Got a UK penalty letter you don't understand?
Official letters are written to be taken seriously — not to be clear. We explain what the document is, whether it's automated, what you owe, your deadline, and how to challenge it.
Find your letter in 10 seconds
Showing all 10 letters.
Which letter have you got?
10 letters
- £80 → £40 in 33 days
DVLA untaxed vehicle fine
Usually a Late Licensing Penalty of £80, halved to £40 if you pay within 33 days. Most are triggered because vehicle tax does not transfer when a car is sold.
33 days to halve itRead guide → - No fine yet
TV Licensing letter
These letters are sent automatically to addresses with no licence recorded. A visiting officer can only enter with your permission or a search warrant.
No deadline — but don't ignore visitsRead guide → - £30 + 2× tax
SORN penalty letter
A SORN vehicle must be kept off the public road. Being parked on the street counts as “kept on a public road”, which is what generates most of these letters.
Date on your letterRead guide → - 5× charge, max £100
NHS Penalty Charge Notice
Five times the charge you should have paid, capped at £100, plus the original charge. Answering the first enquiry letter is how most people avoid the penalty entirely.
28 days from enquiryRead guide → - Varies by issuer
Parking ticket — “I wasn’t the driver”
For a council PCN the registered keeper is liable, so “I wasn’t the driver” is generally not a defence. For a private parking charge, the rules are different and you can name the driver.
28 days to appealRead guide → - PCN vs FPN
FPN or PCN — which have I got?
A PCN is civil and has a formal appeal to an independent tribunal. An FPN is an alternative to prosecution and has no appeal — you either pay or go to the Magistrates’ Court.
Know which one you hold firstRead guide → - £70 → £35 in 14 days
Dart Charge and Clean Air Zone PCN
Dart Charge must be paid by midnight the day after you cross. Miss it and the PCN is £70, reduced to £35 within 14 days. Clean air charges are set city by city.
14 days discountRead guide → - Scam check
Is this penalty letter genuine?
Most posted penalty letters are real, and most scams arrive by text or email. The only reliable test is confirming it through the official service you found yourself, never through a link in the message.
Never click a link in the messageRead guide → - Escalation
What happens if you don’t respond?
Every one of these letters has a next stage, and every next stage costs more than the one before. Here is what follows each, and how long you have.
See the full timeline →Read guide → - Glossary
Penalty letter jargon explained
LLP, OCS, PCN, FPN, NtO, NtK, POFA, TEC. What each term means, and which letter it belongs to.
All terms in one placeRead guide →
Not sure where to start? Compare all letters side-by-side →
Amounts, deadlines, and what happens if you ignore it — in one trusted table.
Every figure is sourced
Each amount links to the issuing body's own guidance — not a guess.
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Reviewed 24 October 2026
Charges change — the review date matters as much as the number.