In Portugal, a parking fine is usually between €30 and €150 and counts as a minor offence that takes no points off your licence. On the pavement blocking pedestrians, on a zebra crossing or in a reserved space, it rises to €60 to €300. Only zebra crossings, disabled spaces and some cases outside towns and on motorways cost points.
You have 15 working days from the notice to pay the minimum or to file a defence. This guide covers how much each parking fine costs, when it takes points, what happens if you do not pay for parking, how to find out if you have a fine and how to contest it.
How much is a parking fine in Portugal
The amounts are set in the Portuguese Highway Code (Código da Estrada), mainly in articles 48 to 50 and 71. Each offence has a minimum and a maximum, and if you pay on time you pay the minimum. The most common cases:
- badly parked in town, outside a marked space and not close to the right-hand edge, parallel and facing the traffic, or without leaving room for others to get out: €30 to €150;
- double parking, blocking other cars or traffic: €30 to €150;
- less than 5 m from a junction, on a roundabout or at a bus stop: €30 to €150;
- in a paid zone without paying or beyond the time paid: €30 to €150;
- on the pavement, blocking pedestrians, or on a zebra crossing: €60 to €300;
- across a garage entrance or in a space reserved by a sign, for example for disabled drivers: €60 to €300;
- on a motorway hard shoulder: €120 to €600;
- on a motorway carriageway, or at night on the carriageway outside towns: €250 to €1,250.
If you pay within 15 working days, you pay the minimum: €30 in the most common case, €60 on the pavement or a zebra crossing. After that, and until a decision is made, you can still pay the minimum, but procedural costs are added.
Mind the difference between stopping and parking. Stopping means staying only while someone gets in or out, or for a quick load, with the driver ready to move off. Anything else is parking. On zebra crossings and pavements, both are banned.
Do parking fines take points off your licence?
Most do not. They are minor offences: a fine only, nothing on your licence. Points are lost only for offences classed as serious or very serious in articles 145 and 146 of the Highway Code (see also the list of offences published by ANSR):
- 2 points (serious): stopping or parking on a pedestrian or cycle crossing, in a disabled space without authorisation, or on a motorway hard shoulder;
- 4 points (very serious): stopping or parking on the carriageway outside towns less than 50 m from junctions, blind bends or crests, on a motorway carriageway, or parking at night on the carriageway outside towns.
On top of the points, these offences carry a driving ban: 1 month to 1 year for serious ones and 2 months to 2 years for very serious ones. Paying the fine does not close the case, which goes on to decide the ban. How many points you have and how to win them back is in our guide to driving licence points in Portugal.
Unpaid parking: what happens
In a paid parking zone, not paying or staying beyond the time paid is banned by article 71 of the Highway Code and carries a fine of €30 to €150. It is a minor offence, with no points.
The bigger risk is the clamp. If you paid nothing, or more than two hours have passed since your paid time ran out, the parking counts as improper. The car can then be clamped and towed, and the registered keeper pays for the clamping, the towing and the storage, refunded if there is no conviction.
Some cases can be clamped and towed straight away, with no two-hour wait, because the law treats them as a danger or serious obstruction to traffic: on the pavement, double parked, on a zebra crossing, across a garage entrance, in a reserved space, at a bus stop or in a loading bay.
How to find out if you have a parking fine
Since Decree-Law 107/2018, regulating and enforcing parking on public roads is a job for the municipalities. Minor parking fines are handled by the town hall, not by the road safety authority (ANSR). In Lisbon, paid parking is enforced by EMEL, the municipal company.
- on the windscreen: the enforcement officer often leaves a notice. Keep it and take photos of the spot and the signs straight away;
- by post: the notice goes to the registered keeper and states the offence, the fine, the deadlines and where to pay or file a defence;
- on the Portal das Contraordenações: it shows fines handled by ANSR. Minor parking fines, according to the ANSR FAQ, are dealt with by the body named on the notice.
How to check other fines, how to pay them and what to do about fake messages is in our guide to checking traffic fines in Portugal. Remember: the official notice comes by post, not by text message with a payment link.
How to contest a parking fine
You have 15 working days from the notice to file a written defence. For a minor parking fine, the defence does not go to ANSR: you hand it to the body named on the notice, usually the town hall. It must include:
- the notice number and your name;
- the facts, your reasons and what you ask for, for example that the case be dropped;
- the evidence: photos of the spot and the signs, the payment receipt from the app or the meter, other documents;
- up to three witnesses, if you have them;
- your signature; the defence must be written in Portuguese.
A defence is only as good as its evidence. Examples with proof: you had paid and kept the receipt; the sign was missing, hidden or contradicted another one; the car had already been sold or was stolen; you were only stopped, with the driver at the wheel, where only parking is banned. Saying «it was only a minute» rarely works.
If the fine came in your name but someone else was driving, identify the driver within the same 15 working days, with the body named on the notice, and do not pay the fine.
Pay or contest?
For minor offences, paying the minimum closes the case, unless you file a defence. A deposit is not required to contest. If you wish, within 48 hours of a postal notice you can deposit the minimum fine: it is refunded if you are not found liable and counts as payment if you do not file a defence in time.
If the decision goes against you, you can appeal to court in writing within 15 working days of the notice, by filing it with the body that decided (ANSR or the town hall), which sends it to the court. For a €30 fine, weigh the time and cost of an appeal.
How to avoid parking fines
Many fines are avoided simply by parking well: close to the kerb, parallel to it and without blocking anyone. If the manoeuvre still gives you trouble, see our step-by-step guide to parallel parking without stress.
Sensors and a camera help too. On 5 November 2026, 4,752 of the 9,842 cars for sale on AUTO.MOTO.PT mentioned parking sensors in the advert, and 2,280 a rear camera. You can look for them among the used cars for sale and follow new adverts in the AUTO.MOTO app, with notifications on your phone.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a parking fine in Portugal?
In most cases, €30 to €150. On the pavement blocking pedestrians, on a zebra crossing, across garage entrances or in reserved spaces, €60 to €300. On motorways, and at night on the carriageway outside towns, it can reach €1,250.
Do parking fines take points off your licence?
Only serious and very serious ones. Zebra crossings, disabled spaces and motorway hard shoulders cost 2 points. The most dangerous cases on the carriageway outside towns and on motorways cost 4.
How do I know if I have a parking fine?
From the notice on the windscreen or the letter sent to the registered keeper. Minor parking fines belong to the town hall and are handled by the body named on the notice.
How do I contest a parking fine?
In writing, within 15 working days of the notice, to the body named on it. Include the notice number, the facts, the evidence and up to three witnesses, and sign it.
What happens if I do not pay for parking?
You risk a fine of €30 to €150. If you paid nothing or stayed more than two hours past the paid time, the car can be clamped and towed, and the keeper pays the costs.
How long do I have to pay the fine?
If you pay within 15 working days of the notice, you pay the minimum fine. After that, and until the decision, you can still pay the minimum, plus procedural costs.
