If you have received an FPN, you have two options:
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you can pay your FPN in full within 28 days (unless otherwise stated) from the date of your FPN letter (the date is located above your ACRO reference number), or;
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if you do not want to pay your FPN, cannot pay your FPN or if you disagree with any of the information within your FPN, you can contest it and request a court hearing.
Further information to assist you is included below.
Details of how to make payment can be found on your FPN letter. Please note that unless otherwise stated on your FPN letter, we cannot accept bank transfers.
If you want to pay online, email fpn.payments@acro.police.uk stating ‘online payment request’ in the subject of the email. Please include your ACRO reference number and the name stated on your fixed penalty notice. We will then reply with a unique World Pay website link and instructions on how to pay. Please read these instructions carefully as the link will only be available for a specified time.
Please note: this email is sent manually and owing to the extremely high volumes of emails and calls we are receiving, there is currently a delay in providing you with a link.
However, please be assured that you will receive your link, and the date we received your email will be taken into account when processing the appropriate fine amount.
In the meantime, please do not send further emails to ACRO, or call us, as this will result in further delays.
Please check your junk/spam email folders for emails from us.
Please be patient. We will provide you with a payment link, but we’re experiencing extremely high demand at the moment, and so replies are delayed. Please be assured that the date we received your email will be taken into account when processing the correct fine amount.
Please do not send us further emails or calls, as this will only cause further delays.
Please check your junk/spam email folders for emails from us.
No. ACRO does not have the facility to arrange payment plans. If you cannot pay your FPN in full, you will need to contest your fine. Details of how to do this are included in your FPN letter and further information about contesting your fine is included below.
Please note that we cannot accept requests to contest over the phone, they must be made in writing.
Please email enquiries.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk with your name, ACRO reference number and proof of payment, for instance the cheque serial number, or the last four digits of the bank account used.
Some fines are subject to a ‘grace period’, which provides an opportunity to pay a reduced amount; your fixed penalty notice letter will advise you if this applies to your fine. If a grace period does apply, it will start on the date of your fixed penalty notice letter (not the date of offence).
Please note that only some fines include an option to pay a reduced amount (grace period).
If no grace period is included within your FPN letter, then you must pay the full amount.
If you miss you 14-day grace period, it cannot be extended.
ACRO takes no responsibility for issues encountered with the postal service. If you would like to contest due to an issue with the postal service, details of how to do this are included in your FPN letter and further information about contesting your fine is included below.
No, unfortunately not. We are only able to accept reduced amounts within the period specified on your fixed penalty notice letter. Otherwise, payment must be made in full within 28 days from the date of your fixed penalty notice letter (not the date of offence).
If you wish to contest your FPN, details of how to do this are included in your FPN letter and further information about contesting your fine is included below.
All fines must be paid with 28 days from the date stated on your FPN letter (above your ACRO reference number.) Please note that this is the date the letter was dispatched, NOT the date of the offence.
Some fines are subject to a 14-day ‘grace period’, which will be clearly stated on your FPN. Please see ‘can the fine be reduced’ above.
No. We are only able to accept payment within 28 days from the date of your fixed penalty notice letter (not the date of offence). If you wish to contest your FPN, details of how to do this are included in your FPN letter and further information about contesting your fine is included below.
Please email the ACRO enquiries mailbox: enquiries.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk with your name, ACRO reference number and proof of payment.
If you do not want to pay your FPN, cannot pay your FPN or if you disagree with any of the information within your FPN, you can contest it and request a court hearing.
Please email enquiries.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk with your ACRO reference number, clearly stating that you wish to contest and request a court hearing.
You are welcome to provide an explanation and any supporting information or evidence you wish to be taken into consideration by the force/court.
After the 28 day window outlined in your letter has passed without payment, we will return your case to the force. We will inform them of your contest request and forward any supporting information/evidence that you have provided.
The force will then review your case and decide whether to withdraw the fine or proceed the matter to court.
Once your case is returned to the force, ACRO are not involved in the next stages of the process.
You will receive direct correspondence from the force if they wish to proceed the case to court.
Unfortunately we cannot advise how long the decision making process will take.
No. We cannot accept a payment at this stage and we cannot dispute the force (or the court’s) decisions.
No. There is no facility to appeal or dispute. You can only contest and request a court hearing.
ACRO does not have the authority to review, investigate or cancel your FPN.
