A short trip to the supermarket should not end with a parking charge. Most supermarket car parks are private land, not council land. The store or the company that manages the car park sets the rules, and they can differ from one site to the next.

A charge is usually a Parking Charge Notice from a private company, not a council penalty. It can be up to £100, often reduced if you pay within 14 days. The simplest way to avoid one is to read the signs before you leave the car.

Read the signs every time

Look at the information board as you enter. Check the maximum stay, the opening hours, and any rules about parent and child bays, Blue Badge bays, and parking wholly inside the white lines. Rules can change, so do not rely on what was true last month.

Park fully inside the bay

Most car parks require you to park within a marked bay. That means the whole car, including the wheels, must be inside the white lines. Touching or crossing a line can be treated as an infringement, even if the car park is quiet and you are not blocking anyone.

Entrance cameras usually record when you arrive and leave. They do not see how you park. A warden on foot, or, in some car parks, a bay camera, can photograph a car parked across a line. Taking two spaces to protect the doors still breaches their terms.

If the bay feels tight, choose a quieter space a little further from the door. A short extra walk is cheaper than a charge.

Parent and child bays

These wider spaces are usually reserved for drivers with a child under 12 who are taking that child into the store. Leaving a child in the car with another adult, or parking without a child at all, can lead to a charge.

Some stores allow heavily pregnant drivers. That is not automatic. Check the sign, or ask the store manager before you park. A Blue Badge does not automatically give you the right to use a parent and child bay. Use a disabled bay unless the sign says otherwise.

Blue Badges in supermarket car parks

The Blue Badge scheme is mainly for on-street parking and local authority car parks. Supermarket car parks are private land. The store sets its own rules.

Before you leave the car:

• Park in a marked disabled bay if one is free.

• Display the Blue Badge so it’s visible.

• Check whether you need to register the vehicle, take a ticket, or pay. Some stores give Blue Badge holders extra time. Others do not.

• Do not assume a parent and child bay is available to you.

Outside opening hours

Many supermarket car parks are for customers only during opening hours. Parking after the store has closed, even for a few minutes, can result in a charge. The same applies to using an EV charger or a parcel locker after the store closes. Check the sign. An empty car park does not mean parking is free.

Recent reports have highlighted this rule. See Peterborough Matters and GB News for examples of drivers being warned about £100 charges for parking outside opening hours.

If a charge arrives

What you do next is your decision. Some people choose to pay it. Others check the details and decide whether to challenge it. Private parking companies can pass unpaid charges to debt collectors, so it is worth reading the notice carefully either way.

Check the photographs, the times, and the location. If you think it is wrong, you can appeal within the time given on the letter. Look for the parking company’s name and whether it is a member of the British Parking Association or the International Parking Community. Members follow an industry code that includes a short grace period at the end of a stay if you have followed the rules, and an independent appeals route if the company rejects your appeal.

Keep the letter, any photos you took, and a note of what the signs said. Citizens Advice can help if you are unsure how to reply.

A short checklist

• Read the signs as you enter.

• Park wholly inside the white lines.

• Use a parent and child bay only if you are taking a child under 12 into the store, and the sign allows it.

• Blue Badge holders: use a disabled bay, display the badge, and check the store’s own rules.

• Do not stay after the store has closed unless the signs say you can.

If there is a car park tip you would like us to cover next week, please email info@ablecommunitycare.com.

This is general information only. Rules vary by store and by the company that manages the car park. Always check the signs on the day.