Parking FAQs

Pay parking applies to around 9000 car parks on National Land in Parkes, Barton, Acton, and the Russell precinct. Maps showing the locations of these parking areas can be found here.

Please click here for information about fees and ticketing. 

Ticket Machine

After parking your vehicle, check the applicable signs and locate the designated parking machine for the area. Follow the instructions on the machine to purchase a ticket, enter your licence plate details and display the ticket face up on your dashboard. Parking machines on National Land accept credit cards. At least one machine in each car park also accepts coins for payment. 

The onus is on you as the driver to purchase and display a parking ticket as soon as you park your vehicle. A ticket is not valid unless displayed face up on the dashboard, with the expiry time and all other inscriptions visible to a parking officer from outside of the vehicle. Check this before leaving your vehicle. 

Easy Park Application

You can also pay for your parking using the EasyPark App, available for iOS and Android. For more information www.easypark.com.au. Please note an additional service fee will apply for payment via the app.​

If you have entered the wrong details after purchasing a ticket through the meter, contact Care Park on 1800 718 190. There is no need to purchase another ticket as long as you display the ticket correctly with the face side up on the dashboard of the vehicle.

Five-day pre-paid tickets (working days) are available for purchase at the parking ticket machines and not over the EasyPark App. Credit card machines can issue five-day pre-paid tickets, usable for five consecutive days (not including weekends or public holidays) for a discounted rate. Please click here for information about fees and ticketing. 

In general, short stay car parks are located near National Institutions and in small areas adjacent to office buildings. Most car parks adjacent to office buildings are long stay parking. Visit the Parking areas page for the detailed maps showing short stay and long stay car parks and parking machine locations.

You may purchase a short stay ticket in a long stay car park by reducing the purchase amount. All day tickets can be used at the other NCA all day car parks on National Land, but not between ACT and NCA managed car parks. You cannot use all day tickets in short stay car parks on National Land.

Parking tickets purchased on National Land can be used in other car parks on National Land, provided that the restrictions in the alternate car park are the same. This means you may move your vehicle between long stay car parks and use the same ticket. You may also use your short stay tickets in any car park on National Land, but you cannot use all day tickets in short stay car parks.

To assist motorists in identifying long and short stay, the tickets have a different colour identification stripe on them. Long stay tickets have a green stripe and short stay tickets have a purple stripe.

If you have paid for your parking over the EasyPark App and entered the parking lot number, you can still move your vehicle to other NCA car parks with the same conditions. 

No, the NCA only operates the parking on National Land. Tickets purchased or EasyPark sessions started in ACT Government or privately operated car parks, are not valid for use on National Land.

Yes. Parking adjacent to the National Institutions will be charged at the applicable rate. Please click here for information about fees and ticketing. 

Dedicated motorcycle parking areas are provided in many car parks on National Land. Motorcycle users can park for free in designated motorcycle parking areas on National Land. Visit the Parking areas page for the detailed maps showing motorcycle parking spaces. Motorcycle users can also park in the same manner as other vehicles. This requires complying with the parking regulations at all times, including payment for parking if not parked in a dedicated motorcycle parking area.

Dedicated coach and bus parking is available on National Land at the following locations: Questacon, Federation Mall, Regatta Point, Old Parliament House (Museum of Australian Democracy), National Museum of Australia and Parliament House. There is no cost to park buses and coaches in these locations.

Dedicated permit areas are provided in most parking areas on National Land. Permits must be clearly displayed to ensure an infringement is not issued.

Mobility permit holders are not required to pay for parking and can park for an unlimited time in a parking area that is normally restricted to longer than 30 minutes. Where the normal time restriction is 30 minutes or less, mobility pass holders may park for a maximum of two hours. Holders of mobility permits should check the signage of the areas they are parking in as restrictions may vary though out the day. These rules are the same that apply for mobility parking permit holders throughout the rest of the ACT. Visit the Parking areas page for the detailed maps showing permit zones for mobility permit holders.

To report illegal parking on National Land, please contact the NCA on (02) 6271 2888 or via email at parking@nca.gov.au. To report illegal parking in other areas, please contact the relevant parking authority, contact details for which will be available on parking machines in the area.

Parking accessibility may be affected by events, please check our road closure page to determine any changes in place. 

Attendees should be aware that they must follow the normal parking rules to avoid receiving a parking infringement. The NCA enforces parking regulations for the duration of events, targeting offences related to the safety of patrons.

Attendees to any event should also be aware that it is an offence to park a vehicle on an open space in the area where your event is being held. This includes any area that is not designated for the movement or parking of motor vehicles, such as grassed areas, footpaths, and landscaped areas.

The Australian Government enforces parking on National Land.

Yes, images and details of parking offences are available online. To view infringement photos online click here. Please note, it may take up to 24 hours after the infringement was issued for images and details to be available.

