Parking restrictions in Luton explained

Permit holder only bays
Permit holder bays are available to residents, visitors and business permit holders. These permits are specific to a zone, and the bays are signed with time plates to indicate ‘permit holder’ exempt for the relevant zone. Unless you hold a permit for the relevant zone, you cannot park in these spaces.

The days and times of these restrictions are indicated on the time plates adjacent to the bays. Outside of these times, the bays are available to anyone.

Blue Badge holders are generally not allowed in ‘permit holder only’ bays but can be used in ‘shared use bays. See below for more information on shared user bays.

To apply for a residents or visitors permit, click here. Business permit applicants must call 01582 547272.

Pay and display bays and Pay By Phone

Pay and display bays

Anyone who purchases a ‘pay & display’ ticket from the relevant machine may park in one of these bays. Payment is only required during controlled hours.

• the ticket is valid
• the ticket is clearly displayed so that the details, such as the expiry time/date, can be seen from the outside of the vehicle
• the correct tariff has been paid
• the vehicle is parked completely within the bay markings
• the bay is not suspended
• you have not overstayed the maximum stay as stated on the sign on the street

Blue Badge holders are allowed to use these bays without time limit.

PayByPhone - cashless parking

Use cashless parking when you want to park in Luton. Download the PayByPhone app and just:

• enter your location number
• select parking duration
• confirm your payment

If you don't have a smartphone just call 01582 851 141

Shared use bays

Shared use bays are bays which combine both of the above. The time plate adjacent to the bays will normally say ‘permit holders’ or ‘pay at machine.’

Blue Badge holders are allowed to use these bays without time limit.

PayByPhone is also available at when using Luton's car parks.

Disabled bays

These bays are available to holders of Blue Badges. Only vehicles displaying a valid Blue Badge may park in these spaces. If a time limit applies (ie three hour limit) the clock must be displayed with the badge.

For information on the Blue Badge Scheme and how to apply please click here.

Motorcycle bays

These bays are specific to motorcycles. No permit is required however the vehicle must be a solo motorcycle. Blue Badge holders are not allowed to use these bays.

What is a red route?

A red route is a clearway where a vehicle cannot stop. Unlike an urban clearway, red route prohibition applies to the footway and verge as well as the carriageway and does not include any signed and marked lay-bys or bays.

Double red lines mean no stopping or parking ‘at any time’.

Single red lines mean no stopping or parking ‘during the restricted time’ as denoted on the sign.

For more information see frequently asked questions.

Can I park on yellow lines?

Double yellow lines indicate no parking ‘at any time’ and there is no need for a sign. Therefore, you should not park on these lines unless you are carrying out an exempt activity (see below for exemptions).

Single yellow lines indicate no parking ‘during the restricted times’. These times are indicated by a sign, either on the road in question or, on entry into a Controlled Parking Zone, see below.

You are able to load/unload on a yellow line restriction and also alight passengers providing that this activity is continuous. Where there are chevrons on the kerb this means that no loading/unloading activity is permitted to take place. See below for information on loading bans.

A Blue Badge holder can park on yellow lines for up to three hours, providing the loading ban (chevrons) are not in operation. Please see Blue Badge guidance.

Exempt activity

Most single and double yellow lines have exemptions in place which allow drivers to load/unload heavy and bulky goods or passengers to board/alight the vehicle.

Loading exemptions apply in places which are not covered by loading bans, see below. Boarding and alighting exemptions apply on every yellow line restriction in the borough.

Importantly, both of the above exemptions are only applicable whilst the stated activity is taking place. For example, if it is not evident that a person is boarding a vehicle when an officer is observing, no exemption is applicable. There is no allowance for drivers to wait for passengers to arrive; their passenger must be waiting to board.

Similarly, if a vehicle is used to enable goods to be loaded/unloaded it should be shown that the vehicle is used necessarily for carrying the items (normally heavy/bulky items). Again, the exemption only applies whilst the activity is taking place, so it would not apply if loading is not seen during the time an officer observes the vehicle.

What is a controlled parking zone?

A controlled parking zone (CPZ) is an area where parking is only permitted in designated parking bays, and the rest of the kerbside space is restricted by yellow lines.

In a controlled zone individual time plates are not required as large signs are erected at all the entry points into the zone clearly displaying the days and times that restrictions are in operation. These signs are double sided with one side showing that you are entering a controlled zone and the other showing you exit the zone.

As the zone can cover a large area it is advisable to assume you have not left the zone until you see a zone exit sign. The entry/exit signs relate directly to the enforcement of single yellow lines within the zone. Parking bays will be signed separately.

