School absence fine (penalty notice) explained

What this kind of letter means

The council has fined you £80 for taking your child out of school for 5 days in September. It rises to £160 if you pay after 1 December, and if it's not paid by 8 December you could be prosecuted.

Under the national rules in England since August 2024, a penalty notice for unauthorised absence is £80 if paid within 21 days and £160 within 28 days, for each parent and each child. A second notice for the same child within three years is charged at £160, and a third usually leads to prosecution. There's no formal appeal. A council can withdraw a notice if it was issued incorrectly, for example if the school had authorised the absence. If you don't pay, the council may prosecute you in the magistrates' court for failing to ensure your child's attendance, which can mean a larger fine.

Things worth checking

• Check the dates match the absence.
• If the school authorised the time off, ask for the notice to be withdrawn, with proof.
• Each parent can get their own notice for the same absence.

Your options

• Pay the £80. Cheapest option if the notice is correct.
• Ask for withdrawal. Only if the absence was authorised, the details are wrong, or there were exceptional circumstances.
• Talk to the school. Check the attendance record and any leave request.

If you ignore it

The council may prosecute you in the magistrates' court, which can mean a higher fine and a criminal record.

What usually decides this

Usually difficult to avoid if the holiday was in term time without permission, as there's no appeal. Stronger only if the school authorised it or the notice has mistakes.

The rules

• In England a school absence penalty notice is £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 within 28 days, per parent per child. A second notice for the same child within 3 years is £160 with no discount. There's no appeal or instalments.
  England. Source: National framework, explained by West Northamptonshire Council
• If the notice isn't paid in full within 28 days, the council may prosecute you for failing to ensure your child's attendance, unless it withdraws the notice.
  England. Source: National framework, explained by West Northamptonshire Council
• Wales has its own amounts, and Scotland and Northern Ireland don't use school penalty notices in the same way. Check with your council.
  Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland. Source: Contact your local council

Rules last checked 13 November 2026.

Words you might see

• Penalty notice: A fine you can pay instead of being prosecuted.
• Unauthorised absence: Time off school that the head teacher didn't agree to.
• Section 444: The law that makes parents responsible for their child's regular attendance.

An example reply

From our worked example. Letter Clear writes one for your own letter, in your name.

You don't need to reply if you're paying.

Pay £80 by 1 December 2026, within 21 days. After that it's £160 until 8 December 2026. Keep your payment confirmation.

The notice is per parent, per child. If another parent also got one, they pay separately.

[Your name]

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