If you've ever received a parking fine, you'll be familiar with the immediate and overwhelming urge to try to get out of it. The good news is that it might be more common than you'd think.
Councils across the country have given Drive a glimpse into how many parking fines were cancelled in 2025 – and the main reasons behind these cancellations.
In New South Wales, a whopping 79,287 parking fines were cancelled in 2025. Of these withdrawn fines, 10,518 applied to mobility permit holders who had failed to display their permit and instead received a caution.
Another 10,000 were withdrawn at the discretion of the issuing authority (for varied individual circumstances), and 9054 more were withdrawn because the motorist was able to supply a valid ticket to cover the parking indiscretion.
An additional 7336 fines were cancelled after an internal review, which found the fines were issued contrary to the law, involved a case of mistaken identity, or constituted a caution rather than a fine.
Some of these 7336 fines were withdrawn on the grounds of intellectual disability, mental illness, cognitive impairment or homelessness.
Meanwhile, in Brisbane, one in five parking fines were withdrawn for five major reasons: extenuating circumstances, officer error, reasonable doubt, compassionate grounds or exempt vehicles.
Extenuating circumstances can encompass things suc accessibility issues, health problems or domestic challenges.
In Victoria, the City of Port Phillip council (which covers populous suburbs including Albert Park, South Melbourne and St Kilda) told Drive that it withdrew a total of 10,447 parking fines, including official warnings.
"Our highest‑volume categories for withdrawals related to paid parking and parking permit use," City of Port Phillip CEO Chris Carroll told Drive.
"Common scenarios where a notice may be withdrawn and/or an Official Warning issued instead include: a valid permit or paid parking ticket was held but not correctly displayed, confirmed ticket machine faults, and driver error when entering registration plates in paid parking machines, apps or parking permit applications."
Mr Carroll added: "We assess each matter on its merits and apply our policies consistently to support fair and proportionate outcomes."
So what if your circumstances don't fit into those boxes, but you believe you've been unfairly fined?
Firstly, you will have more luck having your fine withdrawn if the offence was minor.
"Exemptions on the grounds of leniency are usually only considered for non-dangerous offences, for example, parking longer than signposted," said a spokesperson for Revenue NSW, the body responsible for reviewing parking fines in New South Wales.
"To support a request for a review, drivers must provide evidence, such as a copy of a valid parking ticket, evidence of a faulty payment machine, or evidence of a mobility parking scheme permit where not displayed correctly."
According to Sam Sowerwine, Associate Director of the Economic and Social Rights Program at Victoria Legal Aid, there are a few other ways parking fines get thrown out by authorities. These include:
"Special circumstances also include severe, disabling long-term circumstances which mean you can’t deal with your fines, even if those circumstances did not exist at the time of the offence," Mr Sowerwine said.
"You will need to show the link between the special circumstances and your behaviour, which led to the fine. You will need to provide evidence from your doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, case worker, drug counsellor, financial counsellor or a recognised health, support or welfare agency such as the Salvation Army."
Conversely, there are certain excuses you shouldn't mention if you're hoping to get out of a fine. According to Revenue NSW, invalid reasons include:
"Revenue NSW may consider other mitigating circumstances on a case-by-case basis, including emergencies arising from accidents or sudden illness," a spokesperson said.
Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and three-year-old son.
