How to pay your penalty charge notice (PCN)

• Online  - you will need your Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) number, vehicle registration and debit/credit card details. 

• Phone - call 0345 600 6400 - Monday to Thursday, 8.30am - 5:00pm and Friday 8:30am-4:30pm and have your Penalty Charge Notice  (PCN) number, vehicle registration and debit/credit card details handy. 

• In person – at one of our customer information centres using a debit/credit card or cheque (made payable to Northumberland County Council) - check our Contact Us pages for opening times for your nearest centre. 

• By post – send your remittance slip and a cheque made payable to 'Northumberland County Council' to:
  Parking Services
  Northumberland County Council
  County Hall
  Morpeth
  Northumberland
  NE61 2EF

• You have 28 days to pay, and your fine will be reduced by 50% if you pay inside 14 days. If you’re considering appealing:  Click here to view the photographic evidence which shows why you have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) .  

What happens if I don’t pay within 28 days?

Stage one - Notice to Owner 

 We’ll send the registered keeper a ‘Notice to Owner’ form to ensure the Penalty Charge Notice was received and to remind you it is now due to be paid in full. It also gives you the opportunity to formally challenge your Penalty Charge Notice. At this stage, only the registered keeper of the vehicle can formally challenge, unless they give us written permission to correspond with someone else. 

Stage two - Charge Certificate 

If you don’t pay within 28 days of the Notice to Owner, we’ll send a Charge Certificate letter confirming the fine has increased by 50%.   

Stage three - Order for Recovery 

If payment is outstanding 14 days after the Charge Certificate letter is served, an order for recovery letter will be sent which will increase the outstanding amount. You will have the option to pay the full amount or file a witness statement to the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC). A TE3/9 form will be included with the order for recovery. If you fail to do anything, we will then pass your debt to an enforcement agent, sometimes known as a bailiff. At this stage you can no longer speak directly to the council about the Penalty Charge Notice. You must deal directly with your debt enforcement agent. 

• If you need any general help and advice about debt, please click here.  

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