Free Parking Perth CBD
Every kerbside motorcycle bay in the city is free — and 142 of them have no time limit at all. Here is what everyone else pays.
Rates checked 15 August 2026
In the Perth CBD, a car pays $7.00 an hour at the kerb and a motorcycle pays nothing. That is not a loophole — City of Perth prices motorcycle kerbside parking at zero in every zone, and when fees rose on 30 March 2026, motorcycle fees were explicitly left out of the increase.
There are also 142 free all-day motorcycle bays: 112 on Mounts Bay Road, 22 on Nash Street in Northbridge, and 8 on Pier Street. No meter, no time limit, walkable to the CBD core.
One honest caveat before you plan around it: this applies to kerbside parking. City of Perth off-street car parks are a different story and several of them do charge motorcycles — see below.
How CBD Kerbside Parking Works
Enforced Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm
Outside those hours the metered bays are free. Signs still apply.
$2 minimum, 0.96% card fee
Every kerbside zone has a $2 minimum payment.
Signs set the time limit
2P means two hours. Motorcycle bays are time limited too.
No coming straight back
You cannot return to the same section of road within an hour.
City of Perth Kerbside Rates
Effective 30 March 2026. Every zone carries a $2 minimum payment, and every zone parks a motorcycle for nothing.
| Zone | Cars | Motorcycles | Enforced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perth City (CBD) | $7.00/hr | Free | Mon–Sat 8am–6pm |
| Northbridge | $6.00/hr | Free | Mon–Sat 8am–6pm |
| West Perth | $5.40/hr | Free | Mon–Sat 8am–6pm |
| East Perth | $5.40/hr | Free | Mon–Sat 8am–6pm |
| Claisebrook | $5.40/hr | Free | Mon–Sat 8am–6pm |
| Claisebrook — Brown St | $4.50/hr, $15.00/day max | Free | Mon–Fri 8am–6pm |
| Crawley / Nedlands | $3.00/hr, $16.00 for 10 hrs | Free | Mon–Fri 8am–6pm |
Card payments carry a 0.96% surcharge. EV charging is $0.45 per kWh including GST. The Crawley/Nedlands zone is the one that covers UWA and the QEII campus.
Off-street car parks are not the same deal
What a Year of CBD Parking Costs
Worked examples for a five-day commuter, 46 working weeks, on 2026 rates.
| Per year | Who | Working |
|---|---|---|
| $8,280 | Casual commercial car park at the top of the range | 230 days × ~$36 |
| $5,290 | Commercial car park at around $23 a day | 230 days × ~$23 |
| $3,450 | City of Perth $15 all-day car park | 230 days × $15.00 |
| $2,415 | Early-bird rate from around $10.50 | 230 days × ~$10.50 |
| $1,456 | Two hours of CBD kerbside, twice a week | 104 visits × $14.00 |
| $0 | A motorcycle or scooter in a kerbside bay | Free in every zone |
Kerbside is time limited, so it is not actually an option for a full working day — the real choice for a driver is one of the car park rows. Fuel, rego, insurance and servicing sit on top of all of them; our car vs scooter running-cost comparison for Perth puts a number on the lot.
The Cost That Isn't on the Sign: Time
A CBD kerbside bay at 8:30am on a weekday is a lottery ticket, and the car parks that do have room are the expensive ones. On a bike the question does not come up.
By car
Up to 20 min
Hunting a bay in the city grid
- Kerbside bays in the core turn over slowly and fill early.
- The cheap all-day car parks fill first; the ones with room cost the most.
- A 2P sign means moving the car mid-afternoon, or paying for a car park anyway.
- You cannot return to the same section of road within an hour.
On a scooter
142 bays
Free all day, no time limit
- Mounts Bay Road alone has 112 free all-day bays, walkable to the core.
- Kerbside motorcycle bays sit throughout the city and cost nothing.
- No meter, no app session, no ticket on the screen.
- A bay fits a bike in places a car simply cannot go.
Times are what CBD drivers report at peak, not a published City of Perth figure.
Where Parking in the CBD Is Actually Free
Three cases. Two of them are only for two wheels.
