Parking Fine – What Happens Now?

What Counts as Illegal Parking?

An illegal parking (or “felparkering”) means your vehicle was parked in a way that breaks parking rules — either under the Swedish Traffic Ordinance (public land) or a private parking agreement (private land).

Common reasons include:

• Staying longer than allowed
  
• Parking where it’s prohibited
  
• Choosing the wrong zone in the parking app
  
• An inactive or incorrectly registered digital permit
  

It’s rarely a crime — but it is a rule violation or a contract breach, and yes, it costs money.

Two Types of Parking Tickets in Sweden

<div class="knowledge-table"><div class="knowledge-table_header"><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Type</div><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Applies to</div><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Issued by</div><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Payment</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Parking Fine (“Parkeringsanmärkning”) – Yellow Ticket</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Public land (municipal)</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Municipality / Police</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Pay to the Police</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Control Fee (“Kontrollavgift”) – White Ticket</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Private land (BRF, property owner, etc.)</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Parking company / Landowner</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Pay to the company on the ticket</div></div></div>

In short:
🟡 Yellow ticket = Public rule
⚪ White ticket = Private agreement

How They Differ

Parking Fine (Yellow Ticket)

• Regulated by the Traffic Ordinance (Trafikförordningen)
  
• Handled by the Police
  
• The fine cannot be negotiated or waived
  

Control Fee (White Ticket)

• Regulated by Swedish law (1984:318)
  
• Can be appealed to the parking company or ARN (National Board for Consumer Disputes)
  
• Incorrectly issued fees can be cancelled
  

Do I Have to Pay Immediately?

Yes — even if you plan to appeal, you should pay on time to avoid late fees.
If your appeal is approved later, you’ll get a refund.

• For yellow tickets, pay the Police (the OCR number is printed on the slip).
  
• For white tickets, pay the company listed on the notice.
  

If It’s a Yellow Ticket (Public Land):

1. Pay the fine.
   
2. Send an appeal to the Police within six months.
   
3. Include photos, receipts, or other proof.
   
4. The Police decide whether to cancel or uphold the fine.
   

If It’s a White Ticket (Private Land):

1. Contact the company named on the fee notice.
   
2. Explain clearly why you believe it’s incorrect (wrong zone, valid permit, unclear signage, etc.).
   
3. If they deny your claim — send it to ARN (Allmänna Reklamationsnämnden).
   

Be calm, factual, and avoid emotional arguments — they rarely help.

What Happens If You Don’t Pay?

If you ignore the fine, it can:

• Be sent to debt collection (inkasso)
  
• Increase with reminder fees
  
• Be escalated to Kronofogden (the Swedish Enforcement Authority)
  

Both municipalities and private operators have the legal right to collect unpaid parking fees.
Repeated violations can even result in your vehicle being towed under Swedish law.

If Your Car Gets Towed

If your car is parked dangerously, incorrectly, or appears abandoned,
the municipality may move it to a secure lot.

You’ll receive a letter with details on where your car is and how much it costs to retrieve it.
The towing fee must be paid by the vehicle owner.

Often, it’s not the ticket that hurts the most — it’s the towing bill.

How to Avoid Parking Fines

• Always read the full sign — not just the blue “P.”
  
• Double-check the zone code in the app before starting.
  
• Make sure your digital permit is active and linked to the correct vehicle.
  
• Remember the 24-hour rule – move your car at least once a day unless signs say otherwise.
  

The best parking fine is the one that never happens.

Digital Tools Reduce Mistakes

Most parking fines aren’t caused by laziness — they happen because people are confused.
That’s why Parkit works with digital permits and smart monitoring systems
that ensure the right car is in the right place — without papers, manual errors or misunderstandings.

When technology handles the control, people avoid the conflict.
That’s the future of fair parking.

Parkit’s Perspective

We know parking fines cause frustration.
But behind every ticket, there’s a system trying to create order.

Our role is to make that system a little more human — to explain how it works and why it matters.
Because when people understand why something happens, it’s easier to accept that it happens.