You come home to find a car sitting across your driveway, or you’re about to leave your own car on a quiet street and you’re not sure about that lowered bit of kerb. It is one of those everyday rules most drivers are fuzzy on. Parking over a dropped kerb can land you a fine even if you never blocked anyone in, and the rules shift depending on whose kerb it is and where you live.
Here’s a plain guide to the law on dropped kerbs in the UK. It covers when parking over one is illegal, what it costs, whether you can park outside your own house, and what to do when someone blocks yours.
What is a dropped kerb?
A dropped kerb is a section of pavement lowered to road level, either to let vehicles cross onto a driveway or to help people cross the road safely. You will spot the driveway type outside houses, and the pedestrian type at junctions and crossings, usually with bumpy tactile paving.
Only the local council can install one. That matters here, because the council also holds the power to enforce parking around it. The lowered kerb is not just a convenience, it is a marked feature the law recognises.
Is it illegal to park over a dropped kerb?
Yes, parking over a dropped kerb is a parking contravention in the UK, and you can be fined for it. Under the Traffic Management Act 2004 it falls under contravention code 27, “parked adjacent to a dropped footway”, which councils enforce as a civil offence.
The rule is stricter than people expect. You do not have to block anyone in to be caught: the offence is parking across the lowered section itself, whether or not a car is trying to get on or off the drive. The Highway Code (rule 243) also tells drivers not to stop where a kerb has been lowered or in front of a property entrance. In a Special Enforcement Area, which now covers most council areas, no yellow lines or signs are needed for a ticket to be valid.
Can you park on a dropped kerb outside your own house?
You can usually park across the dropped kerb serving your own single property, and you can give other people permission to as well, as long as no other restriction applies. Once you have moved your car onto a driveway, the lowered kerb in front of it is generally yours to use.
There are limits. If the dropped kerb is shared by two or more properties, nobody can park across it and residents cannot hand out permission. Yellow lines, zig-zags or a clearway override everything. And some councils run a consent scheme where enforcement on a single crossover only kicks in once the resident asks for it, so the safest move is to check your own council’s policy.
Can you park across or in front of someone else’s dropped kerb?
No, you should not park across or in front of someone else’s dropped kerb without their permission. For a driveway crossover serving one home, the council can issue a Penalty Charge Notice when the resident reports a car parked there without consent.
Where the kerb serves several homes, or it is a pedestrian crossing point, the council can ticket a vehicle without anyone complaining at all. Blue Badge holders get no exemption from this, because dropped kerbs often exist precisely to help people with limited mobility get around.
Can you park opposite a dropped kerb?
Parking opposite a dropped kerb is generally allowed, because the contravention applies to parking adjacent to the lowered kerb, not across the road from it. The exception is where you’d narrow the road so much that you obstruct access or a vehicle can’t turn into the drive.
Common sense and the obstruction rules still apply. If your car forces someone to mount the kerb or makes a turn impossible, you could face action even when you’re technically on the opposite side.
What is the penalty for parking over a dropped kerb?
The penalty for parking over a dropped kerb is usually a £70 Penalty Charge Notice, reduced to £35 if you pay within 14 days. Some London boroughs set a higher charge. The ticket is issued by the council’s Civil Enforcement Officers, not the police.
Because it’s a civil matter, you will not get points on your licence for it. The exception is when a car causes a genuine obstruction, blocking someone in or forcing them off the road, which can bring the police in under separate obstruction laws.
What can you do if someone parks over your dropped kerb?
If someone parks over your dropped kerb, report it to your local council’s parking enforcement team, by phone or through their website. Quote your address and the vehicle registration, and they can send a Civil Enforcement Officer to issue a ticket.
A few things help. Take a dated photo showing the car across the lowered kerb. If you are actually blocked in and cannot move your own car, that may count as an obstruction, which is a police matter rather than a council one, so it’s worth calling 101. The council cannot usually remove the vehicle, but a ticket and the threat of repeat fines often does the job. If the offending car turns out to be abandoned, your council also has a duty to deal with untaxed or abandoned vehicles.
How close can you park to a dropped kerb?
You should leave the whole lowered section clear and park only where the kerb returns to full height. There is no single national distance, but parking tight against the dropped kerb risks a ticket because some councils count the sloping transition kerbs as part of it.
If in doubt, leave a clear gap. A little room also makes it easier for wheelchair users, prams and cyclists to use the crossing the kerb was lowered for in the first place.
If the car causing you grief is actually your own, an old runabout that’s been sat across the drive for months and isn’t worth taxing or fixing, it might be time to move it on. You can find out what your car is worth with a free valuation, we offer free collection across the UK, and you can get an instant quote when you’re ready.
Frequently asked questions about dropped kerb parking
Can I get a ticket for parking over my own dropped kerb?
Usually no, if the dropped kerb serves only your property. You can park across your own crossover and let others do so too, unless yellow lines or a shared-access rule apply. Where a kerb serves several homes, even the residents can be ticketed.
Do the police deal with cars blocking a dropped kerb?
Normally it’s the council, not the police, since parking across a dropped kerb is a civil contravention enforced by Civil Enforcement Officers. The police only get involved if a vehicle causes an actual obstruction, such as blocking you in or forcing traffic off the road.
Is parking on a dropped kerb a criminal offence?
No. It’s a civil parking contravention under the Traffic Management Act 2004, so it brings a Penalty Charge Notice rather than a criminal record or licence points. Causing a deliberate obstruction is a separate matter that can involve the police.
Are Blue Badge holders allowed to park over a dropped kerb?
No. Blue Badge holders are not exempt from the dropped kerb rules and can be issued a Penalty Charge Notice like any other driver. Dropped kerbs are often there to help people with restricted mobility, so the rule applies to everyone.
How long does a council take to act on a reported car?
It varies by council and how quickly an officer can attend, so a ticket isn’t always instant. Reporting with a photo and the registration speeds things up, and repeat offenders can be ticketed each time they park there.
