Parking & Regulations
Commercial Car Parks
For details about commercial car parks in the city, please visit the City of Adelaide Parking page.
City Parking
Our Parking and You (PDF, 1Mb) brochure provides information about parking and traffic laws. This information guide also advises you how to contest a parking infringement you have received from the Adelaide City Council. For special meaning of trifling, see section 4(2) Expiation of Offences Act 1996.
Parking tickets are officially called Parking Infringement Notices. Their enforcement is regulated by State law and is the same for all councils.
If you park illegally, you can be reported. A parking ticket can be handed to you, secured under a windscreen wiper blade of your vehicle or you can be sent the ticket in the mail.
If you do not pay the fee, you will have statutory costs added to it. If you continue to refuse to pay, the matter will be referred to the Magistrate’s Court, and can result in the suspension of your driver’s licence or your property can be seized and sold to satisfy the amount owing.
» Signs and Rules
» Australian Road Rules (SA Parliament Web Site)
FAQs
Who is responsible for paying a parking infringement?
The owner of the vehicle is responsible for the infringement. If you were not driving the vehicle at the time, you must provide a Statutory Declaration within 21 days of the notice, including the full name and address of the driver to the Adelaide City Council.
If the vehicle has been sold prior to the offence date, you should forward a copy of the disposal notice or a Statutory Declaration with the new owners full name and address.
What are the parking infringement amounts?
Parking infringement amounts are set by the State Government in Regulations made under the Road Traffic Act, 1961.
What extra costs do I incur if the fine is not paid by the due date?
The State Government sets the reminder fee level of $48. A search fee of $7.00 is also incurred for Council to obtain owner details from Transport SA. Registration searches from other states attract higher fees. Court costs may also be incurred if the matter goes before the Magistrate’s Court.
Are there any other consequences?
Parking infringements do not result in demerit points against your driver's licence. However, if the matter proceeds to Court there may be other consequences if not paid including the suspension of your driver’s licence or your property can be seized and sold to satisfy the amount owing.
Who can issue infringement notices?
The following people can issue an Infringement Notice (a parking ticket):
● Any police officer.
● Adelaide City Council Parking Information Officers.
● Adelaide City Council Parklands Rangers.
● Adelaide City Council Authorised Officers.
● Bus drivers can supply information to the Adelaide City Council and infringement notices may be issued if it is believed to be appropriate.
Can an infringement notice be issued on private property?
Infringements can be issued on private property if the owner has an agreement with Council (under the provision of the Private Parking Areas Act 1986). For example, privately owned car parks for apartment blocks, shopping centres or businesses may be controlled by the Adelaide City Council by arrangement with the owner. These car parks all display the appropriate signage.
Can more than one ticket be issued for the same offence?
Once a vehicle has been reported for an offence and remains parked for a further period, a ‘Further Offence’ Notice can be issued.
If the area is subject to a time limit of less than one hour, for each period that the vehicle remains, a ‘Further Offence’ Notice may be issued. For example, in a 15 minute parking zone, further offences can be issued every 15 minutes after the initial Infringement Notice.
For all other parking infringements, a Further Offence Notice may be issued for each hour that the vehicle remains parked after the initial Infringement Notice.
What powers do the Adelaide City Council or Police have to tow vehicles?
Council endeavours to avoid towing a vehicle away, and every effort is made to contact the owner before the vehicle is towed and impounded. But if the owner cannot be located the vehicle will most likely be towed.
Vehicle Obstruction
If you have left your vehicle parked illegally and the Adelaide City Council or police believe it is a danger to other road users, is likely to cause traffic congestion or obstruct access to property, they can arrange for the vehicle to be towed and stored. Vehicles cannot be towed away simply because they are causing an inconvenience to other road users.
Vehicle Not Moved for 24 Hours
Council may tow a vehicle if a complaint is received and it is established that it has not moved for 24 hours.
Specific legislation (the Local Government Act and the Road Traffic Act) permits us to tow and impound vehicles: Local Government Act Part 3 – Anti Pollution Measures – Sections 236 and 237 & Road Traffic Act Division 9 – Miscellaneous Provisions – Section 86
If you think that your vehicle might have been towed
Contact our Customer Centre on 8203 7203 first for confirmation. Make sure you have the registration number of your vehicle handy.
If you know your vehicle has been towed
Before you can recover your vehicle, you must come to our Customer Centre in person to prove that you are the owner of the vehicle.
You must bring your registration notice and/or your driver’s licence with you to prove that you are the owner of the vehicle. We will not release the vehicle to anybody acting on your behalf unless they present a written letter of authority to collect the vehicle for the owner. You must also pay the fee charged for towing along with any storage costs incurred by Adelaide City Council. The vehicle will not be released until the towing fee is paid (cheques will not be accepted).
We will then authorise the contractor to release your vehicle. You will be able to collect it from their premises. In addition to the towing fee charged, we may also have reported your vehicle for an Infringement, depending on where the vehicle was parked.
Please note that storage fees for vehicles increases each day. All costs of the removal and storage will be incurred by the owner.