What is a Residents Parking Zone

A Residents Parking Zone is an area where parking controls protect the needs of residents, their visitors and local businesses

Residents and businesses in the zone would be required to purchase permits if they intend to park on the public highway during the hours of operation. The cost of a permit is shown here.

Driver should be aware that entry sign are in place at the zone entry points. In some cases zones are designed with marked bays and other cases the bays.

A restricted zone (can be a pedestrian zone) is an area where restrictions are in place. Large signs will be displayed at all entry points into the zone, crucially there will be no lines painted on the road.

George Street pedestrian zone is one such area where restrictions are in place to priorities access for pedestrians. No motor vehicle is allowed to wait or load in these areas during the controlled hours.

Typically there is an exemption to load/unload at these locations before 10am and after 6pm (times may vary at locations). However this exemption does not apply to other activity or beyond the stated times.

Lines are not painted, either to reduce the negative aesthetic impact on a street or because the road surface makes using paint impractical or inappropriate. In large areas / restricted zones, there will be periodic repeater signs however in smaller zones such as the one in George Street, repeater signs are not required.

Where do the restrictions apply?

Yellow lines are enforced up to the boundary of public highway where it meets private land including pavement, grass verge and central reservations.

How do I know if there is a loading restriction on a yellow line?

A loading restriction will be indicated by chevrons on the kerbside and for a single chevron there will also be a sign stating the times of the restriction.

Single chevrons indicate a 'peak hour ban', check the signs. Double chevrons indicate an 'At anytime ban', so no need for signs.

A Blue Badge holder can park on yellow lines for up to three hours providing the loading ban (chevrons) are not in operation. Please see Blue Badge Rights and Responsibilities booklet.

Are single yellow lines enforceable on a bank holiday?

Single yellow lines are enforceable on the days and during the times as stated on the sign. If the sign states Monday to Saturday then the restrictions apply on a bank holiday.

Most restrictions apply on a bank holiday in Luton as they are some of our busiest days of the year. Our shops and other businesses tend to stay open which often results in an increase in local traffic.

I have received a PCN when parking on yellow lines what do I do?

For more information on how to pay for a ticket or appeal against a ticket please click on the button below.

Information on tickets and appeals

Parking on pavements and grass verges

You should not park on the pavement or grass verge. It costs us thousands of pounds to maintain pavements and grass verges that have been damaged by vehicles parking on them.

In addition to this, the Highway Code clearly states that you must not park on the pavement in London and:

...should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs by forcing them into roads.

Pavements and verges adjacent to yellow line restrictions are enforceable by the council. You may risk a Penalty if parked in these locations.

Pavement parking bans

Unlike London, Luton does not have a borough wide pavement parking ban although we do have some locations where we have a specific ban against cars parking on the pavement.

Reporting parking whilst causing an obstruction

Where there are parking controls in place (yellow lines, dropped kerbs etc) you can email the parking team directly or call the team on 01582 548 523 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Where no restrictions are in place then it may be a matter for the Police to use their obstruction powers. Police can become involved where parking causes a dangerous obstruction in the road or if continued anti-social behaviour caused by this is creating an issue. Local community policing teams can be contacted on Facebook where people want to raise issues in their community, crimes can be reported via 101 and their website- 999 must always be called in an emergency.

Parking on zig-zags and school keep clear restrictions

You cannot park on zig-zags for any reason. Zig-zags are usually in place where it is dangerous for people to park, for example, outside a school entrance or on the lead up to a crossing.

Zig-zags are enforceable 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unless there is a sign that states otherwise.

We are now issuing Regulation 10 Penalty Charge Notices. This means that if you are seen, by a CCTV operator or a Civil Enforcement Officer in our camera car, to be parked on a on a zig-zag, we can issue a notice by post. This will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

Parking on cycle lane

Parking on a mandatory cycle line is prohibited for all vehicles except cycles, at any time. A mandatory cycle lane is indicated by a solid white line and is different to an ‘advisory’ cycle lane. An advisory cycle lane is indicated by broken white lines and should also be avoided, but is not enforced.

Please also be aware that advisory cycle lanes may be accompanied by yellow line restrictions. When this occurs, the yellow line restrictions should be abided by.

I have received a PCN when parking what do I do?

For more information on how to pay for a ticket or appeal against a ticket please click on the button below.

Information on tickets and appeals

Loading bays

Only goods vehicles are allowed to park in these bays in Luton. A goods vehicle is any vehicle which has been created or adapted for the haulage of goods. Hatchbacks with the rear seat down can be classed as a goods vehicles.

