Found a PCN with Code 05 on it? Here is exactly what it means, what the officer checked before issuing it, whether your car can be towed for it, and when an appeal is actually worth making.
What probably happened
Your pay & display ticket or RingGo session had expired by more than 5 minutes when the enforcement officer checked your vehicle.
What the officer checks before issuing a Code 05
- A PCN is issued 5 minutes after the expiry shown on your ticket or app session.
- You cannot extend beyond a maximum stay by buying additional time.
- RingGo sessions are checked electronically — the enforcement officer does not need to see your phone.
Can you appeal a Code 05?
Most Code 05 tickets are correctly issued. These are the grounds that can win:
- Your ticket or RingGo session genuinely covered the time on the PCN — check your app history or bank statement for the session.
- You held a valid permit or Blue Badge that covered the bay.
- The PCN details are wrong — the registration, street, date, time or code does not match what actually happened.
- The officer’s evidence photos (viewable online from the day after issue) do not clearly show the contravention.
Not sure if yours is worth fighting?
Send me your Code 05 ticket and photos. I will read it personally and tell you straight: pay it while it is £50, or challenge it — and on exactly which grounds. The verdict is free.
Get a free verdict on my ticket →Paying or challenging a Code 05
You have 14 days to pay the reduced £50. Before deciding, look at the evidence photos on the council’s online PCN viewer (ED plus 8 digits, from the day after issue). If you are challenging, do it inside those 14 days and do not pay — paying closes the case. My Edinburgh parking ticket guide walks through paying, the challenge stages and the independent tribunal.
Common questions about Code 05
How much is a Code 05 parking ticket in Edinburgh?
£100, reduced to £50 if you pay within 14 days of the ticket being issued. Left unpaid, a Charge Certificate raises it to £150.
Can my car be towed for a Code 05?
Code 05 is not one of the contraventions removed on the day. But any contravention can end in removal if the vehicle is flagged as a persistent evader with unpaid PCNs.
Can I appeal a Code 05 PCN?
Yes, if you have grounds and evidence. The strongest for this code: Your ticket or RingGo session genuinely covered the time on the PCN — check your app history or bank statement for the session.
Every other Edinburgh PCN code
Each code has its own page. Not sure which you have? It is printed near the top of the ticket — or see what does my parking code mean?