Bangalore parking rules, fines and towing

1. Fine for wrong parking

The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) spot-fine list gives these amounts for parking offences under the Motor Vehicles Act:

Wrong parking is one of the most common offences booked in the city: reports in September 2026 put the number of wrong-parking cases that year at close to 11 lakh. Enforcement is real, especially on main roads, footpaths and near junctions.

2. Towing since April 2026

After a break of about four years, towing of wrongly parked vehicles was resumed across Bengaluru in April 2026 in a joint drive by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Traffic Police, after a trial in the central parts of the city. Reports at the time described:

• a combined penalty of ₹650 for two-wheelers and ₹1,000 for cars, covering the fine and the towing charge;
• the fine going to the Traffic Police and the towing charge to the GBA;
• at least two towing vehicles for each GBA zone, with footpaths and roadsides a focus, and motorists told to park only in marked parking bays.

These reported amounts differ from the older BTP list in section 1. Check the receipt you are given.

3. If your vehicle has been towed

1. Call the local traffic police station for the area where you parked — towing is done under the supervision of the jurisdictional traffic police — and ask where the vehicle has been taken and what to bring.
2. Carry your registration certificate (RC), driving licence and an ID.
3. Pay only through official channels and insist on a printed or electronic receipt. Do not pay cash to anyone without a receipt.
4. Check for other pending challans on the Bengaluru Traffic Police website — they may have to be cleared too.

4. Paid parking and residential permits

Parking Policy 2.0 for Bengaluru was prepared by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), published in December 2020 and approved by the Government of Karnataka on 2 February 2021. It plans paid on-street parking, area parking plans for each zone and parking permits for residential streets. The Karnataka High Court has since noted that much of it — area parking plans, the charges framework and a pilot permit system — had not been carried out.

On 11 August 2026 the Urban Development Department published the draft Greater Bengaluru Authority (Parking) Rules, 2026 for public objections (30 days). As reported, the draft proposes a paid residential parking permit for parking outside your home, with minimum annual fees of ₹15,000 for a hatchback, ₹20,000 for a sedan and ₹25,000 for an SUV, and lets private parking operators issue notices, fine and tow.

This is a draft. As of 28 October 2026 residential permits were not in force. Watch for the final notification before paying anyone for street parking near your home.

5. Parking in apartments and housing societies

Inside an apartment complex, parking is governed by your sale deed (whether a slot is allotted or covered parking is mentioned) and by the bye-laws of your apartment owners' association. Before you let your slot to an outsider, or rent one in a complex where you do not live, check what the association allows — many need the visitor's vehicle to be registered with security.

Read our guide: Housing society parking rules.

6. Park legally every day

Have an unused slot? List it free and keep track of rent with the Rent tracker. Other cities: Kolkata · Chennai · Hyderabad · Mumbai.

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