Wrong body issued your ticket in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, two separate bodies can issue parking tickets, and each one only has power to deal with certain offences. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) handles criminal parking offences — such as obstruction, dangerous parking, and parking on zigzag lines near schools or pedestrian crossings. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) handles civil parking offences, such as parking on yellow lines. If the wrong body issued your ticket — for example, DfI ticketing you for a school zigzag offence, or PSNI ticketing you for something that is now a civil matter — the ticket may have been issued without the legal power to do so.

Legal basis

Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989; Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 Arts 50, 138; Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996; Traffic Management (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

How to identify this in your case

Check the issuer logo (DfI vs PSNI). Cross-check the alleged offence. PSNI on yellow lines (post-decrim) is wrong; DfI for school zigzags / obstruction is wrong.

Sample appeal wording

Dear Sir/Madam, Re: [PCN/FPN] [NUMBER] The alleged offence is [OFFENCE]. This is a [civil contravention enforced exclusively by DfI / criminal offence enforced exclusively by PSNI]. The notice has been issued by [WRONG BODY] which has no statutory jurisdiction. The notice is invalid and must be withdrawn. Yours faithfully, [NAME]

Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.

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Wrong body issued your ticket in Northern Ireland

Legal basis

How to identify this in your case

Sample appeal wording

Beat It writes this argument automatically

Sources

Related appeal grounds

Next steps