Apply for a residential parking permit

Standard permit (vehicles not in green vehicle guide)

• First permit: $89
• Second permit: $137

Green concessions (What is my green vehicle rating?)

You'll need a pensioner concession card issued by Centrelink.

Standard permit (vehicles not in green vehicle guide)

• First permit: $14
• Second permit: $58

Green concessions (What is my green vehicle rating?)

If your vehicle is damaged or stolen, and you are using a replacement vehicle, we will issue an interim permit for up to 3 months. Contact us for more information.

3-month and interim parking permits

If you get a new car and you have a current permit, we’ll cancel your original permit and issue you with a new permit. This also applies if you want to transfer your permit to a different vehicle.

You’ll need to bring in your existing permit by removing it from your vehicle windscreen (it doesn’t matter if your permit is torn). If you don’t have the old permit you must complete a signed statutory declaration explaining why you no longer have the permit.

You’ll need to apply for the new vehicle permit by providing the new registration papers, or the contract of sale for a new vehicle. If the contract of sale is older than 4 weeks, your new registration papers will be required.

Contact us for further information.

Transferring resident parking permits

Parking permits can't be swapped between vehicles because the permit displays your car registration. Your permit must be permanently affixed to the lower passenger side of the windscreen of the vehicle for which it has been issued. If you bring home different vehicles from your workplace each night, or if you have borrowed a vehicle that’s registered in someone else’s name, you are not eligible for a permit. If you wish to permanently transfer a permit from one vehicle to another, contact us.

Transferring resident parking permits

If your original permit is lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged, you can apply for a replacement permit. Contact us.

Replacement resident parking permits

If you are moving to the City of Sydney local area and want to get a permit before you change your address details, you can apply for a temporary parking permit if you are moving to an eligible property.

If your vehicle is registered interstate and you’re moving to the City of Sydney local area, we’ll issue you with a temporary resident parking permit valid for 3 months. You’ll need to provide us with a copy of the car’s original registration certificate. When you’ve changed your registration and licence to NSW (you must do so within 3 months), we’ll change your temporary parking permit to a permanent one. 

It is compulsory to change your car registration to NSW, but it is not compulsory to change your licence to NSW. If you do not wish to change your driver licence to NSW, you will need to provide us with 2 types of identification. 

If the vehicle registered interstate is a company car, then a yearly permit may be issued if your application includes a letter (on company letterhead) that’s signed by an appropriate company officer. It should state that you normally use the vehicle and that it is registered interstate in the company name.

3-month and interim parking permits

You may be eligible for a residential parking permit provided:

• you live permanently at your address within the City of Sydney local area
• you own your vehicle and its registration certificate shows your residential address 
• your vehicle is not a trailer, caravan, truck, bus or tractor
• your property is rated residential
• you do not live in a 'restricted property' – see more information below
• you have less than 2 onsite parking spaces at your residence – see more below
• a residential parking permit may be issued to a company vehicle, with appropriate documentation – see point 1 of required proof above.

If you live in a new property, you may not be eligible for a residential parking permit. Check if your property is eligible for a parking permit.

When the City of Sydney approves the construction, conversion or major refurbishment of multi-unit residential developments, we often include a condition that restricts residents of the property from gaining a residential parking permit. This limits traffic congestion from new developments and protects existing on-street parking from excessive demand. It also ensures that new housing is affordable and sustainable, and provides more housing choices for households that do not need a car. Building owners and real estate agents must inform prospective buyers and tenants about any relevant restrictions.

The main restrictions apply to multi-unit developments:

• approved after 8 May 1996 in the former South Sydney Council area
• approved after 1 May 2000 in the former Sydney City Council area.

In Ultimo and Pyrmont, residents of certain developments approved after 2 November 1998 are generally entitled to 1 permit only at a higher fee.

In some other areas, 1 business permit may be issued per restricted property, if a registered business is operating from the property, and provided that no residential permit has already been issued for the property.

Start applying for a parking permit to check if your property is eligible.

In the Kings Cross area (area 19 – former parking areas 19, 23 and 26), more parking permits have been issued than there are on-street parking spaces.

Consequently, households in this area (classified as zone A) are entitled to fewer resident and visitor parking permits. All other parking areas are classified as zone B, and are eligible for more resident and visitor permits. 

Eligible households in zone A can apply for up to 1 resident permit provided there is no off-street parking available. A household with an existing second permit or with 1 permit and an onsite space can renew that permit until they move.

Eligible households in zone B can apply for up to 2 resident permits.

If you have off-street parking you are required to use it, regardless of the difficulty of parking in that space.

You are not eligible to apply for a permit if your onsite space is unusable for reasons within your control, such as the size or weight of your vehicle. 

Onsite parking is deemed to be available where it can accommodate a medium-sized passenger vehicle. In determining whether an onsite parking space exists, we will have regard to: 

• accessibility by a vehicle
• the presence of a garage door or roller door
• the existence of a vehicular kerb ramp
• the presence of a carport or garage structure
• evidence of the space being used for parking
• any approved or registered plans.

When you apply for parking permits you will be required to disclose on the application form how many onsite parking spaces you have. We will maintain a record of onsite parking supply at each eligible residential or business address.

If your property has onsite parking, you will have a reduced entitlement to resident parking permits. For households in zone B the permit entitlements are: 

• If your residence has no onsite parking spaces, you are eligible for 2 permits per property, provided both cars are registered to the address.
• If your residence has 1 onsite parking space and you have 2 cars registered to the property, you may be eligible for 1 parking permit.  
• If your residence has 2 or more onsite spaces, you are not entitled to a parking permit. 

For households in zone A, the parking permit entitlements are:

• If your residence has no onsite parking spaces, you are eligible for 1 permit per property, provided the car is registered to the address.
• If your residence has 1 or more onsite spaces, you are not entitled to a parking permit. 
• If you currently have an existing second permit or have 1 permit and an onsite space, you can renew that permit until you move.

A maximum of 2 permits are available per eligible property in zone B. This entitlement is reduced by the number of onsite parking spaces available for the property – see above. The 2 permits can be in different names and must be for different vehicles. A higher fee applies for the second permit issued to a household.

A business and a residential parking permit may be issued to the same property, if:

• the property is a residence with a registered business operating from that property
• there is a vehicle registered in a business name at the same address. 

Resident

Applicants for a resident parking permit must be permanent residents in the City of Sydney area. Resident owners, resident managers or resident caretakers who reside in pubs, small hotels, hostels, backpacker hotels or boarding houses are eligible to apply, subject to meeting the other eligibility criteria and having no onsite parking for their vehicles. Permits will not be issued to non-resident landlords, or guests of hotels, hostels or serviced apartments.

Residential dwelling

Applicants for a resident parking permit must live in a property approved for residential use. If a property or part of a property is not approved for residential use, you are not eligible for a resident parking permit. If a property or part of a property is being used for a residential purpose but is not approved for such use, the owners should complete a change in category of land form. If approved, the property details will be updated, and you will be eligible to apply, subject to meeting the other eligibility criteria.

Using our online form allows us to process your application efficiently and provide you with timely updates along the way. Once payment is made, we’ll also email you an interim permit to use until you receive your official permit.

To request a PDF or paper version of the application form, contact us online or in person at one of our customer or neighbourhood service centres.