You know that sinking feeling when you return to your car and spot a dreaded slip of paper tucked under the wiper?
For millions of Brits, that’s becoming a daily reality—because private parking companies are now dishing out nearly 40,000 charges a day.
And while drivers feel the sting, the DVLA is cashing in to the tune of £100,000 every single day.
Parking Fines Are Big Business—and the DVLA Is Profiting
According to fresh figures obtained by This is Money, private parking firms made a record 14.37 million requests for driver details in the 2024–25 financial year—a 13% increase from the previous year.
That’s about 39,375 motorists being targeted daily, and each request costs the parking company £2.50, paid directly to the DVLA.
Do the maths, and that’s nearly £36 million in revenue for the agency from selling drivers’ information.
Why Are These Fines So Common?
These aren’t the fines handed out by councils or traffic wardens.
These are from private operators who manage car parks at supermarkets, business parks, retail centres, motorway services, and even gyms.
And with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras watching every move, drivers who overstay—even unintentionally—can be hit with fines up to £100.
Five Firms Behind Nearly Half of All Fines
It turns out just five private parking companies were behind nearly half of all parking fines last year:
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ParkingEye – 2.3 million requests
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Euro Car Parks – 1.7 million
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APCOA Parking – 960,000
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Horizon Parking – 875,000
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Civil Enforcement Ltd – 684,000
Together, they’re profiting massively while drivers say they’re being unfairly penalised.
A Promised Code of Conduct Still Missing in Action
Remember when the government said it would crack down on dodgy private parking firms? That was six years ago.
A new Private Parking Code of Practice was promised, but the plan has been in limbo ever since a legal challenge derailed it in 2022.
Now, there are whispers of a new consultation coming soon—but drivers are still waiting.
Motorists and Charities Say Enough Is Enough
The RAC Foundation isn’t pulling punches.
They say it’s “business booming” for private firms and that the lack of real regulation is “shocking.”
Meanwhile, RAC head of policy Simon Williams warned these fines have doubled since the 2019 Act of Parliament meant to fix the system.
Despite promises, there’s still no single, independent appeals body, and too many motorists are being chased by aggressive debt collectors.
The Parking Machines Themselves Are Often Flawed
In one outrageous case, Euro Car Parks (yes, one of the top five offenders) demanded £100 fines from drivers who say they paid correctly—but the ticket machines were faulty and recorded wrong vehicle details.
One woman said she’d “rather go to prison” than pay again after following all the instructions.
A video even shows a machine displaying random letters and numbers that don’t match what was typed in.
The RAC called it “scandalous”, saying they’ve had similar reports from around the UK.
Misleading Signs and Vague Rules Leave Drivers Trapped
Confusing signage, harsh rules, and shady enforcement tactics make it easy for drivers to slip up—then get fined.
And what’s worse? You can’t opt out of the DVLA sharing your data.
Even former PM Rishi Sunak once promised to clean things up, calling rogue operators “on their way out for good.” That was 2019.
DVLA and Government Say They’re Doing Their Best
The DVLA insists it follows strict guidelines and only shares data with accredited parking firms.
And the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government says they’ll soon reveal more about the long-awaited code of conduct.
But many drivers feel like they’ve heard this before—with no real action.
What Can You Do If You’re Fined?
There is an official way to challenge an unfair parking fine—through POPLA, an independent appeals process.
And This is Money even published tips from a retired judge on how to fight a dodgy charge.
But while drivers are left battling the system one fine at a time, parking companies and the DVLA keep raking in millions.
