Car parking frequently asked questions

When visiting a National Trust car park, members can park for free using their membership card. Non-members can use a variety of payment methods available on site.

Parking options vary by location and include the JustPark app, PayByPhone app, card-only and card and coin payment machines and automatic number plate recognition.

Please check car parking information on the property's website before you visit, or look for instructions on car park signs when you arrive.

Within 15 minutes of joining online, you'll receive an email with your temporary membership card attached. Instructions on how to get free parking are included.

Some temporary membership cards will include a barcode. This works in the same way as the barcode on your membership card. Scan the barcode at our pay-and-display machines and then place the ticket in your windscreen. When your membership card arrives, you will need to start using that instead of your temporary card.

Some temporary membership cards will not include a barcode. In these cases a temporary parking pass will be included with your temporary membership card. Display this on the dashboard of your vehicle at our car parks until your membership card arrives.

When you join at a National Trust place, you'll be given a temporary parking pass that can be displayed on the dashboard of your car.

When your membership card arrives, you'll then need to start using that to get free parking.

Staff are often on hand to help visitors. If the car park machine isn't working or is out of order, please see if there's someone available to help you.

Visitors often find that their signal improves as they walk around our places. Please make a note of the location code and pay when you are able to do so, or see if a member of staff is available to help you.

If the car park is staffed and the team can validate your membership, you will not have to pay for parking. They will issue a temporary member parking pass for that day and will ensure you do not receive a compliance notice.

If the car park is not staffed, or if staff are unable to validate your membership, please pay for parking. If you pay for parking and membership status can later be verified, please contact enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk for a Members Claim Form. The parking fee can be reimbursed as a digital National Trust gift card for claims over £7.

No, but if you don't have your card to scan for free parking, or if you do not pay for parking, you may receive a compliance notice.

If the car park is staffed and the team can validate your membership, you will not have to pay for parking. They will issue a temporary member parking pass for that day and will ensure you do not receive a compliance notice.

If the car park is not staffed, or if staff are unable to validate your membership, please pay for parking. If you pay for parking and membership status can later be verified, please contact enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk for a Members Claim Form. The parking fee can be reimbursed as a digital National Trust gift card for claims over £7.

If you have mobility issues and are a blue badge holder, you're able to park for free in our pay-and-display car parks as long as you display your badge. There is no need to scan your membership card.

If you're with someone who can scan on your behalf, remember that the property will benefit from your visit. Having scanned card data helps us better support conservation and facilities at the places you are visiting by giving additional funding from your membership fees back to the property for each member visit.

We continue to explore what more we can do to support accessibility at our car parks.

All life membership cards should now be scannable at our pay-to-enter properties and at our pay-and-display car parks.

During 2017 we contacted all life members who we have a valid email or postal address for and replaced the old-style cards with a new scannable version.

If you have not received a new card, it may be that we don't have a valid contact address for you. In this case, please contact our membership department by phoning 0344 800 1895 or emailing enquries@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Our teams have been instructed to clip the corners of old-style life membership cards on presentation (akin to a passport clipped corner) and to advise members to request new life cards from our Supporter Services Centre. In this instance, a temporary life membership form can be issued to provide free entry and free parking.

Non-members will need to pay at our car parks using the payment method available. Please check a property’s website for information before you visit, or check the car park signs for instructions when you arrive.

Aside from junior membership, all memberships include free parking at most National Trust car parks.

Scanning your membership card for free parking lets us understand just how many people are using our car parks and when.

Having scanned card data helps us better support conservation and facilities at the places you are visiting by giving additional funding from your membership fees back to the property for each member visit.

No personal information on any supporter is held in the pay-and-display machines and no member can be identified, except by the National Trust. The data held to verify a membership card is a single unique encrypted code for each member.

We also have image recording devices, including ANPR cameras (automatic number plate recognition) at some of our car parks. They’re to help enforce parking rules and prevent crime, and this may require your personal data being used, or shared with a third party.

For more information on how the National Trust looks after your personal data, please see our privacy policy: Privacy policy | National Trust.

We've produced a car 'badge' of some sort for 70 years and we know that many members love displaying these stickers in their cars. We’ve made some changes so that they're more environmentally friendly, including removing the date so that they can be used for several years and making the material completely recyclable.

If you're a new member, you'll find your car sticker in your welcome pack, though this is no longer an indicator of free parking, so remember to scan your card.

Yes. You can request a second car sticker in My Account. Please note, however, that the car sticker is no longer an indicator of free parking, and a membership card will need to be scanned for free parking.

You no longer need to display a car sticker to access free parking. Simply scan your membership card at the ticket machine to receive free parking at most of the places we care for. However, you still have the option to receive a car sticker, and you can tell us if you'd like one in My Account.

Replacement car stickers should arrive within 15 days total.