Where motorists are at highest risk of parking fines in Northern Ireland

One city emerged as the clear leader for parking penalties

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A new study has identified the areas in Northern Ireland where drivers are most at risk of receiving parking fines, with one city emerging as the clear leader for parking penalties.

The research by Outplayed analysed Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) data relating to parking offences across Northern Ireland, revealing dramatic variations in enforcement levels between different towns and cities.

This study analysed Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) data published on gov.uk relating to parking offences in Northern Ireland. The dataset covered the period from 1 January 2024 to 1 June 2025 and provided the number of parking tickets issued across different council areas.

Newry stands out as Northern Ireland's undisputed parking fine hotspot, with 371.6 tickets issued per 1,000 residents. This rate is nearly 50% higher than the second-ranked location and suggests motorists in the area face substantially greater risk of penalties compared to anywhere else in the region.

Newcastle ranks second with 250.1 tickets per 1,000 population, while Northern Ireland's capital Belfast places third despite its urban nature, recording 241.2 tickets per 1,000 residents.

The coastal town of Holywood in Co Down appears fourth on the list with 235.6 tickets per 1,000 population, making it another high-risk area for motorists to receive parking fines.

Armagh and Omagh occupy fifth and sixth positions, with 208.2 and 200.8 tickets per 1,000 residents respectively, both crossing the threshold of more than 200 tickets per 1,000 people.

The popular seaside resort of Portrush ranks seventh with 196.2 tickets per 1,000 population, indicating visitors to the coastal destination may need to pay particular attention to parking regulations.

Northern Ireland towns with highest rate of parking fines

Rank

Town

Total PCNs issued

Population

Parking tickets per 1,000 population

1

Newry

10,598

28,530

371.6

2

Newcastle

2,076

8,298

250.1

3

Belfast

84,006

348,005

241.2

4

Holywood

2,528

10,735

235.6

5

Armagh

3,396

16,310

208.2

6

Omagh

4,106

20,458

200.8

7

Portrush

1,207

6,150

196.2

8

Clogher

132

675

195.6

9

Magherafelt

1,765

9,071

194.6

10

Londonderry

16,583

85,279

194.5

Perhaps most surprisingly, the small town of Clogher features eighth on the list with 195.6 tickets per 1,000 residents, despite having a population of roughly 675 people - making it the smallest location in the top ten.

Magherafelt follows closely in ninth place with 194.6 tickets per 1,000 population, only marginally ahead of Northern Ireland's second-largest city.

Derry completes the top ten with 194.5 tickets per 1,000 residents, virtually tied with Magherafelt but affecting a much larger population of 85,279 people.

An expert from Outplayed, said: "These statistics show substantial variations in parking enforcement across Northern Ireland, with some areas seeing remarkably high numbers of tickets issued relative to their population size. The data from Newry is particularly striking, where residents face a risk of parking fines nearly double that of the larger urban centre of Belfast."

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