Found a PCN with Code 25 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
You were parked in a designated loading bay, but no loading/unloading activity was observed during the enforcement officer's observation period.
What the officer checks before issuing a Code 25
- An enforcement officer will watch the vehicle for the appropriate observation period to check whether any loading or unloading is actually taking place.
- If no loading activity is seen during that time, a PCN will be issued.
- Loading bays are not for general parking — they must only be used when actively loading or unloading goods.
- Check the sign for hours of operation — some loading bays are free to use outside those hours.
- 🚫 Blue badges do not exempt you from loading bay restrictions.
- ⏱️ The observation period starts from the moment an enforcement officer first comes across your vehicle — not from when it actually arrived. A vehicle that has already been sitting unloaded for 20 minutes still gets a fresh observation period once an enforcement officer spots it.
Variations of Code 25 you might come across
Commercial vehicles in a loading bay
Vans and commercial vehicles parked in a designated loading bay are given an extended observation period before a PCN is issued, in recognition of the time it can take to load or unload goods.
- Commercial vehicles get a LONGER initial observation period than private vehicles before a PCN is issued.
- If loading or unloading IS observed during that time, the enforcement officer will extend the observation period to a total of 30 minutes.
- If no loading activity is seen within the extended period, a PCN will still be issued.
- 🚫 Blue badges do NOT exempt commercial vehicles from this restriction.
Can you appeal a Code 25?
Most Code 25 tickets are correctly issued. These are the grounds that can win:
- You were genuinely loading or unloading during the observation period and can prove it (delivery notes, receipts, a witness).
- The signs or road markings were missing, faded, obscured or contradictory — a restriction is only enforceable if its signs and markings meet the legal standard. Photograph everything before you leave the street.
- 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 25 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 25
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 25
How much is a Code 25 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 25?
Code 25 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 25 PCN?
Yes, if you have grounds and evidence. The strongest for this code: You were genuinely loading or unloading during the observation period and can prove it (delivery notes, receipts, a witness).
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?