If you believe you have a valid reason to have the infringement notice withdrawn you may request a review of your infringement notice. All applications must be made in writing and set out the grounds you rely on for withdrawal. Ensure you provide sufficient evidence to support your claim.

To apply for a withdrawal of an infringement click here. Please note, it may take up to 24 hours after the infringement was issued for this option to be available.

When undertaking reviews of parking fines, all the available information is taken into account including:

• information collected by the parking officer who issued the fine
• photographs taken by the officer
• information provided by the applicant in their request for review and any supporting documentation supplied
• requirements under the relevant legislation.

The following grounds are not considered valid reasons for the withdrawal of a parking fine:

• being new to or unfamiliar with National Land or a particular road rule
• appointments or meetings running over time
• not noticing or misreading a parking sign
• being unaware of which vehicles can use loading zones or permit zones
• running out of petrol or experiencing vehicle issues that did not require repair/towing.

An Infringement Notice Management Plan (INMP) allows you to pay off your infringement notice in instalments. To apply for an infringement notice management plan click here. Please note, it may take up to 24 hours after the infringement was issued for this option to be available.

You can apply for an extension of time to pay your infringement notice by applying in writing with sufficient evidence of financial hardship. An extension can be granted for a period up to 6 months. Failure to pay in the extended period may lead to prosecution in court resulting in a criminal conviction.

To apply for an extension of time to pay an infringement click here. Please note, it may take up to 24 hours after the infringement was issued for this option to be available.

An application to dispute liability of an infringement notice is made when you believe that you did not commit an offence or that you are not liable for the offence.

To dispute an infringement notice you must provide written notice to the NCA clearly outlining the grounds you are relying on for the dispute. The action of disputing liability means you are opting to have the matter heard in the ACT Magistrate’s Court. The NCA is required to lay the dispute with the ACT Magistrate's Court within 60 days of receiving the dispute notice. You will then receive a summons notice to appear before the ACT Magistrate's Court.

To dispute liability of an infringement click here. Please note, it may take up to 24 hours after the infringement was issued for this option to be available.

If the registered vehicle owner was not the driver in control of the vehicle at the time of the offence, a declaration outlining the circumstances needs to be submitted in writing with all relevant evidence provided.

To declare another person responsible for an infringement click here. Please note, it may take up to 24 hours after the infringement was issued for this option to be available.

The NCA pay parking scheme is based on a pay and display model. This means you are required to purchase a ticket and display it correctly. Failure to do either may incur a fine. 

If a parking ticket has not been displayed in the correct way, then parking officers are unable to determine whether the vehicle is legally parked. Incorrectly displaying a parking ticket is not a valid reason for having a fine withdrawn, the onus is on you as the driver to ensure you have correctly displayed the ticket.

Depending on the severity of the offence, as of 1 July 2023 fines range between $128 and $640. These fines are subject to additional charges upon the failure to pay the infringement notice within the proscribed time. A $34 will be added for a reminder notice and $90 (as of 1 July 2023) if you are issued a summons notice. If you are convicted at court, you will be subject to further court-imposed costs.

NOTE: If payment is made by credit/debit card there is a 1.5% surcharge applied.

You are required to move your vehicle before the expiration of the posted time limit. Under the ACT road rules as they apply to National Land, simply moving your vehicle to another space close to your original parking space is not enough to comply with the rule. To comply with the rule, the vehicle must move to another area or length of road as defined in the rule. The Australian Road Rules are available for viewing here.

You can still pay your infringement until the day before the set court date. If you wish to dispute the infringement and plead not guilty, we recommend you seek independent legal advice. If you fail to appear or are unsuccessful in your dispute you will receive a criminal conviction and the addition of court costs to your outstanding balance. 

Please call 1800 718 190 and provide the machine ID that you experienced the fault with. The machine ID is on the front of the machine, just near the tariff information.

Drivers are required to purchase a ticket from another machine to avoid receiving a parking infringement, whether they have lost money or not. If you are unable to use another machine, you can also pay for your parking over the EasyPark App or by calling 1300 734 070.

The NCA will only issue refunds where there was a genuine machine fault, such as the machine not printing a ticket after payment has been accepted. The NCA does not supply refunds for overpayment, change of mind or lost tickets. You will need to apply in writing to the NCA for a refund to be considered.

If you wish to apply for a refund, please click here for parking forms. 

Each bank has different information displayed within their online banking services and may not have date of purchase available to view. Some banks also take up to two business days to deduct the payment from your account. To see full purchase information, you may need to wait for your monthly statement or contact your bank to confirm.

On occasion the NCA parking machines may provide a parking ticket to you without confirmation of your payment being deducted from your account at the time of purchase. This is known as offline processing. Offline processing may result in multiple days of parking charges being deducted from your account on a single day.

The NCA will refund any double charge that has been made to your account but asks that you check all the information with your bank prior to contacting us.

If you wish to apply for a refund, please click here for parking forms.