severe then it would be ultimately for the courts to decide on whether it would affect the legality of the lines. If in doubt, don't take the risk and find somewhere else to park.
If you do get a ticket and feel it is unfair, make sure you take clear, detailed photographs of the location and the associated parking signs relating to the lines. If it is a ticket issued by the local authority, there is an appeals procedure. Use the contact details on the ticket to get further details.
This will depend on the circumstances. We would suggest you contact the following agencies:
If you rent the land, we would suggest that you speak to the landlord/council with a view to them taking action. If you own the land, you could consider employing a private parking company to issue parking tickets. However, practically speaking, using the law to deal with unauthorised vehicles that are parked on private land can be both time consuming and expensive. Usually, it is far more practical to take steps to restrict access using gates/barriers/fencing etc., to ensure that only those who are entitled to enter gain access. If the gates/barriers/fencing are damaged, then it may be possible to take action against those responsible for the offence of criminal damage.
From 11th June 2018, the law will change to allow drivers to use remote control parking (RCP) systems triggered either by a mobile phone or other device to park their vehicle without committing an offence in relation to existing legislation that controls the use of mobile phones whilst driving. However, this will only be allowed where:
(i) there is continuous activation of the remote control application of the telephone or device by the driver;
(ii) the signal between the motor vehicle and the telephone or the motor vehicle and the device, as appropriate, is maintained; and
(iii) the distance between the motor vehicle and the telephone or the motor vehicle and the device, as appropriate, is not more than 6 metres.
Additionally, the Highway Code will also be updated to reflect the changes.
