In short
- Gold Coast is patrolled by camera cars and officers on foot. City of Gold Coast covers the centre; every other council runs its own.
- Timed and paid parking is only enforced during the hours on the sign. Outside those hours it is free and unrestricted.
- Enforced all the time: No stopping zones (yellow edge lines, signed areas and hatched markings) and driveways apply at all times. Some no stopping areas apply only at set times, such as school pick-up.
- The most common fine is overstaying the sign or not paying: $115.
- On Rangr Dangr neighbours drop a pin when they see an officer. Tap I parked here and you get a buzz if one is reported near your car.
How the Goldie enforces parking
The Gold Coast is a single council area. City of Gold Coast runs all on-street parking enforcement, from Coolangatta to Coomera, so one set of local laws and one fines office applies across the city.
Fine amounts are set by the state, and unpaid ones end up with State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER).
Camera cars and sensors
The ParkSafe program uses cars fitted with licence plate recognition cameras. It began in 2021 with two cars and now runs four (SSBCrack News, September 2026). The City says plate data is not kept for vehicles with no breach, and officers review each alert before a fine is issued.
Officers on foot
Council parking officers also patrol on foot. Fines can be viewed online with photos of the vehicle taken when the notice was issued, though ParkSafe fines (numbers starting 14, 15 or 16) cannot currently be viewed in that portal.
When they patrol
Metered parking in Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads runs 9am to 7pm, seven days, including public holidays (not Anzac Day). Signs show the hours; where a sign lists no days, the times apply every day.
Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads keep normal charges and time limits on public holidays, except Anzac Day. Elsewhere parking is generally free on public holidays
Where they go
Parking officers go where turnover matters. In Gold Coast that means:
- Surfers Paradise (Cavill Ave, Orchid Ave, The Esplanade)
- Broadbeach (Surf Parade, Gold Coast Hwy)
- Burleigh Heads (Goodwin Tce)
- Southport CBD
- Main Beach
- Coolangatta
- School drop-off and pick-up zones (ParkSafe)
- Event days near Carrara and Robina stadiums
Rangr Dangr members mark sightings on the live map as they happen. The Ranger risk map in the app shades the streets and hours where sightings cluster, so you can see a street's pattern before you park there.
What gets booked
These are the fines Gold Coast drivers see most, from the current schedule. The figure on your notice is the one that counts.
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Park longer than the time limit on the sign | $115 |
| No ticket or paid session in a metered zone | $115 |
| Disobey a No Parking sign | $215 |
| Disobey a No Stopping sign | $215 |
| Stop in a loading zone | $138 |
| Stop across a driveway for more than 2 minutes | $172 |
| Park on a footpath, nature strip or verge | $172 |
| Park in a disabled bay without a permit | $690 |
The full list, the deadlines and how to dispute a notice: Gold Coast parking fines, decoded.
Getting a heads-up
Rangr Dangr is a live, neighbour-powered map. It started on the streets of Newcastle and works anywhere in Australia: the more Gold Coast neighbours on it, the better the heads-up. When someone spots an officer they double-tap the map where they saw them and tap which way they are heading. Everyone nearby sees the pin, and it fades after 20 minutes so the map is always now.
Park and pin it.
Tap I parked here when you leave the car, with an optional 2P timer.
Neighbours spot the officer.
Someone two streets over drops a sighting and the direction they are walking.
You get the heads-up.
Your phone buzzes with how far away they are and which way they are heading, even with the app closed.
The rules we play by
- No names, photos or plates. A sighting is a place and a time, not a person.
- Never confront anyone. Parking officers are doing their job. Give them room.
- Not a live tracker. Every pin expires. Enough Not there votes clear it early.
- Park legally. A heads-up is a reminder to move your car, not permission to overstay.
Good to know.
When do parking officers patrol in Gold Coast?
Metered parking in Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads runs 9am to 7pm, seven days, including public holidays (not Anzac Day). Signs show the hours; where a sign lists no days, the times apply every day. Outside those hours timed and paid parking is free. Enforced at all hours: No stopping zones (yellow edge lines, signed areas and hatched markings) and driveways apply at all times. Some no stopping areas apply only at set times, such as school pick-up.
Does Gold Coast use cars with number plate cameras?
The ParkSafe program uses cars fitted with licence plate recognition cameras. It began in 2021 with two cars and now runs four (SSBCrack News, September 2026). The City says plate data is not kept for vehicles with no breach, and officers review each alert before a fine is issued.
Is it legal to tell people where an officer is?
Telling a neighbour an officer is on the street is the same as telling a mate over the fence. Rangr Dangr records a place and a time, never a person: no names, photos or plates, and every sighting expires in 20 minutes. Never confront an officer.
How does the Rangr Dangr alert work?
Tap I parked here when you leave the car. If anyone reports a sighting inside your chosen distance, your phone buzzes, even with the app closed. Add it to your Home Screen so alerts arrive in the background; on iPhone that step is required.
Officer near your car? You’ll know.
Free, no download. Rangr Dangr runs in your phone’s browser. Add it to your Home Screen and the alerts find you with the app closed.