NSW parking fines are issued under the Road Rules 2014 and enforced by Revenue NSW, councils, and a handful of state agencies. The amounts are set in legislation, reviewed annually, and updated each financial year. This guide pulls together the current schedule for the most common offences, where the figures come from, and what’s changed under the 2025 reforms.
Important: Penalty amounts can change without notice. The figures below come from the most recent published NSW Government penalty notice schedule (dated 1 July 2025) — we re-checked it on 16 July 2026 and it is still the current schedule. NSW typically publishes the annually indexed update in late July, so always confirm the amount on your specific notice or via Revenue NSW.
Common NSW parking fine amounts
These are the offence categories most drivers encounter, with current penalty amounts:
| Offence | Penalty | Demerit points |
|---|---|---|
| No Stopping | $330 | 0 |
| No Parking | $140 | 0 |
| Stop in Loading Zone (without authorisation) | $235 | 0 |
| Stop on/across driveway or path access | $330 | 0 |
| Stop in disabled parking without permit | $704 | 1 |
| Stop in bus zone | $330 | 0 |
| Stop in clearway | $330 | 0 |
| Park beyond allowed time (overstay) | $140 | 0 |
| Not pay parking fee / disobey ticket sign | $140 | 0 |
| Park on path, strip or nature strip | $330 | 0 |
| Park in permit-only / restricted parking area without permit | $140 | 0 |
| Damage or interfere with parking meter | $330 | 0 |
For the full list of NSW parking fines including school zone uplifts, heavy vehicle offences, and rarely-used categories, see the official NSW Government penalty notice schedule (PDF, updated annually around 1 July).
What changed on 1 July 2025
The Fines Amendment (Parking Fines) Act 2024 came into effect on 1 July 2025 and changed how parking fines are issued, even if it didn’t change most amounts. Three things matter for drivers:
- A physical notification must be left on the vehicle. In most cases, parking officers must attach a notice (typically under the windscreen wiper) at the time of the offence. This makes “discovering” a fine in the mail weeks later less common.
- A 7-day rule. If the officer can’t leave a notice (e.g. for safety or because the vehicle has driven away), the fine must be issued within 7 calendar days of the offence — otherwise it’s invalid.
- Photographs are required. Officers must photograph both the offence and the notification. This creates a paper trail you can reference if you request a review.
If a fine turned up in the post with nothing left on your windscreen, the rules on when that’s valid versus challengeable are covered in can you get a NSW parking fine without a notice on your windscreen?
State-policed vs council-policed areas
This catches a lot of people out. NSW operates two different parking-fine schedules:
- Standard schedule — issued by councils and most agencies. This is the one in the table above. A “park beyond limit” offence here is around $140.
- Reduced state schedule — introduced in 2018, applies in places like Sydney Olympic Park, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Centennial Parklands, and Parramatta Park. The same overstay offence is charged at a reduced rate in these areas.
If your fine seems lower than expected, it’s likely one of these state-policed areas. The Sydney Olympic Park Business Association covered the original change in detail.
How council fines work compared to Revenue NSW fines
Council parking fines in NSW and Revenue NSW fines end up in the same system. On public streets, the fine is issued by either:
- Local council parking inspectors (often called rangers) — most parking fines on public streets fall under this category
- Revenue NSW–authorised inspectors in state-managed areas
Either way, the fine is processed by Revenue NSW. You pay through the same channel, request reviews through the same channel, and any escalation flows through the same enforcement system. From the driver’s perspective, there’s almost no practical difference.
The exception is that some councils maintain an internal review process before the matter goes to Revenue NSW. This is uncommon for NSW councils — most just direct you straight to Revenue NSW’s review process — but worth checking the back of your specific notice for the listed review path.
How fines escalate
If you don’t pay or appeal in time, the cost climbs:
- Original notice — you have 28 days from the issue date to pay, request a review, or elect court.
- Reminder notice — issued after the 28-day window. Adds a reminder fee (around $25).
- Overdue / enforcement order — issued if the reminder period also lapses. Adds another enforcement fee (around $65), and Revenue NSW gains broader collection powers.
- Sanctions — at the enforcement-order stage, Revenue NSW can suspend your licence or vehicle registration, garnish wages, garnish bank accounts, or refer the matter to a sheriff.
Acting in the first 28 days is dramatically cheaper than letting the timer run out. Even if you intend to appeal, do it within that window — appeals pause the clock automatically. For the full escalation path — reminder fees, licence and registration suspension, garnishees, the Sheriff, and the hardship options if you can’t pay — see our guide on what happens if you don’t pay a NSW parking fine.
What’s not covered by the parking fine schedule
Some related offences look like parking offences but aren’t:
- Bus lane / transit lane offences are camera-enforced and processed under a different schedule (typically $387 + 1 demerit point in NSW).
- Stopping at a red light is a road traffic offence, not a parking offence — different schedule, demerit points apply.
- Driving without rego while parked on a public road — that’s a registration offence, separately enforceable, much higher penalties.
- Toll evasion — separate process via the relevant motorway operator and Revenue NSW; not on the parking schedule.
- Private car park overstay charges — these aren’t legal “fines” at all but contractual claims by private operators (Wilson, Care Park, Secure, etc.). They can’t suspend your licence or fine you in the criminal sense; they can only sue you in civil court. Different rules entirely.
How to check the current amount
There are three reliable places to check:
- Your own penalty notice. The amount on the notice is the legally-binding amount for that fine. If it’s different from the schedule, the notice wins (errors aside, which are appealable).
- The NSW Government parking offences PDF. Updated each financial year. Lists every offence with current amount and demerit points.
- Revenue NSW’s vehicle offences guide. A more readable format than the PDF.
Avoid relying on third-party “fine calculator” sites — they’re often months out of date, especially after the 1 July annual adjustment.
A note on what this guide isn’t
These figures are general information, not legal advice. If your fine is unusually high, involves a court matter, or you’ve been pushed past the enforcement-order stage, talk to a solicitor. LawAccess NSW (1300 888 529) is free and can refer you to free legal services if you qualify.
For appeal step-by-step, see our guide on how to appeal a NSW parking fine.