You can use a loading bay for the loading and unloading of goods or when making a scheduled delivery or collection.

You cannot park in a loading bay. Once you have finished loading and unloading goods, the vehicle must be moved to a different bay, for example a pay and display bay, where a ticket should be purchased from a machine on the street.

Blue Badge holders cannot use these parking places.

Doctors bays

These bays are specific to holders of doctor’s permits. There are very few locations in the town with such parking places. However, no vehicle other than one displaying a permit can park here.

Blue Badge holders cannot use these parking places.

Taxi rank

Only licensed hackney carriages that are waiting for their next fare can park in a taxi rank. They cannot stay in a taxi rank for any other reason.

Taxi ranks give drivers a place to park easily and centrally while waiting for a fare. Taxi ranks are usually situated where there is likely to be a need for a taxi in Luton.

The sign on the street will tell you this. If no times are shown the bay operates at all times, 24 hours a day and every day.

Blue Badge holders cannot use these parking places, unless there is an exemption for them at certain times.

Electric vehicle charging points

We are creating a network of plug-in points for the town, in partnership with the Source East programme, to create a number of ‘hotspots’ across the region.

Luton’s first two plug-in points were set up last summer at Basepoint on the Butterfield Business Park and Motorbodies in Kimpton Road.

Now these are joined by more in:

• Alma Street
• Upper George Street
• Vicarage Street car park
• Stockwood Discovery Centre
• The Mall’s central and market multi-storey car parks (where normal parking charges apply)

Another is planned shortly in Bute Street, at the junction with Guildford Street.

Around 600 plug-in points are currently being installed across the east of England to support the rapidly growing market for electric vehicles.

Any vehicle that is licensed with the DVLA as a pure electric or a plug-in hybrid can join the Source East scheme for a £10 yearly membership, including motorbikes, cars, vans, trucks and scooters.

To find out more about electric vehicle charge point please visit this page.

The penalty for offences is £70 reduced to £35 for prompt payment or £50 reduced to £25 for prompt payment. For Bus Lanes and Moving Traffic offences the penalty is £70 reduced to £35 for prompt payment. Please read the notice issued, it provides all the relevant information that a driver needs.

Where there are parking controls in place (yellow lines, dropped kerbs etc) you can email the parking team directly or call the team on 01582 548 523 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Roughly between 400 and 500 service requests are received each month from across the whole of Luton ranging from yellow lines, dropped kerbs, and pavement parking.

In the financial year 2023 to 2024 the council issued over 80,000 fines. Roughly around 6,000 to 7,000 per month for parking, bus lane and moving traffic offences. Roughly 40% of the PCNs issued were for yellow lines offences.

The idea is that they prevent vehicular movements into a specified area during peak school pick up and drop off times. People can leave the zone when it is in operation, but they cannot drive into one when it is active. Residents can apply for a permit which are FREE.

Staff working at the school and any parent with a child who has a disability can also be issued with permits. If you are not a resident of the area, do not enter the zone during the controlled hours shown on the sign.

There is no difference except where a double yellow line is in place it means that the parking restriction applies less than 24hours a day (for example 8am to 6pm) and double yellow lines are 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Both single and double yellow lines include allowances for loading and unloading. Unlike with Red Routes, where there are cameras used to enforce, yellow line enforcement requires a civil enforcement officer in person to issue a notice.

These are issued at the request of a resident provided they meet the criteria.

Importantly it should be noted that if one household in a street applied and it was approved this does not mean the next application in the same street will necessarily be approved. Highways engineers will need to assess the road layout and consider each application separately. Disabled bays are not issued for any specific individual. Anyone who has a Blue Badge can park in any disabled bay and pay-and-display bays for free. They can also park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours, unless there is a loading ban.

We can prosecute abuse of Blue Badge if used by family members when the badge holder is not using the vehicle.

For more information or to make an application you can contact the: Traffic regulation officer

Trader Plates are issued by the DVLA, they are also the enforcing authority when it comes to taking enforcement action where they are misused. All the rules for how they are supposed to be used can be found online but they can only be used for the purpose that has been requested for on an application to the DVLA and cannot be used for any other reason. Whilst there are a number of penalties offences and penalties for misuse, for example;

1. Display a trade plate on parked vehicles
2. Display a trade plate if it has expired
3. Display a trade plate if it has expired

Penalties can range between £1000 and £5000

People can report suspected misuse to the DVLA directly.

For more information on abandoned vehicles, what they are, what powers we have and how to report them, please click here.