Council Fine CheckA Charge Certificate is the council's statement that the penalty is increased by the surcharge, normally 50%. Outside London that means £60 becoming £90, or £70 becoming £105 (SI 2022/71, Sch 3).
When a council can issue one
In England the council may serve a Charge Certificate if the penalty is not paid within 28 days of the Notice to Owner or postal PCN (when you made no representations), or 28 days from a Notice of Rejection you did not appeal, or 14 days after you withdraw an appeal (reg 21). London moving traffic PCNs follow the same pattern, with the 28 days running from the end of the appeal period after a rejection (LLA&TfL Act 2003, Sch 1 para 5).
You cannot appeal a Charge Certificate
There is no right of appeal against the certificate itself. If you do nothing, after 14 days the council can register the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre and get an Order for Recovery (reg 22).
What you can still do
- If something went wrong earlier, write to the council. For example, you never received the Notice to Owner, or you sent representations and never got a decision (in England, a council that does not decide within 56 days is treated as accepting them). Ask it to withdraw the certificate.
- If it goes to court, use the witness statement. At the Order for Recovery stage you can file a witness statement on one of four reasons, which cancels the certificate. See Order for Recovery.
If none of that applies, paying the increased amount now stops the court stage and its costs.