What has changed?
Since 2022, councils in England outside London can apply to the Department for Transport for powers to enforce "moving traffic" rules with cameras, under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. London boroughs have had these powers for years, and Welsh councils can use them under separate Welsh regulations.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which hears appeals from England outside London and from Wales, says in its 2025-26 annual report, published in July 2026, that 30 new councils started using the powers during the year. They are:
Bolton, Brighton & Hove, Bury, Calderdale, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Dudley, Hull, Kirklees, Knowsley, Leicestershire, Merthyr Tydfil, Milton Keynes, North Somerset, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sandwell, Sefton, Slough, Solihull, Southend-on-Sea, Stockport, Suffolk, Sunderland, Wiltshire, Wolverhampton and York.
Many other councils already had the powers before 2025-26. Each council decides which junctions and roads to put cameras on.
What can you be fined for?
Moving traffic rules are the ones shown by road signs and markings. Councils typically enforce:
- Stopping in a yellow box junction when your exit is not clear.
- Banned turns, including no left, no right and no U-turn.
- No-entry signs and going the wrong way down a one-way street.
- Bus gates and other bus, taxi or cycle-only routes.
- School streets and pedestrian zones at restricted times.
The penalty charge notice (PCN) is sent by post to the registered keeper, who is liable even if someone else was driving.
How much is the fine?
- Usually £70, reduced to £35 if you pay within 21 days.
- It is a civil penalty from the council, not a criminal offence, so it does not add points to your licence. See our penalty points guide for the offences that do.
- At a new camera site, councils normally send a warning letter instead of a fine for a first contravention during the first six months. After that, every contravention can be fined.
Why most appeals fail
Appeals against moving traffic fines rose from 852 in 2024-25 to 1,963 in 2025-26. Of the cases decided, 1,033 were refused and 531 allowed. But 321 of the appeals that were allowed were not contested by the council at all. Where the council did defend its fine, the driver usually lost.
The reason is in how the tribunal works. Its Chief Adjudicator, Caroline Hamilton, says adjudicators "are impartial, have no discretion and cannot take mitigating circumstances into account". An appeal that says you were only in the box for a second, or that you did not know the rule, will not succeed. An appeal that shows the rules were not followed can.
Grounds that can work include:
- The signs or road markings were missing, unclear or did not match the legal order.
- The contravention did not happen, for example the footage shows your exit was clear when you entered the box.
- You were not the registered keeper at the time, or the vehicle was stolen.
- The council did not follow the correct procedure, or the amount is wrong.
How to check and challenge a fine
- Check the council's website. Councils list their camera locations and start dates. Search for the council's name and "moving traffic enforcement".
- Watch the footage. Most councils let you view the video online using the PCN number.
- Challenge the council first. Make representations to the council within 28 days of the PCN, with any photos or evidence. Paying the discounted amount closes the case, so decide before you pay.
- Appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. If the council rejects your challenge, it will send a Notice of Rejection with a code. You then have 28 days to appeal to the tribunal, online and free. If you lose, you pay the full charge.
- Do not ignore it. If you neither pay nor appeal in time, the council can issue a Charge Certificate, increasing the fine by 50%.
This applies in England outside London and in Wales. In London, appeals go to London Tribunals. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Not sure of the rules? Read about the Highway Code changes many drivers have missed. Got a ticket from a private car park instead? That is a different system: see the new private parking code.
Questions drivers ask
Do box junction fines give penalty points?
No. A council penalty charge notice for a box junction, banned turn or bus gate is a civil penalty, so it does not add points to your licence.
How much is a box junction fine outside London?
Usually £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days. At a new camera site, councils normally send a warning letter for a first contravention during the first six months.
Which councils can fine for moving traffic offences?
Councils in England outside London that have been given the powers by the Department for Transport, and Welsh councils. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal says 30 new councils started enforcement in 2025-26.
How do I appeal a moving traffic fine?
Challenge the council within 28 days of the PCN. If it rejects your challenge, you have 28 days from the Notice of Rejection to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which is free.
Sources
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal: Annual Report 2025-26 (July 2026)
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal: TPT publishes Annual Report 2025-26 (15 July 2026)
- Devon County Council: Moving traffic enforcement background
- Solihull Council: Moving traffic enforcement
- GOV.UK: Appeal against a penalty charge notice
Facts checked against the sources above on 28 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
