What is Civil Parking Enforcement?

The Road Traffic Act 1991 introduced the concept of local authorities undertaking enforcement of parking management schemes. This system was called Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE). Parking 'offences' became 'contraventions' and parking attendants employed by the relevant Local Authority, issued [civil] Parking Charge Notices (PCN) where previously traffic wardens employed by police, undertook the enforcement and issued [criminal] Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN). This reflected the need for police to concentrate on core policing priorities with Traffic Wardens continuing to deal with moving traffic offences and the management of Red Routes.

Commencing in London the system has been extended across the UK and over 200 local authorities, in all of our cities and major towns, now operate DPE.

The Traffic Management Act 2004 calls this Civil Parking Enforcement, making the change from Decriminalised Parking Enforcement and expands the range of contraventions that can be managed in this way. Legally speaking, Parking Attendants will be known as Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs).