Reporting an illegally parked vehicle

How to report a vehicle parked where it shouldn’t be.

If you see a vehicle parked where you think it shouldn’t be, you can report it to us.

Parking permit check

Before you report a vehicle, you can check if it has a valid parking permit. 

We update the permit search at 8 am every day. Therefore, the results only include data from the previous 24 hours.

Information you need to provide

You will need to tell us the street name, the location (such as the number of a property the vehicle is parked outside of) and a description of the problem. Providing the vehicle's details will also help us.

It would be helpful if you could provide your contact details, so we can contact you should we need further information.

What we can't take action on

Oxfordshire County Council can only enforce vehicles that are parked in breach of a parking restriction within Oxfordshire. 

If you see a vehicle parked causing an obstruction but not parked in breach of a restriction, we will be unable to take any action and you will need to report this to Thames Valley Police on their non-emergency phone number, 101.

If we receive a report and it is something that we cannot take action on, we will endeavour to forward this to the relevant persons, but this may only sometimes be possible.

Virtual permits

Warning

We only issue virtual permits. So permit holders are not required to display a paper permit.

Before you report a vehicle, you can check if it has a valid parking permit. We update the permit search daily at 8am. Therefore, the results only include permit data from the previous 24 hours.

Report an illegally parked vehicle

Alternatively, phone our parking contractor Conduent's control room at 0345 337 1138, option 4.

When a Penalty Charge Notice is issued

Oxfordshire County Council enforces parking in Oxford under the Traffic Management Act 2004. PCNs will be issued to vehicles observed parked in breach of a restriction. The types of illegal parking we enforce include vehicles parked:

  • on single/double yellow lines
  • in a permit bay without displaying a valid permit
  • in a pay and display bay without a valid ticket on display
  • in a disabled bay without displaying a blue badge
  • for longer than permitted
  • outside of the bay markings
  • in a suspended bay
  • in a place not designated for that class of vehicle
  • in a loading bay without loading
  • on a pedestrian crossing or zig-zags
  • in a cycle lane
  • on a bus stop/stand
  • on a clearway.

What happens when we receive your report

When you get your report, a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) will be dispatched to the area to assess the situation, and if a vehicle is observed parked in breach of a parking restriction, a PCN will be issued.  

Our CEOs usually operate between the following hours:

  • Monday-Saturday 7am-11pm
  • Sundays 8am-10pm
  • Bank holidays 10am-7pm

However, we can enforce 24 hours per day if and when required.

An officer may only be available to attend to your request after a period of time as they may be patrolling different locations. Still, an officer will attend as soon as one becomes available.

Please note due to the volume of reports we receive; you will not be advised of the outcome of your report. 

How to report an abandoned vehicle

If you believe a vehicle has been abandoned, you can report this to Oxford City Council.