NSW Government To Impede Parking Officers From Issuing Fines Without Notifying Drivers

The NSW Government is strengthening the state’s parking fine laws, making it increasingly difficult for parking officers to issue fines without providing drivers with a physical notification. 

This tightening of the rules comes one year after the Minns Labor Government trialled its first set of reforms, which required parking officers to attach physical notifications of a parking offence to cars, bikes, and trucks unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

In the 2025-26 financial year, these initial reforms saw 92 per cent of parking fines include a physical notification left for motorists, compared with just 42 per cent in 2024-25. The reforms also translated to 108,496 fewer valid parking fines being issued across the state.

The New Rules For Parking Officers

While parking officers are currently exempt from leaving a physical notification when it is not safe, the vehicle is in motion, or the vehicle has moved, the new changes will now require parking officers to meet additional criteria when substantiating these “exceptional circumstances”.

Firstly, an officer relying on the “vehicle moved before a notification could be attached” exception must get out of their vehicle, make a reasonable attempt to attach a notification, and must record the circumstances that led them to decide the exception applied.

Moreover, where an officer decides it is unsafe to attach a notification, there must be an immediate risk to the officer arising from the circumstances at the time.  

 “Our government’s parking fine reforms have created a fairer and more transparent parking fine system for motorists,” said Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos. “One year in, it’s clear our reforms are delivering real change.”

“We understand in some cases parking officers will be unable to attach a physical ticket, but we expect a genuine attempt be made to provide a ticket before issuing a ticketless fine. People deserve to know immediately if they’ve received a fine, not days or weeks later when a penalty notice arrives in the mail.”