Appealing a parking fine

Where you appeal and which deadlines apply depend entirely on the type of fine you have been given. Here are the two appeal routes — and what it takes to succeed.

The most important thing first: look at the notice. If it says «control sanction» (kontrollsanksjon), you are in the private/municipal contract-parking system, and the appeal route goes via the Parking Complaints Board. If it says «parking fee» (parkeringsgebyr), the fine was issued by the municipality or the police for breaking the traffic rules on a public road, and the appeal route goes via the issuer and ultimately the district court. The two systems have different rules and must never be confused — see how to tell them apart.

Common to both is that the deadline to appeal is three weeks, and that you should appeal in writing even if you think the fine is obviously wrong. Read more about the deadlines and what happens if you miss them.

Control sanction (contract parking)

Appeal first to the parking operator within three weeks (Parking Regulations § 44). If you are refused, you can bring the case before the Parking Complaints Board (§ 45). The board's handling is free for you, and a decision is binding on the operator. If you appeal in time, a disputed claim also cannot be sent to debt collection before the case is finally decided.

Parking fee (public road)

Appeal to the municipality or the police that issued the fee, within three weeks. The Parking Complaints Board does not handle such fees. If you are refused, you can require the case to be brought before the district court through the issuer (regulation on public parking fees § 7). The fee itself must normally be paid even if you appeal; if you are upheld, it is refunded.

What decides whether you win?

The most common grounds for success are deficient or unclear signage, procedural errors in the issuing, and the deadlines the operator itself is bound by not being met. See what actually succeeds in an appeal — and what rarely does.

In short: read which kind of fine you have, appeal in writing within three weeks, and follow the correct appeal route for your fine type. If you leave the fine unpaid without appealing, the claim grows and can be enforced.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I appeal a parking fine?

It depends on the type. A control sanction is appealed first to the parking operator, then to the Parking Complaints Board. A parking fee from the municipality or the police is appealed to the issuer, and can then be brought before the district court.

What is the deadline to appeal?

Three weeks for both fine types. For a control sanction the deadline runs from the issuing; for a parking fee from when you received the fee.

Does it cost anything to appeal?

Appealing to the parking operator and to the Parking Complaints Board is free. Bringing a parking fee before the district court, on the other hand, can cost money, and you may be liable for legal costs if you lose.

Do I have to pay while the appeal is being handled?

For a control sanction, a disputed claim cannot be sent to debt collection before the case is decided, if you have appealed in time. A parking fee must normally be paid even if you appeal, but is refunded if you are upheld.