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. There are a very few exceptions to this and there will be signs to indicate times/dates where it may be permitted.
You could face a fine if you park illegally or you could even have your car towed away.
Yellow lines are placed on the road because if vehicles were permitted to park there it would cause an obstruction of some sort so by ignoring the single yellow lines and parking there you are putting yourself and other motorists and vehicles at danger.
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.
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You must not park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space.
All vehicles must display parking lights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph (48 km/h).
Cars, goods vehicles not exceeding 2500 kg gross vehicle weight, invalid carriages, motorcycles and pedal cycles may be parked without lights on a road (or lay-by) with a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) or less if they are:
Other vehicles and trailers, and all vehicles with projecting loads, must not be left on a road at night without lights.
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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 RESTRICTIONS
PLACES WHERE YOU CANNOT PARK
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 driver and these usually consist of parking spaces reserved for blue badge holders.
For full details on the blue badge scheme, please Related Information.
A parking permit may be available from the police/local council. The permit will enable vehicles to park in areas where vehicles are not normally permitted.
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If the vehicle is blocking access to your driveway you should first make enquiries with the neighbours to see if they know who the car belongs to, so they can move it.
In most areas local councils have now taken on responsibility for enforcing parking provisions under what is known as Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE). Under CPE, it's an offence to park a vehicle that blocks a dropped kerb driveway. You can check if your local council has taken on CPE via the link below:
If your council has taken on CPE, you will usually need to report vehicles that are obstructing a dropped kerb directly to them – you can contact them via the link below:
GOV.UK - find your local council
If your local council hasn't taken on CPE, you will need to contact your local police force.
The police/council policy for dealing with such matters may vary between forces/councils. Some police forces may only attend if your car has been blocked in and you cannot get out.
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Getting a vehicle removed from private land can potentially be a complicated matter. However, we would suggest the following:
If the vehicle is in a dangerous condition e.g. it's leaking petrol or contains dangerous items such as gas bottles, we would suggest you contact your local police via 101 or 999 if an emergency response is required.
If you think the vehicle is abandoned, we would suggest you contact your local council via the link below:
GOV.UK - find your local council
Councils must remove abandoned vehicles from both land in the open air and roads (including private roads). However, local council policies differ in relation to this, so we would suggest that the matter is discussed directly with them.
If the vehicle isn't abandoned or in a dangerous condition, you will need to seek legal guidance from a solicitor or the Citizens Advice via the links in the Related Information section. The options here would include obtaining a court order from a civil court for the removal of the vehicle or pursuing a civil action for nuisance against the driver/owner of the vehicle. However, it is worth noting that taking legal action can be a long and potentially expensive process but you may have some cover in relation to this on your house insurance.
Points to note:
Private land
It is a criminal offence to clamp/block/tow away a vehicle on private land without lawful authority. Lawful authority to immobilise or move a vehicle is restricted to a number of organisation such as the police, DVLA and local authorities.
Privately owned land includes car parks, such as those at retail parks, whether or not there a fee is payable in order to park there (not local authority run car parks).
To commit this offence a person must intend to prevent the owner/driver from moving their vehicle. Therefore, clamping your own car to prevent theft would not be an offence. No offence would be committed where a driver was prevented from leaving a car park because the vehicle's exit was blocked by a fixed barrier.
Public highways
Clamping of a vehicle on a public highway can only be done by public bodies, namely; a local authority, the police or the DVLA. Normally vehicles are only clamped on a public highway if the vehicle has no excise licence, parked in no waiting or other restricted area (eg permit holders only).
We would suggest owners of private land seek legal advice either from a solicitor or the Citizens Advice via the link below with regard to the provisions they can take to prevent people parking on their land:
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Whilst it is not normally an offence in itself to park on the zigzag lines, drivers who do park there could commit an offence of causing an obstruction. In some areas the zigzag lines are accompanied by a traffic regulation order which does make it an offence to park there. There will be signs to indicate this at the location. In some areas the provisions in relation to zigzag lines will be enforced by the local council, whilst in others they will be enforced by the police.
Possibly, from a police point of view, as long as it does not cause an obstruction or is in breach of other legal requirements e.g. isn't parked dangerously.
When parking your caravan try and park it as considerately as possible for other residents in the street. The caravan/trailer MUST be lit at night if it is parked on a road and comply with the other parking rules - the nearside must face the pavement so the rear lights are at the rear for approaching traffic.
Some local councils also take a strong line on the nuisance value of caravans and do, in some cases, take legal action. It is also worth checking with them before parking on the road - see the website in related information to find your local council.
There may be a restrictive clause in your house deeds, usually inserted by the developers, that prevents you from parking a caravan at you property – we would suggest you check this.
If a trailer is detached from the drawing vehicle and left on a road, at least one of its wheels must be prevented from turning by means of a brake, chain, chock or other efficient device.
If you cannot park your caravan on your property/road, there are sites where you can park caravans off-road.
These rules also apply to any similar trailer parked on a road.
There may be a local by-law to specifically prevent cars parking on council owned grass verges, in which case there should be a sign displayed. Speak to the local council for more information.
There are also other offences that may be committed (unnecessary obstruction, criminal damage etc) speak to your local Neighbourhood Policing Team to discuss any issues.
If the land is privately owned and the landowner has given permission then it would be permitted.
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Mechanically propelled vehicles on a public road are required to display number plates (number plate in the case of motorcycles). Covering the vehicle could prevent them from being seen and this would be an offence.
It would be legal 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.
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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 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:
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If any part of your vehicle overhangs the yellow lines you could be issued with a ticket. However, in law it may be possible to argue that the matter is too trivial and is not worth judicial scrutiny- this approach may or may not be successful.
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Waiting restrictions indicated by yellow lines apply to the carriageway, the pavement and the verge. You can stop to load or unload (unless there are no loading restrictions) or while passengers board or alight.
Double yellow lines mean no waiting at any time, unless there are signs that specifically indicate seasonal restrictions. The times at which the restrictions apply for single yellow lines are shown on nearby plates or on entry signs to controlled parking zones. If no days are shown on the signs, the restrictions are in force every day including Sundays and Bank Holidays.
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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.
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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.
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