At a glance
- Short Term
- 1-minute walk; $19 for up to 24 hours when booked online; drive-up $13 for 10 to 60 minutes
- Long Term
- 7-minute walk; first hour free; drive-up $33 for 1 to 24 hours; 12 EV bays
- Covered
- 3-minute walk; drive-up $39 for 10 minutes to 24 hours
- Park Value
- 6-minute walk; drive-up customers only; $33 for 10 minutes to 24 hours
- Entry and exit
- Licence plate recognition; QR code in the booking email if the barrier does not open
- Booking
- At least 2 hours before; cancel at least 24 hours ahead or full charges apply
Sunshine Coast Airport lists four car parks. The Short Term car park costs $19 for up to 24 hours when booked online, the airport says, and the same car park charges $13 for 10 to 60 minutes and $36 for 4 to 24 hours to drive-up customers, as of October 2026.
The airport says booking online in advance secures the best available rate for stays of more than 3 hours, whichever car park you choose. This guide sets out what each car park offers, the drive-up rates, how entry and exit work, and the booking terms that catch out late or early returners. It uses the airport’s parking options page and drive-up rates page, checked on 23 October 2026.
Which car park is closest to the terminal?
| Car park | Walk to the terminal | What the airport says |
|---|---|---|
| Short Term | 1 minute | For short trips, business travel and greeting and farewelling; $19 for up to 24 hours when booked online |
| Covered | 3 minutes | Weather cover for your car; fully fenced |
| Park Value | 6 minutes | For longer trips; available for drive-up customers only |
| Long Term | 7 minutes | For longer trips; up to 1 hour free parking; 12 electric vehicle charging bays |
Every car park provides accessible parking for people displaying a blue disability permit. The Long Term and Covered car parks have bays for motorcycles. The airport also publishes a parking map you can save to your phone on its parking options page.
What are the drive-up rates?
These are the rates for drivers who enter without a booking. The airport says the same rates apply as overstay charges. For each car park the first 10 minutes are free, except in Long Term, where the first hour is free.
| Length of stay | Short Term | Covered | Long Term | Park Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First period | 0 to 10 minutes free | 0 to 10 minutes free | 0 to 1 hour free | 0 to 10 minutes free |
| Up to 24 hours | $13.00 (10 to 60 minutes), $15.00 (1 to 2 hours), $19.00 (2 to 3 hours), $21.00 (3 to 4 hours), $36.00 (4 to 24 hours) | $39.00 (10 minutes to 24 hours) | $33.00 (1 to 24 hours) | $33.00 (10 minutes to 24 hours) |
| 1 to 2 days | $73.00 | $79.00 | $69.00 | $69.00 |
| 2 to 3 days | $109.00 | $125.00 | $95.00 | $95.00 |
| 3 to 4 days | $145.00 | $169.00 | $125.00 | $125.00 |
| 5 to 6 days | $215.00 | $249.00 | $168.00 | $168.00 |
| 6 to 7 days | $249.00 | $285.00 | $191.00 | $191.00 |
| Each extra day or part of a day | $37.00 | $37.00 | $23.00 | $23.00 |
On a three-day trip, for example, the airport’s drive-up rate for 2 to 3 days is $95.00 in Long Term or Park Value, $109.00 in Short Term and $125.00 in Covered. The rates for 4 to 5 days are on the airport page but not repeated here for every car park.
How do the drive-up prices compare for a longer stay?
Over a single 24-hour period, the drive-up rates are $33.00 in Long Term, $33.00 in Park Value for stays from 10 minutes, $36.00 in Short Term for 4 to 24 hours and $39.00 in Covered. For 1 to 2 days the rates are $69.00 in Long Term and Park Value, $73.00 in Short Term and $79.00 in Covered. Each extra day or part of a day beyond 7 days costs $23.00 in Long Term and Park Value and $37.00 in Short Term and Covered. The airport lists these as the rates for drive-up customers, and booking online in advance secures the best available rate for stays of more than 3 hours.
How does entry and exit work?
The airport uses licence plate recognition across its car parks. Once you have booked online, your plate number is linked to the booking, and when you reach the barrier of the car park you booked, the camera recognises the plate and the barrier opens. The airport describes the process as ticketless. If the barrier does not open, scan the QR code in your booking confirmation email. The same process applies when you leave.
The airport’s booking terms add that bookings made after 3pm on 17 September 2025 come with that QR code, and that it must be used at the boom gate if the camera cannot read your plate. Drivers who enter without a booking pay the drive-up rates above.
What are the booking terms?
The online booking terms and conditions list these points under important information:
- Reservations must be made at least 2 hours before the parking period.
- Full charges apply if a booking is not cancelled at least 24 hours before the start of the booking period.
- No refund is made if your stay is shorter than the booking period.
- There is a small exit grace, but overstaying the booking period attracts additional charges, which are charged on exit at the standard fees displayed at the car park entry.
The terms also say it is your responsibility to meet your airline’s check-in time and to allow enough time for unexpected delays, traffic near the airport, road works and unavailability of car park space. The airport’s FAQ page lists questions about delayed flights and late arrivals for a booking, which this guide does not cover because the answers were not on the page we read, so check them before you travel.
Can I charge an electric car?
The airport has 12 electric vehicle bays in the Long Term car park, available first come, first served. Electric vehicle bays cannot be pre-booked. The Long Term car park is the one with the longest listed walk, 7 minutes, and the only one with a free first hour.
What if I am only dropping someone off?
The airport has a kerbside pick-up and drop-off zone at the front of the terminal. If you park instead, Short Term gives 10 free minutes. Rideshare and taxis have their own pick-up points and fees; our Sunshine Coast Airport transport guide covers them, along with the Translink bus.
How long is the wait at security?
The airport’s parking options page shows a security wait time. On 23 October 2026 it showed 0 to 5 minutes. The figure is a live display, so treat it as a snapshot, and follow the airport’s and your airline’s advice on when to arrive.
Checklist before you book
- Book at least 2 hours ahead and online if you will be parked more than 3 hours.
- For one night or less, compare the Short Term online price of $19 for up to 24 hours with the drive-up rates above.
- For several days, compare the Long Term and Park Value drive-up rates, and remember Park Value is for drive-up customers only.
- Cancel at least 24 hours before the start, or full charges apply.
- Keep the QR code from your booking email in case the barrier does not open.
Sources
- Sunshine Coast Airport — Parking options (checked 23 October 2026)
- Sunshine Coast Airport — Drive-up parking rates (checked 23 October 2026)
- Sunshine Coast Airport — How to enter and exit
- Sunshine Coast Airport — Online booking terms and conditions
- Sunshine Coast Airport — Help and FAQs
Featured image: Sunshine Coast Airport terminal (photo: Bidgee / CC BY-SA 3.0 au) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Sunshine Coast Airport. Parking rates and conditions can change; check the airport’s official pages above before you book.