ACT Traffic and Parking Fines: You Have 28 Days to Pay, Ask for More Time, Set Up a Plan or Dispute It (Canberra, ACT)

In the ACT you have 28 days from the date a traffic or parking fine was issued to pay it or to choose another way to deal with it. If you do nothing, Access Canberra says you will get a reminder notice and a late fee, and later your licence or the vehicle’s registration may be suspended.

This guide follows what Access Canberra published on its fines pages on 7 November 2026. It covers how to pay, how to ask for more time, what to do if you cannot afford the fine, and how to ask for a fine to be withdrawn or to dispute it. It is a summary of the official pages, not legal advice, and the pages are the place to start any application.

How long do I have to deal with a fine?

Access Canberra says that from the date the notice was issued you have 28 days to either find a way to pay or manage the infringement. A fine can reach you three ways: in person from a parking inspector or police officer, on your car (usually under the front windscreen wiper), or by mail.

The 28 days run from the date the notice was issued.

Access Canberra says that if you give it your mobile number you get an SMS reminder 2 days before the fine is due, and another SMS 2 days after the deadline if you have not paid. It tells people to make sure their contact details are correct.

What offences does this cover?

Access Canberra lists these examples of offences that lead to a traffic or parking fine, and says the list is not complete:

• driving over the speed limit
• driving a vehicle with bald tyres
• driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle
• parking in a no parking or loading zone
• parking in a permit zone without a permit, for example a spot reserved for people with disability.

It also notes that roadside cameras detect speed, mobile phone use and seatbelt offences. On 17 September 2026 the ACT Legislative Assembly passed a law that confirms the validity of seatbelt infringement notices issued by the ACT Road Transport Authority since 3 November 2025. Seatbelt fines continue to be issued and can be paid, withdrawn or managed like any other traffic fine.

How do I pay a fine?

Way to pay	What you need
Online	The infringement notice number with no spaces; only Visa and Mastercard are accepted
BPAY	Biller code 343533; the reference is your infringement notice number
Post Billpay in person	Take the notice to an Australia Post office
Post Billpay by phone	Call 13 18 16, Billpay code 0286, reference is your notice number, Visa or Mastercard
Access Canberra	Call 13 22 81

Access Canberra says payment can take up to 3 business days to process. For hearing-impaired callers it lists the National Relay Service on 13 36 77.

Can I ask for more time?

Yes, but only if you are the person named on the notice. You use the Traffic and Parking Infringements Applications form, choose the type of extension (for example more time to pay, or more time to gather documents for a withdrawal request) and the amount of time you need, and upload any documents that support the request.

What if I cannot afford to pay?

Access Canberra lists four options for people who are struggling:

Option	How it works
Infringement management plan	Pay in instalments by direct debit, Centrepay, BPAY or at Australia Post. You choose a payment schedule and a way to pay. Direct debit plans can be applied for online; Centrepay or BPAY plans use a PDF form emailed to ACInfringements@act.gov.au
Work or development plan	Reduce what you owe through approved activities such as unpaid work, courses, counselling or treatment, if one of the listed circumstances applies to you
Waiver	Access Canberra waives the fine itself, but demerit points and suspensions still apply
Extension	More time, as described above

If you miss a scheduled payment or do not pay the full instalment, your driver licence or registration may be suspended. Access Canberra asks you to contact its Infringement Office as soon as possible if your situation changes, on 02 6207 6000 or at ACInfringements@act.gov.au. To change an existing plan you send an application form by email, or by post to PO Box 582, Dickson ACT 2602.

How does a work or development plan work?

A work or development plan lets you pay off a fine through activities. It is available for traffic and traffic camera fines, and for parking fines except those issued by the Australian National University or the National Capital Authority. If it is approved and you follow its conditions, you will not need to pay as long as the value of your activities covers what you owe.

The activities can include unpaid work for an approved program provider, education or life skills courses, counselling, treatment for a physical or mental illness, disorder or disability, alcohol and other drug treatment, and mentoring. Each activity has an hourly or monthly value. Access Canberra gives an example: with a debt of $375 and an eligible unpaid work program, you would have paid it off after 10 hours of work.

At least one of these situations must apply to you:

• a mental or intellectual disability, or mental disorder
• a physical disability, disease or illness
• an addiction to drugs, alcohol or another substance
• being a victim of domestic violence
• being homeless, living in crisis or in transitional or supported accommodation.

You need documents to prove it, including a letter from a financial advisor confirming you cannot afford a payment plan. If you apply only for serious financial hardship, the evidence can include rental slips, pay slips, bank statements and credit card statements. The program provider must also support your application. You fill in the application form, have the provider complete their part and email everything to ACInfringements@act.gov.au.

