Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Motoring
  3. Driving licences
  4. Endorsements and disqualifications

Fixed Penalties for motoring offences

A Fixed Penalty is a fine for a motoring offence. Some Fixed Penalties carry penalty points on your licence and some don’t. There is information below on types of Fixed Penalty and Graduated Penalty Notices.

If you receive an email purporting to be from the HM Court Service advising that you need to pay a £25 penalty, the email is a scam and should be deleted if received.

Fixed Penalty Notices issued in Northern Ireland are not sent out via email.

Types of Fixed Penalty

There are four different types of Fixed Penalty, which can be paid in the Fixed Penalty Office. A description of each is outlined below.

Non-endorsable

A non-endorsable Fixed Penalty (for example, a parking offence) carries a fine of £30.

These notices have to be paid within 21 days. However, if the driver was not seen by the issuing officer in person when the ticket was issued, the police will complete a search on the car registration and issue a notice to the owner giving them a further 21 days to pay.

You do not need to hand in your driving licence.

Endorsable

An endorsable Fixed Penalty (for example, being caught by a Police Officer for speeding or having no insurance) carries a fine between £60 and £200.

These notices are to be paid within 21 days. You must hand in your full driving licence, including the paper part, to your local police station within seven days of the offence. The police will then pass this on to the Fixed Penalty Office. Your driving licence be returned in around four to six weeks.

Conditional

A conditional Fixed Penalty (for example, being caught speeding on camera) carries a fine of £60.

These notices are to be paid within 28 days and you must hand in your full driving licence, including the paper part, to the Fixed Penalty Office with your payment.

Driving licences are returned by first class post within five weeks. You can either post your payment and driving licence in to the office or if you call in to the office in person, your licence will be endorsed and returned to you immediately while you wait.

The Fixed Penalty Office can only accept payments for tickets issued in Northern Ireland.

  • Fixed Penalty Office

Fixed Penalties and drivers without a Northern Ireland driving licence

Fixed Penalties can be issued to drivers who do not hold a Northern Ireland driving licence. A driving record will be created and held by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA).

Going to court

If you accept the Fixed Penalty and abide by whatever other conditions apply, you will not be taken to Court. However if you dispute the Fixed Penalty then you may request a court hearing within the time allowed.

Graduated Penalty Notices

The DVA issue Graduated Penalty Notices (tickets), which can be:

  • endorsable - for example, for a defective tyre
  • non-endorsable - for example, for excess weight

The penalty charge for these tickets can vary.

These notices are to be paid within 21 days. If issued with an endorsable Graduated Fixed Penalty, you must hand your full driving licence, including the paper part in to your local police station within seven days of the offence. The police will then pass this on to the Fixed Penalty Office. Your driving licence will not be returned for around four to six weeks.

Who to contact

The Fixed Penalty Office deals only with:

  • the payment of Fixed Penalty tickets issued in Northern Ireland
  • the endorsement of driving licences

All other issues should be addressed to the Central Ticket Office at the following address

Lisnasharragh PSNI Station
42 Montgomery Road
Belfast
BT6 9LD
  • phone: 028 9065 0222

For tickets issued outside of Northern Ireland, you should contact the relevant processing office in the jurisdiction where the ticket was issued.

Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Endorsements and disqualifications

  • Courses for drink drive offenders
  • Driving disqualifications
  • Endorsements and penalty points
  • Fixed Penalties for motoring offences
  • Getting licence back after disqualification
  • Penalty points guidance
  • Remove expired endorsements from driving licence
  • The extended practical driving test

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS