At a glance
- Residential permit
- Free, up to two per single residence, only where the street has time limits of 2 hours or more
- City car park permit
- Busport Car Park and Haymarket Car Park, $267.58 per month each, as listed on the council’s page
- Business permit
- Professional service businesses only, in Busport, Wesley and Little Ryrie Street car parks, with a possible waiting list
- Accessible permit
- Statewide Accessible Parking Permit (APP) Scheme; existing Geelong permits stay valid until they expire
- Who it’s for
- Residents of timed-parking streets, people who want a monthly spot in central Geelong, service businesses and people with a disability
- What to do now
- Pick the permit type below, then apply through the matching City of Greater Geelong page
- Last checked
- 8 November 2026, against the City of Greater Geelong’s parking permit pages
- Not yet confirmed
- Business permit fees and the number of spaces, which the council’s pages do not list, and the answers inside the accessible permit page’s collapsed questions
The City of Greater Geelong issues four kinds of parking permit: a free residential permit for homes on timed-parking streets, a monthly City car park permit for Busport or Haymarket, a business permit for professional service businesses, and the statewide Accessible Parking Permit. Each has its own rules, set out below from the council’s own pages.
This guide was last checked on 8 November 2026. A permit changes where and how long you may park, but the council says plainly that none of them guarantees a space. For where to park without a permit, see the guide to central Geelong parking and meters, and for what happens if you get a ticket, see how to pay or appeal a Geelong parking fine.
Which Geelong parking permit do I need?
| Permit | Who it is for | Cost on the council’s page |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | Residents with a time restriction out the front of their property | No fee; replacement of a lost or stolen permit is $22.00 |
| City car park | Anyone who registers for a spot at Busport Car Park or Haymarket Car Park | $267.58 per month at each car park |
| Business | Professional service businesses with no or limited parking of their own | Fees apply; amount not listed on the pages read |
| Accessible (APP) | People eligible under the Victorian Accessible Parking Permit Scheme | Not listed on the council’s page |
Who can get a residential parking permit in Geelong?
The council provides residential permits to residents who have a time restriction out the front of their property. It says the restrictions can be due to proximity to shopping or business districts or major sporting venues, and that as the city expands the time-restricted areas will continue to move out with it. If your property has time limits out the front, you may be eligible to apply for up to two permits, and there is no fee for them.
To be eligible, a resident must apply using the form on the council’s website, and the timed restriction in the segment of their street must be 2 hours or greater. Corner properties can apply on either street their property abuts but must designate only one street on the application.
How many residential permits can a household have?
- A single residence is entitled to a maximum of two permits.
- A multi-unit development of three or fewer properties is entitled to a maximum of one permit per residence.
- A multi-unit development with four or more dwellings on the one property is not eligible for residential permits.
When will the council not issue a residential permit?
The council lists five cases where it will not issue one: where the property was granted a parking waiver as part of a planning or other permit, where the property is used for business or rated as commercial, where the vehicle is over 4.5 tonnes gross weight or 7.5 metres or more in length, where the property is a multi-unit development with four or more dwellings, and where the council resolved during the planning approval process not to provide residential permits for that property.
Residents who were issued permits before 28 June 2023 and have consistently renewed them without significant violations or abuse of the scheme are eligible for what the council calls a grandfather clause exemption. The page marks this clause as optional and does not say more about how it applies.
Where is a residential permit not valid?
The council’s conditions say a residential permit is not valid in paid parking bays, in short-term timed spaces of one hour or less, or in prohibited parking areas under the Road Rules Victoria. Those include, but are not limited to, clearways, no stopping zones, no parking zones, loading zones, taxi zones and bus zones. Permits are issued at the council’s discretion, and the council reserves the right to review permit costs.
The council may withdraw a permit if deliberate abuse of the scheme is determined. To replace a lost or stolen permit you need a statutory declaration or a police report, and a $22.00 replacement fee applies.
How do I get a monthly City car park permit?
The council’s City car park permit covers two car parks, Busport Car Park and Haymarket Car Park. The fee listed on the application page is $267.58 per month for Busport and $267.58 per month for Haymarket. When you register online you answer a series of questions, and the council says it will then contact you shortly to organise the permit.
Can a business get a parking permit in central Geelong?
Only certain businesses can. The council offers a limited amount of permit parking for professional service businesses in selected central Geelong car parks, namely Busport Car Park, Wesley Car Park and Little Ryrie Off Street Car Park. The spaces are for service businesses that have no or limited parking within their premises and are required to enter and return throughout the day as part of their regular activity.
The council states that the scheme is not intended to provide commuter parking and that available spaces are limited. Applicants may be placed on a waiting list. Applications are made to the council, subject to availability, and fees apply. On 8 November 2026 the application page said there was currently availability at the Wesley Off Street Car Park. The council also publishes separate scheme conditions for the Wesley and Little Ryrie Street car parks.
How does the Accessible Parking Permit work in Geelong?
Victoria now runs a single statewide Accessible Parking Permit (APP) Scheme, and the council says all existing City of Greater Geelong permits remain valid until they expire. The council lists these changes under the scheme: temporary permits for 6, 12 or 24 months; a permanent permit length of 5 years for individuals; a permanent disability classification so reassessments are not required for some people’s future renewals; a single secure statewide permit design meant to reduce misuse; and occupational therapists as assessors in addition to GPs. Double Time (green) permits and permits for organisations continue.
What does each permit holder get?
- A category one permit holder, driver or passenger, may park anywhere in Australia in a reserved disability bay for the time shown on the sign, or in any ordinary bay for twice as long as the time shown on the sign.
- A category two permit holder, the Victorian Double Time Accessible Parking Permit, may park in any ordinary bay for twice as long as the time shown on the sign. It is valid only in the State of Victoria.
For more detail the council points to the Accessible parking permits page on the Transport Victoria website, or to its Customer Service Team by phone or email. The council’s page also carries questions on keeping an existing permit, eligibility, applying without internet access and using paper forms. Those answers were collapsed when the page was read and are not summarised here.
Does a permit mean I can ignore the road rules?
No. The council’s page on parking and the road rules says a licensed driver is expected to know and obey the road rules at all times, and that breaking them can lead to a parking fine, with statutory costs and legal action if it is not paid. It says the council must make sure parking spaces are shared fairly, traffic is not obstructed, and danger from unsafe parking is minimised. You have the right to ask for a review of a fine before the due date on the notice, and under the Infringements Act 2006 there can only be one review of a fine.
Sources
- City of Greater Geelong — Parking permits conditions, Residential (page last updated 1 July 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong — Apply for a City car park permit (page last updated 1 July 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong — Parking permits, Business (page last updated 10 March 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong — Accessible Parking Permit (APP) Scheme (page last updated 16 July 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong — Parking, the road rules and you (page last updated 16 July 2026)
Featured image: Fyans Street seen from Moorabool Street, Geelong, April 2020 (photo: Ymblanter / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Greater Geelong or Transport Victoria. Permit rules and fees can change; check the council’s pages above before you apply.