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Due to essential maintenance, the following systems will be unavailable from 6.00pm on Monday 2 October until 8.00am on Tuesday 3 October: our online council tax, business rates and housing benefit services, and our welfare assistance form. You will also not be able to register to pay council tax online, make a change of address for council tax or cancel single person discount. You are still able to make a payment during this time. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Our car parks offer free parking after 2.00pm. This does not include Durham City Park and Ride, Hardwick Park, Wharton Park and Riverside Park (South Ropery Lane, North Ropery Lane and the Donald Owen Clark car parks) and car parks that we do not own.

Pay a parking fine


If you park where there are parking restrictions in County Durham you may receive a fine. A parking fine is called a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

Pay/appeal against a parking fine/Penalty Charge Notice online. Please note that the ticket details may not appear online until 24 hours after the fine has been issued.

Other ways to pay

  • automated payment line 0330 0884 785
  • telephone: 0191 384 6633

How much it costs

The cost of parking fines depends on what you have done - fines are £50 or £70.

If you pay within 14 days, the cost will be reduced by 50%.

What to do if you don't agree with the fine

Find out about Challenge a parking fine.

  • If it's attached to the vehicle's windscreen or handed to the vehicle's driver, you can make an informal challenge.
  • If it can't be issued at the time of the offence, it will be sent by post and will automatically move to the next stage of the process as a Notice to Owner.

Please see What happens if you do not pay a parking fine.

Why we issue fines

We issue parking fines to: 

  • keep traffic moving (including pedestrians and cyclists)
  • improve road safety
  • improve the environment
  • improve the quality and accessibility of public transport
  • meet the needs of disabled people, some of whom will be unable to use public transport, and depend on the use of a car
Contact us
Parking Services
03000 263 985
Our address is:
  • P.O. Box 568
  • Durham
  • County Durham
  • United Kingdom
  • DH1 9GP