Parking Rules in Australia: Distances and Signs

Photo: wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Parking rules in Australia mostly come from the national road rules. In nearly every state you must not park within 20 metres of an intersection with traffic lights, or within 10 metres of one without. This explainer lists the legal distances, shows where the states differ, explains how to read parking signs, and walks through parallel, angle and hill parking.

Key facts

Intersection with traffic lights: no parking within 20 metres (NSW, VIC, TAS, ACT, NT, SA).
Intersection without lights: no parking within 10 metres, except along the continuous side of a T-intersection.
Pedestrian or children’s crossing: no stopping within 20 metres before or 10 metres after.
Dividing lines: leave at least 3 metres between your car and the line. Which lines count varies by state.
Parallel parking: at least 1 metre from the cars in front and behind.
Fire hydrant: no parking within 1 metre.
No stopping and No parking mean different things (below).

Minimum parking distances

Unless a sign says otherwise, do not stop or park:

Near	Distance	Notes
Intersection with traffic lights	20 m	WA Drive Safe lists 10 m for intersections generally
Intersection without traffic lights	10 m	You may park along the continuous side of a T-intersection
Pedestrian or children’s crossing	20 m before, 10 m after	All handbooks
Pedestrian lights not at an intersection	10 m before, 3 m after	NSW, ACT, NT
Bus stop	20 m before, 10 m after	NSW, WA, TAS, ACT, NT
Railway level crossing	20 m either side	NSW, WA, TAS, NT
Fire hydrant or fire plug indicator	1 m	All handbooks
Australia Post letter box	3 m	You can stop to post mail or drop off passengers (NSW)
Another parked car (parallel parking)	1 m	Does not apply to angle parking
Crest or curve outside a built-up area	Must be visible from 100 m	WA: 50 m in a built-up area, 150 m outside

The 3 metre rule near dividing lines

When you park next to a dividing line, leave room for traffic to pass. The handbooks describe it differently:

NSW and NT: do not park within 3 metres of double dividing lines (double centre lines in the NT).
Victoria and Tasmania: leave at least 3 metres between your car and a continuous dividing line, single or double, or a dividing strip. Tasmania adds: where there is a broken line or no line, leave at least 3 metres of road clear beside your car.
South Australia: leave at least 3 metres to any continuous dividing line or dividing strip, unless a sign says otherwise.
Victoria also: do not park where you would leave less than three metres of road clear for traffic.

What each line means: Australian road markings and lane lines.

Places you can never park

double parked beside another parked vehicle
across a driveway, except briefly to pick up or drop off passengers (NSW)
in an intersection, on a pedestrian or children’s crossing, or on a level crossing
on a median strip or traffic island, unless a sign allows it
on footpaths, nature strips, bicycle paths or painted islands, unless a sign allows it
in a slip lane, unless a sign allows it
on a Keep Clear marking
in a bus lane or bicycle lane
on a freeway, except in an emergency in the emergency stopping lane
on the right-hand side of a two-way road, facing oncoming traffic (ACT, VIC)
in an accessible parking bay without a valid permit

No stopping vs No parking

Sign or marking	What you can do
No stopping (or a continuous yellow edge line)	Nothing. Do not stop for any reason, except in an emergency
Clearway (or a broken yellow edge line)	No stopping during the times shown. In NSW, buses and taxis may stop to pick up or drop off passengers
No parking	Stop for up to 2 minutes to drop off or pick up passengers or goods, and stay within 3 metres of the car (NSW, ACT, WA)

The ACT handbook says a vehicle counts as unattended if you are more than three metres from it. In WA, “No standing” means the same as No stopping. WA clearways are marked by a white “C” on a red shield.

