Cost of Education Penalty Notices

Education Penalty Notices are normally issued to each parent/carer by post. You must make payment to the council.

The amount of the fine depends on whether any previous Education Penalty Notices have been issued to the parent/carer for the same child for unauthorised absences which took place after 19 August 2024, but within a period of 3 years from the current fine.

Note that these fines apply per parent/carer, for each non-attending child.

If this is the first such Education Penalty Notice, the fine is:

  • £80 if paid within 21 days
  • £160 if paid between 22 and 28 days

If this is the second Education Penalty Notice you've received, the fine is at a single rate of £160, payable within 28 days.

In both cases, no reminder will be sent.

If third or subsequent offences occur within a rolling 3 year period, the council is not allowed to issue a further fine. Instead, you're likely to face prosecution in the Magistrates’ court.

What happens if you do not pay an Education Penalty Notice

Education Penalty Notices give parents and carers the opportunity to avoid prosecution for school non-attendance offences by paying a fine.

If you do not pay an Education Penalty Notice in full within the timescales set out in the notice, you'll be prosecuted in the Magistrates’ court and can be subject to a fine of up to £1,000.

For more information, visit our webpage on offences related to Education Penalty Notices.