NSW Parking Rules: What You Should Know – A Quick Guide from Boost Driver Training

October 1, 2025

Here’s a handy summary of some important parking rules in NSW — including common pitfalls around fire hydrants, bus stops, intersections and letterboxes. Always good to know before you park (or for learners studying for their licence).

✅ Keep your distance — these are strict “no-parking” zones

  • Fire hydrants: You must not park within 1 metre of a fire hydrant (or fire-plug indicator). Read More >>

  • Bus stops / bus zones: You must not park within 20 metres before a bus stop sign and 10 metres after the sign, unless there’s signage that explicitly allows parking. Read More >>

  • Intersections:

    • If the intersection has traffic lights, you must not park within 20 metres of the intersection (unless a sign permits it). Read More >>

    • If the intersection is without traffic lights, you must not park within 10 metres of the intersection — unless it’s a T-intersection and you’re parking along the continuous side of the continuing road. Read More >>

  • Near letterboxes (post boxes): You must not park within 3 metres of an Australia Post letterbox. There is an exception if you stop just to post mail — but parking (leaving your car there) isn’t allowed. Read More >>

🚦 Why these rules matter

  • Parking too close to a fire hydrant can block emergency services from accessing water during a fire.

  • Blocking bus stops or parking too near intersections reduces visibility and manoeuvring space — it makes it harder for buses to pull up or leave, and for drivers/pedestrians to see and react at junctions.

  • Parking near letterboxes can block post deliveries or make pedestrian access difficult.

📘 What we tell our learners

At Boost Driver Training, we often see learners make mistakes around these restrictions — sometimes by mere centimetres. Here’s our advice:

  • Always look for nearby signs — sometimes there will be explicit “No Parking” or “No Stopping” signs which override general rules.

  • When parking, visualise the clearances: think “Is there enough room for a fire truck, a bus, a car turning, or a postie’s car to pass or access the box?”

  • If you’re unsure, err on the side of caution — it’s often better to find another spot than risk a fine.