Mapped: What UK Councils Earn from Parking Fines

Whether you’ve left your car on double yellow lines or forgot your permit, getting slapped with a parking fine is a pain for any driver.

If you’re caught committing a parking offence, you’re likely to receive a penalty charge notice (PCN), with some councils charging up to £130 – or more if it goes to court.

But which area is being fined the most? Through Freedom of Information requests, we asked UK councils in the most populated areas for the number of PCNs issued for parking offences, plus the amount of income received.

UK councils collect £5k in parking fines every HOUR
Our research found that UK councils earn £121,994 every 24 hours from parking offence PCNs, on average – that’s a huge £5,083 every single hour.

The statistics show that, in total, UK councils make £45 million per year from parking contraventions from a huge 1.3 million fines dished out.

Top 10 UK councils making the most from parking fines

Islington earns the most from parking offences, making over £1.2k every hour
The Freedom of Information request received from Islington council revealed that the London borough makes the most from parking offences.

Every year, Islington earns £10.8 million through 227,225 parking fines, on average. This equals a huge £29,630 per day, or £1,235 per hour.

Manchester makes £13k per day from parking tickets
Manchester comes in second, as council data reveals that the city makes £4.7 million from 152,222 PCNs, annually. This means Manchester council earns £13,128 every day, or £547 per hour from parking contraventions.

Brighton nets over £4.6 million each year from parking fines
Our research reveals that Brighton & Hove is the third council who receives the most income from PCN parking tickets. The seaside city makes £4.6 million each year from 121,582 fines, on average. That’s equivalent to £12,611 earned per day, or £526 per hour.