1. Fine for wrong parking
Wrong or obstructive parking is booked under Section 122 read with Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Published guides (for example Acko, November 2025) give these amounts for Chennai:
| Offence | Amount (published guides) |
|---|---|
| Wrong parking — first time | ₹500 |
| Wrong parking — repeat | ₹1,000 |
We did not find the government order with these amounts online, so treat them as a guide and check your challan.
2. Towing and clamping
Traffic police in Chennai lock the wheels of wrongly parked cars and tow away vehicles that obstruct traffic on busy roads. The Tamil Nadu home department raised the helper and towing charges across the state in February 2020:
| Vehicle | Helper and towing charge | Earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Car | ₹450 | ₹325 |
| Two-wheeler | ₹225 | ₹160 |
These charges are in addition to the fine for wrong parking.
3. Getting a towed vehicle back
- Call the traffic police station for the area where you parked and ask where the vehicle has been taken.
- Pay the fine and the helper and towing charge through official channels and keep the receipt.
- Carry your registration certificate (RC), driving licence and an ID, and check for other pending challans on the Tamil Nadu e-challan portal.
4. 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 housing society or owners' association. Before you let your slot to an outsider, or rent one in a complex where you do not live, check what the society allows — many need the visitor's vehicle to be registered with security.
Read our guide: Housing society parking rules.
5. Park legally every day
199 parking spaces are listed in Chennai on ParkingOnLease right now, with a typical rent of about ₹2,500 a month — covered and open spaces, garages and stilt slots, rented directly from owners with no brokerage.
Monthly parking in ChennaiPost your parking needHave an unused slot? List it free and keep track of rent with the Rent tracker. Other cities: Bangalore · Kolkata · Chennai · Hyderabad · Mumbai.
Questions people ask
What is the towing charge in Chennai?
The Tamil Nadu home department set the helper and towing charge at ₹450 for a car and ₹225 for a two-wheeler (raised in February 2020 from ₹325 and ₹160). This is on top of the wrong-parking fine.
What is the fine for wrong parking in Chennai?
Published guides give ₹500 for a first wrong-parking offence and ₹1,000 for a repeat, under Section 122 read with Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Check your challan for the amount actually charged.
Where can I park my car legally for a whole month in Chennai?
In your own allotted parking, a paid parking lot, or a private space rented from an owner. ParkingOnLease lists covered and open spaces in Chennai from owners directly, with no brokerage.
Sources
Checked on 28 October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- The News Minute, 24 February 2020 — "'No parking' fine increases in Tamil Nadu": thenewsminute.com
- Acko, 10 November 2025 — No parking fines and towing rules in major Indian cities: acko.com
- Parivahan e-challan (check and pay challans): echallan.parivahan.gov.in