Kerbside motorcycle bays
Free in every zone, all enforcement hours. Time limited by the sign.
The 142 all-day motorcycle bays
Mounts Bay Road (112), Nash Street Northbridge (22) and Pier Street (8). No time limit.
Outside enforcement hours
Metered bays are free after 6pm and on Sundays — for cars too. Clearways and signed restrictions still apply.
Not free: off-street car parks
City of Perth car parks charge motorcycles. The kerb is where the free parking is.
Careful with the name: City of Perth also runs a small car park at 129 Mounts Bay Road, West Perth, with just two motorcycle bays and a three-hour limit. The 112-bay all-day facility is the separate on-street one by the Mitchell Freeway overpass.
Motorcycle Parking Is Free at Every Kerb
City of Perth prices kerbside motorcycle parking at zero across the whole city, and motorcycle fees were exempted from the increase that took effect on 30 March 2026. A car in the same bay pays $7.00 an hour.
Free is not unlimited
Kerbside motorcycle bays are time limited. Where the bay has no sign of its own, the nearest standard parking sign sets the limit.
Marked bays only
A motorcycle in a regular car bay attracts an infringement, kerbside or in a car park.
For all day, head to Mounts Bay Road
112 free bays by the Mitchell Freeway overpass, no time limit, and a short walk into the CBD core.
A Car Licence Is Enough to Use Those Bays
Free CBD parking sounds like it needs a motorcycle licence. In WA it does not. A full car licence — anything but a learner's permit — legally covers a moped: an engine no larger than 50cc, designed not to exceed 50km/h. Read the full WA licence rules.
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Sym Crox
Park it free at any city kerb, or all day on Mounts Bay Road. The $3,450 a year a $15-a-day car park costs — or the $8,280 at the top of the range — goes to zero.
- 50cc
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Perth CBD Parking Questions
Is motorcycle parking free in the Perth CBD?
On the street, yes. All kerbside motorcycle parking in the City of Perth is free, in every zone, during enforcement hours. Motorcycle fees were explicitly left out of the fee increase that took effect on 30 March 2026. The bays are time limited, though — read the sign.
Where can I park a motorcycle in Perth all day for free?
City of Perth lists 142 free all-day motorcycle bays: 112 on Mounts Bay Road next to the Mitchell Freeway overpass, 22 on Nash Street in Northbridge, and 8 on Pier Street. Mounts Bay Road at 112 bays is the standout for a CBD commuter.
Do City of Perth car parks charge motorcycles?
Some do. The rule for off-street car parks is that discounted parking rates do not apply for motorcycles, and where meters or EasyPark apply you must start a paid session. Terms differ by car park — some have dedicated motorcycle entrances, some use shared pay-by-plate meters, and a few offer monthly motorcycle permits. The free story is kerbside, not off-street.
How much is street parking in Perth CBD?
From 30 March 2026, kerbside parking in the Perth City zone is $7.00 per hour with a $2 minimum payment, Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm. Northbridge is $6.00 per hour, and West Perth, East Perth and Claisebrook are $5.40. Card payments carry a 0.96% surcharge.
Is parking free in Perth CBD on Sundays and after 6pm?
Kerbside fees are enforced Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, so outside those hours the metered bays are free. Signed time limits, clearways and permit-only restrictions can still apply, so check the sign at the bay.
Can a motorcycle park in a normal car bay in Perth?
No. Motorcycles must use a marked motorcycle bay. Parking in a regular bay will attract an infringement. Where a motorcycle bay has no sign of its own, the time limit on the nearest standard parking sign applies.
Can I ride a 50cc scooter into the CBD on a car licence?
In WA, a full car licence (anything other than a learner's permit) covers a moped — a scooter with an engine no larger than 50cc that is designed not to exceed 50km/h. No motorcycle licence and no separate test, which is what puts those free kerbside bays within reach.
Sources — rates checked 15 August 2026
Every figure on this page comes from City of Perth Parking. We are a scooter dealership, not the council — check the official pages before relying on a rate, and tell us if something here has gone stale.