How to challenge an out-of-time bus lane or moving traffic PCN
If your bus lane or moving traffic penalty has reached the Order for Recovery stage, you can still challenge it at the Traffic Enforcement Centre. Here is which form to use and whether you need a witness.
Last updated 13 November 2026
What does an "out of time" PCN mean?
An "out of time" PCN is a penalty where the normal deadline to pay or challenge has passed, so the authority has registered the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) and you have received an Order for Recovery. You can no longer use the normal challenge stage, but you can still act.
Bus lane and moving traffic penalties follow a fixed timeline. You get a Penalty Charge Notice, then a chance to make a formal challenge, then a notice of rejection if the authority disagrees. If those steps are not dealt with in time, the debt is registered at the TEC in Northampton and an Order for Recovery is issued.
Once an Order for Recovery arrives, bailiffs can be told to visit if you neither pay nor challenge in time. Being out of time is not the end of the road, though. The TEC keeps a route open for exactly this situation.
Why you might have missed the deadline
Most people who go out of time never ignored anything on purpose. The usual reasons are that the notice never arrived, you moved house, the notice went to an old address, you were away or in hospital, or you did challenge but never received the reply.
The paperwork is posted to the registered keeper address held by the DVLA. If you sold the car, recently bought it, changed address without updating the logbook, or the letter was lost in the post, the first you may hear of it is an Order for Recovery.
You do not need a dramatic excuse. What matters is that your reason is true, because you will be stating it on a formal witness statement or statutory declaration.
Which forms to use since October 2026
In October 2026 the TEC replaced its forms: the PE2, TE7 and TE9 were replaced by the TE13 and TE14. If your Order for Recovery names an old form, use its replacement: a TE9 is now the TE13, and a TE7 or PE2 is now the TE14. Gov.uk says a TE13 is used for a moving traffic contravention outside London, and a PE3 for a moving traffic contravention in a London borough or a low emission or clean air zone PCN.
A TE13 is a witness statement signed with a statement of truth. It needs no witness, so you can complete and send it yourself. A PE3 is a statutory declaration and must be sworn in person before a Commissioner for Oaths (for example a solicitor), a Justice of the Peace, or an officer of the county court.
If you are past the 21 days, or need more time, you also fill in a TE14. It asks the TEC to accept your TE13 or PE3 late or to give you more time. The TE14 is signed with a statement of truth, needs no witness, and is sent together with your TE13 or PE3.
What grounds can you use?
Gov.uk lists the grounds for challenging an Order for Recovery: you did not get the notice to owner, you made a formal challenge on time but did not get a notice of rejection, you appealed to the independent tribunal on time but got no response, or you have proof you paid the penalty charge.
Ground one is the most common: the notice never reached you. The others cover a challenge or appeal that was never answered, or a payment that was not recorded.
Only state what is true. Both forms are formal: a TE13 is signed with a statement of truth, and a false statutory declaration on a PE3 is an offence under section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911, carrying up to two years in prison.
When you need a witness
Only a PE3 needs a witness. It must be sworn in person, on the original printed form, before a Commissioner for Oaths, a Justice of the Peace or an officer of the county court. Do not sign it in advance: you sign it in front of the witness.
TEC guidance says swearing a PE3 is free at most county court hearing centres, by appointment. A solicitor or other Commissioner for Oaths charges the prescribed fee of £5 per person declaring plus £2 per exhibit.
Our Statutory Declaration Witness service offers a £49 booked appointment with a qualified solicitor and Commissioner for Oaths in Crystal Palace, London, subject to availability, with a check that your PE3 is filled in correctly before you sign. If your form is a TE13, you do not need us.
The 21-day window and what happens after filing
You usually have 21 days from the Order for Recovery to pay or to file your TE13 or PE3 with the TEC. If you are late, send a TE14 with it explaining why.
Do not wait. If you neither pay nor challenge in time, bailiffs can be told to visit and enforcement fees are added.
If your challenge succeeds, the Order for Recovery is withdrawn and bailiffs cannot act on it. The authority will then cancel the PCN, issue a new notice to owner, or refer your case to the independent tribunal.
Parking tickets use the TE13
Parking PCNs now use the TE13 too. A TE13 is a witness statement signed with a statement of truth, so it does not need a witness and you can do it yourself.
Parking Ticket Pal at parkingticketpal.com can help you with a TE13 and, if you are late, a TE14.
Only a PE3 has to be sworn in front of an authorised witness, and that is what the Statutory Declaration Witness service is for.
Frequently asked questions
Is it too late to challenge my PCN if it is out of time?
No. You usually have 21 days from the Order for Recovery, and after that you can still apply by sending a TE14 with your TE13 or PE3, explaining why you are late.
Does a bus lane or moving traffic PCN need a witness?
Only if your form is a PE3. Outside London, moving traffic contraventions use a TE13, which needs no witness. In a London borough they use a PE3, which must be sworn in person. If your Order for Recovery names an old form, use its replacement: a TE9 is now the TE13, and a TE7 or PE2 is now the TE14.
Do I still need a PE2?
No. Since October 2026 the TE14 has replaced it. The TE14 is signed with a statement of truth, needs no witness, and goes together with your TE13 or PE3.
Can I get a PE3 witnessed online or by post?
Plan on doing it in person. A PE3 is a statutory declaration sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths, a Justice of the Peace or a county court officer, using the original printed form.
What if my penalty is for parking, not a bus lane?
Parking PCNs use the TE13, which needs no witness, so you can do it yourself. Use parkingticketpal.com for parking penalties.
What happens if my challenge succeeds?
The Order for Recovery is withdrawn and bailiffs cannot act on it. The authority then cancels the PCN, issues a new notice to owner, or refers your case to the independent tribunal.