Penalty Charge Notices on hire vehicles

If you are the company who owns the hire vehicle

Hire firms can choose to transfer the liability (responsibility) of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from the firm, to the driver of the vehicle.

The hire firm must wait until it has received either a Notice to Owner or an Enforcement Notice, before transferring the liability of the Penalty Charge Notice menu (PCN).

If the PCN was issued for driving in a bus lane, an Enforcement Notice will arrive approximately 28 days after the original PCN.

If the PCN was issued for a Moving Traffic contravention, the Notice to Owner is the first 'Penalty Charge Notice' that is issued.

Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for Parking or Moving Traffic contraventions
To transfer the liability:

  1. Submit a Formal Representation
  2. State the reason as ‘You are a hire firm and have supplied the name and address of the hirer’
  3. Upload the rental agreement as evidence.

A vehicle hire firm should NOT pay the PCN if they intend to transfer the liability.

Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for driving in bus lanes
If the vehicle was hired for a period of time of less than 6 months, the liability can not be transferred and the hire firm is responsible for making payment for the PCN.

If the vehicle was hired for a period of time of 6 months or longer:

  1. Submit a Formal Representation 
  2. State the reason as 'You were not the owner of the vehicle at the time the PCN was issued'
  3. Provide the rental/lease agreement as evidence.
     

If you are the person who hired the vehicle

The hire company may transfer the liability (responsibility) of the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to you, if you were the driver at the time the PCN was issued.

The PCN will then be re-issued and a Notice to Owner will be sent to the address that was provided on your rental agreement.

What you can do:

There is likely to be an extended period of time between the date the PCN event occurred and the date the person who hired the vehicle receives the re-issued PCN. This is due to the time required for a hire company to transfer the liability. It is important to be aware that the PCN is still valid and enforceable.

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