Disability Parking Permits in Queensland: How to Apply, Where You Can Use One in the Gold Coast, QLD, and What Happens at Parking Meters

A Queensland disability parking permit is free, and the City of Gold Coast says a valid, correctly displayed permit lets you park free in metered spaces across the Gold Coast. You apply to the Queensland Government, not the City, and the application usually takes about 28 days.

This guide draws on the Queensland Government’s disability parking pages (updated May and July 2026) and the City of Gold Coast’s accessible parking page, as checked on 19 October 2026. It covers individual permits, not organisation permits. Eligibility and conditions are set by the State, so read the linked pages before you apply.

Who can get a disability parking permit?

The Queensland Government’s individual permit page says you can apply for an Australian disability parking permit if you are a Queensland resident and one of these applies:

• You are unable to walk and always need a wheelchair.
• Your ability to walk is severely restricted by a permanent medical condition, a temporary medical condition, or a disability you will have for 6 months or more, as certified by your health professional.
• You have been diagnosed as legally blind, on a temporary basis of 6 months or more or a permanent basis.

The page adds that an intellectual, psychiatric, cognitive or sensory impairment alone does not meet the criteria, unless you also have an eligible mobility or vision impairment. You can apply for your own use, or on behalf of an applicant as an agent, parent or carer.

How do I apply, and what does it cost?

The Queensland Government says disability parking permits are issued free of charge. There are two types, the Australian disability parking permit and the red permit, which is for existing red permit holders only. An interstate permit holder who moves to Queensland needs to apply for a new permit within 14 days of becoming a Queensland resident.

Applicant	How to apply	What you need
Mobility impairment	Online, or form F4814 in person at a transport and motoring customer service centre or by post to PO Box 525, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006	Your doctor or occupational therapist completes Part 2 if you have no permit, your permit expired more than 3 months ago, or you hold a current or expired temporary permit (6 to 12 months)
Legally blind	Online, or form F5280 in person or by post to GPO Box 5232, Brisbane QLD 4001	A copy of a Vision Impairment Travel Pass from Translink, a Centrelink Blind Concession Card or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Blind Concession Card; or medical certification on the form

The page says you will be told whether the application is approved or refused within approximately 28 days from when it is received, by mail to the address on the form. If it is refused, you can ask for a review within 28 days, using form F3859 at a customer service centre or by post to the Principal Advisor, Customer Services Branch, GPO Box 5232, Brisbane QLD 4001. The City of Gold Coast’s page gives 13 23 80 as the number to call about applying.

How do I renew, replace or add a permit?

The replace and reapply page says:

• The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) sends a notice in the mail about 6 weeks before your permit expires.
• You do not need a health professional to certify a reapplication if you hold a 5-year permit and your application is received within 3 months of the expiry date.
• If your permit was for a temporary condition (6 to 12 months), you apply as a new applicant when it expires.
• An individual may hold up to 3 disability parking permits at one time, and no more than 3 will be issued. Replacement or additional permits do not need a health professional’s certification.
• If your permit has expired, you need to apply for a new one, and you may be fined if you keep using an expired permit.
• Red permits are being phased out from September 2025, and holders are invited to apply for a free Australian disability parking permit. The page says red permit holders will not be disadvantaged and that access to designated bays then includes both off-street and on-street parking.

Where can I use the permit on the Gold Coast?

The City of Gold Coast’s accessible parking page says you can stop or park in a signed accessible parking space only if you have a valid disability parking permit and the permit holder is travelling in the vehicle, as driver or passenger, and is getting out of it. It says the City accepts valid permits issued by the Queensland Government, other Australian states and territories, and recognised overseas governments. The State’s page says valid overseas and interstate permits are equivalent to the Australian permit and that Queensland parking rules apply.

The City says many of its car parks have accessible spaces and points to its council carparks map. Our guides to Southport council car parks and Gold Coast parking meters cover individual car parks and how meters work.

Do I pay at a parking meter?

The City says no: if you have a valid disability parking permit, you can park free of charge in metered parking spaces across the Gold Coast, and permit holders do not need to pay meter fees. The State’s page says the same for on-street metered and regulated areas and gives the time rules for on-street parking in local government metered and regulated areas:

• If the signed time limit is less than 30 minutes, you can park for up to 30 minutes.
• If the signed time limit is 30 minutes or more, you can park for an unlimited time.

The City’s page speaks of metered spaces. It does not say how the concession applies in a council car park that charges at a ticket machine, so check the signs and the City’s carparks page for that car park before you rely on the concession. The State says private car parks may charge their own fees, so read the terms of a private car park.

How do I display the permit, and what is the fine?

The State says that to avoid a $690 fine, your permit must be clearly displayed when in use, with the expiry date and permit number visible from outside the vehicle. The City says to place it on the lower left (passenger side) of the windscreen or on the left (passenger side) dashboard. The State lists these conditions of use:

• The permit is used only to park in the bays stated.
• It is displayed when you, or the eligible person for an organisation permit, are getting in or out of the vehicle.
• It is displayed in a vehicle up to and including 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass.
• It is not damaged, altered or copied.
• The permit holder enters or exits the vehicle while it is parked in a disability parking bay.

The City adds that if you stop or park in an accessible parking space without a valid permit, you will be fined. For how infringement notices work on the Gold Coast, see our guide to paying or disputing a parking fine.

What is the striped area beside an accessible bay?

The City calls the striped area beside some accessible bays a Shared Access Zone. It says the zone is part of the accessible parking space, gives extra room for people who use a wheelchair, mobility scooter or walking aid, who need room to open a door fully or who use a vehicle with a hoist or ramp, and must stay clear. The City says stopping or parking in the striped area, even briefly, can block ramps and hoists, and that it is not an additional parking space.

How do I report misuse?

The State’s page says to report misuse of on-street and public disability bays to the local government where the bay is, or to the Queensland Police Service. For private car parks, report to the property owner. To report misuse of a permit itself, contact TMR with the permit number, the place, the date and time, and the vehicle’s registration and type. The page notes that some permit holders meet the criteria without needing a mobility device.

More guides: Gold Coast parking guide

Sources

• Queensland Government — Disability parking permits (last updated 1 July 2026)
• Queensland Government — Apply for an individual disability parking permit (last updated 21 May 2026)
• Queensland Government — Replace, reapply and update your disability parking permit details
• City of Gold Coast — Accessible parking

Featured image: Southport Pier, Southport, shown for orientation (photo: Shiftchange / CC0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Queensland Government, the Department of Transport and Main Roads or the City of Gold Coast. Rules and forms change; check the official pages before you apply.