NSW Parking Fine: How to Pay It or Ask for a Review, and the 21-Day Hold While Revenue NSW Looks (Newcastle, NSW)

If you receive a parking fine in Newcastle, you can pay it online, through your MyServiceNSW account or the Service NSW app, or in cash at a Service NSW Centre or post office, and you can ask Revenue NSW to review it before the due date on the notice. Fines are handled by Revenue NSW under NSW-wide rules, so the steps below are the same in Newcastle as anywhere else in the state.

Everything below comes from the Service NSW pages Pay a fine and Request a review for a fine, and the NSW Government page Request a review of your fine. The pages do not list fine amounts, so this guide does not either.

How do I pay a parking fine in NSW?

Way to pay	What Service NSW says
Online	Select “Pay online” on the Service NSW Pay a fine page and follow the prompts
MyServiceNSW account	View, pay or query your fine in your account
Service NSW app	View or pay your fine in the app
Cash	Visit a Service NSW Centre or post office; not all service centres accept cash

You will need your fine notice, fine reminder notice or overdue fine. If you need a copy of the notice, call 13 77 88. Service NSW also says that if payment is made after the due date, further costs may apply.

Before you go in with cash, Service NSW says to use its location finder to check opening times and which payment methods each centre accepts, and to check the list of locations where cash is not accepted. The same page lists the other things you can do with a fine: apply for a payment plan, request a review, nominate the person responsible, view images of the offence, or apply to go to court.

When can I ask for a review?

The NSW Government page says you can request a review of a fine notice, fine reminder notice or overdue fine if one of three things applies:

• there were special circumstances that led to the offence
• you have a clear driving record and are seeking leniency or a caution for certain types of offences
• you believe a mistake has been made, for example it was the wrong vehicle or you were incorrectly nominated as the driver

The page says to request a review before the due date on the fine notice to avoid further costs or action. It also says that if you disagree with the outcome you can submit a new request with new or extra information, or apply to have the matter heard in court.

Can I get a caution for a parking fine?

Usually not. The caution for a clear driving record is for drivers who have held a NSW licence for 10 years with a clear record and received a fine for a lower-risk offence, and the page lists examples such as exceeding the speed limit by less than 20 km/h, bus lane, T-Way and transit lane offences, not giving way, not stopping at a stop line, and yellow light offences.

The same page lists the types of fine generally not eligible for that caution. They include speeding over 20 km/h, school zone offences, mobile phone offences, heavy vehicle offences, and non demerit point offences, with parking fines named as an example of the last group.

The page treats “mobility scheme parking offences” as serious offences that involve high risk to public safety and rarely result in leniency. It also says you can request a review for any fine, even if you cannot find your offence on its list.

What counts as special circumstances?

Revenue NSW asks you to say if something serious was happening at the time, such as a medical emergency, illness, disability, trauma or another hardship. The page says it looks at your personal situation, but having a disability or mental illness does not automatically mean a fine will be withdrawn. Leniency only applies when the circumstance directly affected your behaviour, meaning you did not understand what you were required to do or could not control what happened.

The page says leniency is not usually granted if you knew the rules but chose not to follow them, if your situation did not affect your ability to understand or control what happened, if the offence created a risk to other people’s safety, or if you were travelling to respond to an emergency rather than dealing with one inside the vehicle.

Evidence the page lists	What it must show
Medical or hospital records	The date and time, the person admitted, and that a medical emergency occurred at the time of the offence
Report from a doctor or specialist	Supplied by an independent medical practitioner with no association with the passenger or person responsible for the offence
Letters from support services or government agencies	Not specified on the page
Seatbelt exemption	A medical exemption from Transport for NSW, if a driver or passenger is exempt

The page stresses that your review is assessed only on the evidence you provide, and that a request with little or no evidence may cause delays or affect the outcome. If the review is about a pre-existing medical condition, the condition must already have been notified to Transport for NSW.

How do I request a review?

You can request a review online or by post. For most fines, including parking fines, the NSW Government page says to submit the request through MyServiceNSW, and you will need your penalty notice number and the date of the offence. It lists other services for specific cases: myPenalty for fines issued to a company or to a person who does not hold a NSW driver licence, and myEnforcement Order for failure to vote and jury service fines.

To apply by post, download and complete the Request for review of a fine form, print and sign it, attach copies of identification showing your address, date of birth and driver licence number, and send it to Revenue NSW, PO Box 786, Strawberry Hills 2012. Online, you can also choose how you want to be told the decision.

What happens to the fine while it is under review?

Revenue NSW puts a hold on the fine when it receives your request. The page says the investigation usually takes 21 days, and the fine stays on hold until a decision is made and you are told the outcome. Complex reviews can take longer if Revenue NSW needs to talk to the authority that issued the fine.

Outcome	What it means
Fine to stand	The fine was issued correctly and no leniency is offered; pay or manage it by the due date to avoid further costs or action
Caution	The fine was correct but leniency is given; you do not have to pay, but it may still appear on your driving record
No action	The fine was issued in error and is cancelled; it will not appear on your driving record, if applicable
Cancelled	The issuing authority has asked for the fine to be withdrawn

Service NSW says you cannot request a review and apply to go to court at the same time, because doing so cancels the review and the matter is then heard only in court.

What if I can’t pay it all at once?

The NSW Government page says that even if your situation does not meet the threshold for leniency, you may still have other options, such as a payment plan or a Work and Development Order. Revenue NSW takes calls Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm. Call 1300 138 118 for a fine that is not yet overdue and for a payment plan, or 1300 655 805 for an existing overdue fine. The 1300 138 118 line can also confirm whether you hold a clear NSW driving record for a caution, and the page says an eligible caution can be handled over the phone.

If you hold an interstate licence and want a clear-record caution, the page says you must supply a certified copy of your driving record at your own expense, and that international driver licences are not eligible for a review on that basis.

Sources

• Service NSW — Pay a fine (last published 13 June 2025; checked 7 November 2026)
• Service NSW — Request a review for a fine (last published 21 November 2025)
• NSW Government — Request a review of your fine (last updated 7 May 2026)

Featured image: Hunter Street, Newcastle (photo: Mertie . / CC BY 2.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Revenue NSW, Service NSW or the NSW Government. This guide is general information, not legal advice; follow the instructions on your own fine notice.