If the Infringement Office approves the application, it suspends enforcement while the plan is in place. If your licence was suspended only because of unpaid fines, the suspension will be lifted. If it was suspended because of demerit points, it may stay suspended.

Can I get a fine waived?

You can ask Access Canberra to waive the financial part of a fine. A waiver means you do not pay the fine, but any penalties such as demerit points and suspensions still apply. You are eligible if you currently cannot pay and are unlikely ever to be able to, relevant circumstances affect your ability to pay, enforcement so far has not led to payment or is unlikely to, and you are not eligible for or able to take part in a work or development program.

Access Canberra reviews waiver applications against two sets of guidelines, the Road Transport (General) Waiver of Infringement Notice Penalties Guidelines and the Withdrawal of Infringement Notices Guidelines. It says it may pass your information to its Driver Licence Medical Monitoring Team, who may ask for a medical clearance report from a specialist confirming you are fit to hold a licence.

Can I ask for the fine to be withdrawn?

If you have additional information or special circumstances, you can ask for the infringement to be withdrawn, using the same Applications form. The reasons Access Canberra lists, and the evidence it wants for each, are:

Reason	Evidence you need
Good parking or driving record	A written explanation and supporting evidence. For parking fines, a statutory declaration with your licence number, the state or territory that issued it, and that you have had no parking offences in the last 5 years
Medical exemption from wearing a seatbelt	A medical certificate from a medical practitioner dated on or before the offence date; the driver applies even if the passenger holds the exemption
Emergency medical situation	A hospital record, a police report or a signed letter from a registered health practitioner
Mechanical problems	Evidence from roadside assistance or a towing company, or a detailed mechanical report; possibly a statutory declaration
Valid parking ticket or permit at the time	A copy of the ticket or permit, or the number of your ACT Mobility Parking Permit, or both sides of an interstate permit

If a passenger holds the mobility permit, they can make a statutory declaration that they were in the vehicle and that steps were taken to display the permit. Access Canberra says that if you receive multiple infringements, you may be required to make multiple withdrawal applications.

What if someone else was driving?

You can make a declaration if the notice is in your name but you were not responsible, or in someone else’s name but you were. If you know who was responsible, you complete the infringement notice declaration online. If the fine was issued to a corporation, it can be transferred to the responsible driver through the Applications form. If you had sold the vehicle, reported it stolen or do not know who was driving, you choose the matching option on the same form. Access Canberra warns that it is an offence to make a false or misleading statement or to produce a false or misleading document.

How do I dispute a fine?

You can apply to dispute the infringement if you believe you did not commit the offence or were not liable. If it is not withdrawn, the matter will be heard in court. When you apply, you must state your grounds and provide any evidence. Access Canberra will register the matter with the ACT Magistrates Court within 60 days, and if a Magistrate finds you guilty you may receive a criminal conviction.

Can I see photos of the offence?

Yes. For parking fines issued by Access Canberra’s Road Transport authority you search with the infringement number and the vehicle’s registration number. For traffic fines detected by ACT fixed or mobile cameras, you need the image identification and registration number from the notice, plus your date of birth if you are an individual. Access Canberra says it cannot provide images online to people who are not permanent residents or who live overseas. They can submit a formal request and choose delivery by email or post.

What happens if I ignore the fine?

If you do nothing within 28 days you will receive a reminder notice and a late fee. If you do nothing by the due date on the reminder notice, you may receive a suspension of your licence or of the vehicle involved. To remove a suspension you have to pay or manage the infringement. Access Canberra does not state the amount of the late fee on these pages.

A notice is “out of time” when a warning suspension or suspension confirmation notice has been served. You then use the Applications form, and the reasons Access Canberra accepts are being incarcerated, being interstate or overseas, being in hospital or having a medical issue, or having your mail stolen, each with its own evidence. For example, an overseas trip needs passport pages, travel documents or itineraries showing you were not in the ACT from the date of the notice to the date of the suspension.

What is still not confirmed?

• The amount of the late fee, which Access Canberra’s pages do not state.
• The fine amounts for individual offences. They are on each notice and in the ACT Parking Infringements Guide, which Access Canberra links as a PDF.

Sources

• Traffic and parking fines (infringements) — Access Canberra (checked 7 November 2026)
• Ways to pay a fine (infringement) — Access Canberra (checked 7 November 2026)

Photos: City West car park, Tuggeranong Town Centre, Canberra Centre, Nangari Street, Woden and the Canberra GPO, as credited in each caption (text added to the featured image).

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Access Canberra or the ACT Government. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules, forms and payment details can change; check the official pages above before you pay or apply.