ACRO is only responsible for administering your FPN on behalf of the relevant police force. As such, we do not have the authority to cancel the fines; this decision must come from the force or a court.
Yes. ACRO is only responsible for administering your FPN on behalf of the relevant police force, so we do not have the authority to investigate your case. This is a matter for the force or a court.
Yes. This information will be provided to the force and the court for their consideration.
You have 28 days to pay or contest. If you are unsure, please seek independent legal advice.
No. We cannot provide information on the court process. Please seek independent legal advice if required.
Please seek independent legal advice.
Please wait 12 weeks from the date of offence for your FPN to arrive in the post. If you have not received your FPN after 12 weeks from the date of offence, please email enquiries.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk with the following information:
- Your name and date of birth (as provided to the police)
- Address given to the police for the FPN to be sent to
- Issuing police force
- Type of offence (e.g.: gathering, not wearing a face covering, etc.)
Please email the ACRO enquiries mailbox: enquiries.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk with your name, date of birth and the address you provided to the police.
ACRO will retain fixed penalty notice records for six years from the point the notice is considered to be closed; for instance, the date the fine is paid. If more than one notice has been issued to you, we will use the closure date of the latest fixed penalty notice.
In order to discuss an FPN with anyone other than the recipient of the FPN, we need third party authorisation. This must be provided by the recipient of the FPN before we are able to discuss any details. Please provide this in writing to enquiries.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk.
The fines are being collected by ACRO Criminal Records Office. ACRO is a national police unit working for safer communities. We are hosted by Hampshire Constabulary under the direction and control of the Chief Constable pursuant to a collaboration agreement made under section 22A of the Police Act 1996.
For further details regarding ACRO's role in administering FPNs, please see the following Information Sharing Agreements:
ACRO FPN ISA - England
ACRO FPN ISA - Wales
ACRO FPN ISA - Ministry of Defence Police
The funds from these payments are held in a separate bank account used solely for this purpose until they can be distributed to local authorities in England and Wales
CPOSA is not collecting FPN Fines. CPOSA is a separate organisation that ACRO provides administrative services to. CPOSA has no link or involvement to ACRO’s role in administering Covid-19 fixed penalty notices.
No, if you are unsure, please seek independent legal advice.
Please write on the envelope that the subject is ‘Not known at this address’ and return the letter to sender.
Fixed penalty notices issued for offences under coronavirus legislation are non-recordable, so whether an FPN is paid or contested, it will not be recorded on the Police National Computer. Local records may be held by the relevant force.
Our FPN team are unable to assist with FPN enquiries or requests to contest over the phone. If you would like to contest, or if your query is not answered in these FAQs, please email us: enquires.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk.
Please note: due to the significant volume of emails we receive, if we believe that the answer to your query is included in our FAQs, you will not receive a response to your email.
Please contact the relevant police force.
You can contest your FPN on these grounds, but you may also wish to raise this concern directly with the relevant force.
Please contact the relevant police force.
We cannot provide direct contact details for police forces. Please check the relevant force’s website, or call the police non-emergency number 101.
You may find the following websites useful:
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/coronavirus
Please contact the relevant police force.
As law enforcement processing, the FPN process is covered by Part 3 of the Data Protection Act 2018. As such, subject rights differ slightly to those under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
ACRO is processing FPN on behalf of police forces in England and Wales using the information supplied by police forces. The relevant force is the controller of the data, and would therefore be responsible for any decisions regarding the erasure or rectification of data held in relation to an FPN offence.
ACRO does not receive, or have access to, any statements, evidence, body-worn camera footage, or anything other than the details included on your FPN. Please contact the relevant police force for information they may hold about you.
Please note that Freedom of Information (Freedom of Information Act 2000) requests relate to non-personal data only. More information is included here.
ACRO can only respond to data subject rights requests in respect of data that we have processed. Please email information.management@acro.police.uk for access to information held about you on ACRO’s systems.
If you, or someone you are acting on behalf of, have received an FPN and your question is not answered in the above FAQs, please email: enquiries.cv19.fpn@acro.police.uk.
Please note: due to the significant volume of emails we receive, if we believe that the answer to your query is included in our FAQs, you will not receive a response to your email.
If you have a media enquiry, please email: communications@acro.police.uk. Please note that this email address is for members of the media only.
Last updated: 09/06/2021