Arriving Early and Grace Periods - What You Need to Know

🕐 I want to arrive earlier than my booking start time

Your booking is only valid from its confirmed start time. Arriving before this time means you are parking without a valid booking, which can result in a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) — particularly at commercial or enforced car parks where ANPR cameras record your entry and exit times.

If you know you need to arrive earlier, you have two options:

• Amend your existing booking — if your booking hasn't started yet and it's more than 24 hours away, you may be able to change your start time. Go to My Bookings, select your booking and tap Manage Booking to see if this option is available. Please note that changes are subject to availability and may affect the price.
• Create a new booking — if you cannot amend your existing booking, make a separate booking to cover the extra time before your current booking begins. Contact our support team with both booking references and if the bookings are at the same location and cover the same or overlapping times, we may be able to refund the duplicate. Contact us here.

⚠️ Important: It is not possible to amend a booking to start earlier if it is within 24 hours of the start time. This is because enforcement companies may already have received your booking details and amending them at this stage could cause a mismatch. If this is the case, please make a new booking to cover the additional time.

🏠 Parking on a private driveway? If your booking is for a private driveway or space rather than a commercial car park, you may be able to contact the space owner directly to ask if early arrival is possible. This is entirely at their discretion. See How do I contact a space owner?

⏱️ What about a grace period?

Some enforcement teams may allow a short grace period of around 10 minutes either side of a booking to account for minor delays or early arrivals. However, this is not guaranteed and varies depending on the car park and the enforcement company managing it.

You should never rely on a grace period when planning your parking. If you arrive before your booking start time or leave after your booking end time without a valid booking covering that period, you are at risk of receiving a PCN regardless of how short the overstay was.

🔄 I need to stay longer than my booking end time

If your plans change and you need to stay longer, you should extend your booking before your booking end time wherever possible. To extend:

⚠️ Can't see the extend option? The space may no longer be available for the additional time — for example if another booking follows yours. If you are unable to extend and you overstay your booking end time, you may receive a PCN and you will be liable for any charge issued. JustPark is not the enforcement company and cannot cancel fines on your behalf.

🚨 I've received a PCN for arriving early or overstaying

If you have received a PCN as a result of parking outside your booked times, please be aware of the following:

• If you did not have a valid booking covering the time you were parked, you are liable for the PCN and will need to deal with it directly with the enforcement company named on the notice
• Sending your PCN to JustPark does not count as an appeal — you must contact the enforcement company directly to formally challenge it
• JustPark is not the enforcement company and cannot cancel or overturn fines on your behalf
• If you believe the PCN was issued in error — for example if your booking did cover the time in question — you can submit your PCN to JustPark for review. We will check this against your booking details and liaise with the enforcement company where appropriate. Find out more about what to do if you receive a PCN.

❌ Can I backdate a booking to cover time I've already parked?

No. JustPark is unable to create retrospective bookings or amend historic bookings to cover time already used. It is the driver's responsibility to have a valid booking that covers the entire duration of their stay, including arrival and departure.

If you are still parked and your booking has expired, make a new booking immediately to cover your remaining time — this won't backdate the time already used but will ensure you are covered going forward.

Still need help? If you have questions about your booking times or have received a PCN you'd like us to review, our support team is here to help. Contact us here.