A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is a notice served by an authorised enforcement officer to a person who has committed a criminal offence. They may be issued on the spot or through the post. They can be used for:
- Parking offences
- Anti-social behaviour
- Environmental crime - this includes a range of offences e.g. littering (see environmental crime)
Littering offences relate to the dropping or depositing of litter so whether or not you volunteer to pick up your litter afterwards, you have still committed an offence and will receive a FPN.
If you pay the fixed penalty fine, that is the end of the matter and there will be no criminal record.
How to pay the FPN
You cannot pay the enforcement officer directly when you have been issued a fine and you cannot pay the fine in instalments.
What happens if I don't pay the FPN?
You cannot appeal against the FPN.
If you don’t pay and the offence is tried in Court, it may result in a criminal conviction with a bigger fine and a criminal record (which must be declared when applying for jobs, travelling etc.).
Please note that it is an offence to fail to give your name, or give a false address to an authorised officer when asked and you could be prosecuted for failing to give these details.
FPN charges
The cost of an FPN depends on the offence and these costs are listed below along with the possible conviction costs if the matter goes to court.
Fixed Penalty Notice Costs
| Description of offence | Amount if paid within 14 days | Amount if paid within 28 days | Maximum penalty on conviction |
|---|
|
Littering (FPN)
|
£100
|
£500
|
£2500
|
|
Littering from vehicle (PCN)
|
£75
|
£150
|
Civil penalty
|
|
Failing to remove dog faeces (FPN)
|
N/A
|
£100
|
£2500
|
|
Failure to comply with a Public Places Protection Order (Dog control) (FPN)
|
N/A
|
£100
|
£100
|
|
An offence in relation to a domestic bin (FPN)
|
N/A
|
£80
|
£2500
|
|
An offence in relation to a commercial bin (FPN)
|
N/A
|
£100
|
£5000
|
|
Breach of Community Protection Notice (FPN)
|
N/A
|
£100
|
£2500
£20,000 in the case of a business / organisation
|
|
Failure to provide a waste carriers licence (FPN)
|
N/A
|
£300
|
£5000
|
|
Failure to present business waste transfer notes (FPN)
|
N/A
|
£300
|
£5000
|
|
Graffiti (FPN)
|
£100
|
£500
|
£2500
|
|
Fly-tipping (FPN)
|
£500
|
£1000
|
£50,000 or imprisonment
|
|
Fly posting (FPN)
|
£100
|
£500
|
£2500
|