How to read a parking sign

The number and P: “2P” means you can park for up to 2 hours. “2P Meter” means up to 2 hours, and you must pay at the meter (NSW).
Days and times: the limit applies during the hours shown. Outside them you may park unless another sign says you cannot (NSW).
No times shown: the sign applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (ACT).
Arrows: the rule applies in the direction of the arrow from the sign. A double-headed arrow covers both sides of the sign.
Zones: Loading zone, Bus zone, Taxi zone and Motorcycle parking signs are only for those vehicles.
Special signs: resident permit and special event signs apply only to permit holders during the times shown. Electric vehicle bays are only for EVs while charging (NSW).

How to parallel park, step by step

Parallel parking is the default in Australia unless a sign says otherwise. Park in the direction of traffic, close to the kerb and inside any marked bay. On a one-way street you can also park on the right. This is WA Drive Safe’s method for reverse parallel parking:

Check for traffic behind, slow down and indicate.
Pull up alongside and parallel to the car you want to park behind.
Reverse very slowly, steering sharply left until your car is at about 45 degrees to the kerb. Your left front door should be roughly level with the rear bumper of the car in front.
When your front bumper is clear of that car’s rear bumper, turn the wheel fully right and keep reversing.
Straighten the wheels and move forward into position. Leave at least 1 metre to the cars in front and behind.

Reverse no further than you need to. It is an offence to reverse when it is unsafe, or further than is reasonable (WA).

Angle parking

Angle park only where signs or markings allow it. Unless a sign or marking says otherwise, park at 45 degrees with the front of the car to the kerb (NSW). The NT handbook says 90 or 45 degrees, front to kerb when no direction is shown.

Parking on a hill

Apply the park brake.
Automatic: select Park. Manual, facing uphill: select first gear. Manual, facing downhill: select reverse.
Turn the front wheels towards the kerb, so the car rolls into it rather than into the road (WA).

Before you leave the car and when you pull out

Put the park brake on.
Going more than 3 metres away? Take the key out and lock the doors and windows if nobody is in the car (NSW, NT).
Check your mirrors and blind spots for bicycles and traffic before opening your door.
Never leave children in a parked car. They can overheat very quickly (NT).
Pulling out: indicate for at least 5 seconds, check your mirrors, check your blind spot, then move into a safe gap (NSW, WA).

Parking on your driving test

Most practical tests include a parking or reversing manoeuvre. See NSW Driving Test manoeuvres and fail items, Q-Safe manoeuvres and re-sit rules and the VicRoads drive test.

Common questions

How close to an intersection can I park?

No closer than 20 metres if it has traffic lights, or 10 metres if it does not, unless a sign allows it. At a T-intersection, you may park along the continuous side of the road that carries on.

Can I stop briefly in a No parking zone?

Yes, for up to 2 minutes to drop off or pick up passengers or goods, staying within 3 metres of the car. In a No stopping zone you cannot stop at all.

How far from a pedestrian crossing must I park?

20 metres before it and 10 metres after it. See pedestrian, school and wombat crossings.

Can I park facing the wrong way?

Not on a two-way road. Park in the same direction as traffic on that side. On a one-way street, you can park on either side.

Can I park next to a single continuous centre line?

In Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, only with at least 3 metres between your car and the line. NSW and the NT apply the 3 metre rule to double lines. Check signs and your state handbook.

What does a broken yellow line at the kerb mean?

A clearway. Do not stop there during the times on the clearway sign.

Sources

Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” (nsw.gov.au)
Department of Transport and Planning Victoria, “Road to Solo Driving” (transport.vic.gov.au)
Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Drive Safe: A handbook for Western Australian road users” (transport.wa.gov.au)
Government of South Australia, “The Driver’s Handbook: Parking” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
Department of State Growth Tasmania, “Tasmanian Road Rules, Version 2.1” (transport.tas.gov.au)
Access Canberra, “ACT Road Rules Handbook” (accesscanberra.act.gov.au)
Northern Territory Government, “NT Road Users’ Handbook” (nt.gov.au)

Parking Rules in Australia: Distances, Signs and Parallel Parking