Illegally parked and unmanaged vehicles
Learn about illegal parking and the penalties for ignoring parking rules. Report an illegally parked or unmanaged vehicle.
What is illegal parking?
An illegally parked vehicle is any vehicle parked outside of the street parking rules, or that has been left in a way that creates a hazard to pedestrians and other road users.
Illegal parking includes:
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disobeying parking signs and road markings, including parking on a yellow line
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stopping or parking too close to an intersection or crossing
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parking across footpaths, medians, kerb ramps and nature strips
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parking with less than 3 metres of space between the vehicle and parked vehicles, dividing strips, traffic islands or unbroken dividing lines
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blocking part or all of an entrance to a public space or private property.
Penalties for illegal parking
If you park illegally, you may receive a fine or have your vehicle towed.
Parking fines
You can be fined for disobeying parking rules and signs.
You have 28 days from the issue date to pay your fine.
Learn more about parking tickets and fines.
Towed vehicles
Council or the Queensland Police Service may have your vehicle towed if it’s parked in a:
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clearway or ‘No Stopping’ zone
- way that’s creating a safety hazard for other road users.
If your vehicle has been towed, you’ll need to pay a release fee to the tow company. You may also have a parking fine registered against your vehicle.
What is considered an ‘unmanaged’ vehicle?
An unmanaged vehicle is any vehicle left on a road or road-related area, such as a footpath, dividing strip or bike path, and is considered unmanaged if it’s:
- left in a hazardous location
- unsightly, dilapidated or dangerous to the public (e.g. wheels are missing or the vehicle has been vandalised)
- not registered
- abandoned.
Contact the vehicle owner
If you know who’s responsible for an abandoned vehicle, you can download and use our letter template to give them a chance to avoid Council intervention.
Report an illegally parked or unmanaged vehicle
You can report a vehicle that you suspect is unmanaged online.
You’ll need to supply the vehicle’s:
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location
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registration plate number (if it has one) or VIN number (if visible)
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any other relevant information, such as the vehicle’s colour or make.
To fast-track your report, you can also:
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carry out a free vehicle registration search (if the vehicle is registered)
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upload photos of the vehicle showing where it’s parked.
Frequently asked questions
An abandoned vehicle is a vehicle that:
- has been left for more than 24 hours in a parking bay (e.g. metered spaces) where the time for a vehicle to remain parked is limited
- is parked for more than seven days in a parking bay where the time a vehicle may remain parked is not limited (e.g. a line marked bay with no limit)
- is unregistered.
Council may also consider a vehicle as abandoned where it has been left parked for 14 days and have no licence plates/ VIN visible and ownership cannot be identified.
Phone Council on 07 3403 8888 to report it.
If a parked car is in a position that is over the driveway (including the fantail) and preventing access to your driveway, this is deemed illegal parking. Phone Council on 07 3403 8888 to report it.
It’s legal for roadworks to prevent access to your property if you’ve been correctly notified. If you weren’t notified of the roadworks, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.
Find out more about roadworks and road closures in your area.
You can report an unmanaged vehicle online or by calling Council on 07 3403 8888.
Note the registration plate number and the location so you can supply this information.
If you want to get rid of an old, unwanted car, you can contact a:
- scrap car removalist
- private tow truck operator
- second-hand car dealership
- scrap metal recycling business.
These businesses may buy your unwanted car or offer free and low-cost removal services.