Parking in Palmerston North

In Palmerston North, parking meter charges are applied from Monday to Saturday inclusive. Parking is free until 11am on Saturday, and all day on Sunday and public holidays.

Parking fees and time limits are subject to change. The fee and time restrictions are clearly displayed on the meter's screen. Read the screen before making a purchase to ensure you pay for the time intended.

Chargeable hours at the meter

  • Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 5.30pm
  • Saturday: 11am to 3pm

Parking fees

  • On-street: $1.70/hour
  • Off-street: $1/hour or $5/day

Pay at the meter using coins or credit card, or use our Frogparking mobile app. It allows you to make payments from wherever you are in the city, so you don't have to return to your car.

Metered parking on-street offers a range of time limits so it's always best to check the signs and payment information at the meter. If you're paying at the meter, we advise you to check the fee on screen before you pay, and to print a receipt for cash purchases. A receipt is automatically printed when you pay by text or card, and at pay and display meters.

All day parking

Park for as long as you like in meters signed P$ All Day. Simply pay for as long as you want to stay.

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Free parking until 11am on Saturdays

It's always great to get something free. Did you know you don't need to feed the meter until 11am on Saturday mornings? That's up to two hours free parking in metered spaces.

One hour free in King Street carpark

The first hour is free when you park in one of the 48 metered spaces in this off-street, pay-by-plate carpark.

You’ll still need to get a ticket from the parking machine and display it in the front window of your vehicle even if parking for less than an hour. If you plan to stay for longer than an hour the machine will calculate the difference and only charge you for the extra time you spend there.

The parking machines will limit the free hour to once a day.

Pay by plate is a common method in many other cities. In Palmerston North, the parking lots at Amesbury and Main Street East are also using the pay-by-plate system.

Find a Council carpark

There are various areas within the city that are controlled by blue P signs. Time restrictions are indicated on the sign. For example, P60 means you can park for 60 minutes. When a fee applies, the sign will have P$ on it, indicating you must pay at the meter.

Use our interactive map to see all Council parks and time limits, including the location of mobility and motorbike parks.

Lease a carpark

Secure your own parking space by leasing a carpark from the Council.

Contact us about a faulty parking meter

We aim to ensure all parking meters are working and well maintained. If you notice a faulty machine that needs attention, please contact us as soon as possible with as much information as you can. It will help us to know:

  • The meter ID number (displayed on all parking meter screens and stickers on the side of every meter)
  • The location of the machine
  • The time and date the problem occurred
  • Details of the problem (eg, parking meter not working or parking space numbers or sensors are missing)

Call us on 06 356 8199 or 0800 483 987.

You can also contact us in any of the following situations:

  • You see vehicles parked incorrectly, illegally, or contravening the Palmerston North Traffic and Parking Bylaw 2011
  • Request a mobility car park: We'll consider additional mobility parking if there's none available within 200 metres of your destination and the requested location is safe and practical for users
  • Request additional loading zones, short-term parks, motorbike parking
  • If you are hosting an event and want to use paid parking areas

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