A step-by-step guide to your four options when you receive an Australian infringement notice for parking, speed/red-light cameras, or fare evasion on public transport — pay, payment plan, internal review, or court election — plus the consequences of not paying.
In Australia, an infringement notice (called a penalty notice or expiation notice in some states) is an on-the-spot or mailed fine system where paying a set amount finalises the matter without going to court. Who issues the notice depends on the type of offence: parking offences are mostly issued by local councils, speeding and red-light offences by state police and camera enforcement bodies, public transport fare evasion by each transport authority's officers, and pedestrian offences such as jaywalking by police. After issue, payment, lookup and disputes are handled by each state's management agency — notably Revenue NSW in NSW, Fines Victoria in Victoria, and SPER (State Penalties Enforcement Registry) for unpaid fines in Queensland. Amounts and detailed procedures vary by state and year, so always rely on the agency named on your notice and its official portal.
For traffic offences, the fine (money) and demerit points (penalty points on your licence) are handled on separate tracks. Even after you pay the fine, the demerit points remain on your licence record, and exceeding the threshold can lead to licence suspension. How demerit points apply to holders of overseas or provisional licences differs by state, so official confirmation from your state's transport authority is needed. Specific point values and suspension thresholds also vary by state and year, so this guide does not state them definitively.
The notice sets out the offence, the amount, the due date, and the response options available to you. The key point is to respond with one of the four options before the deadline. Whichever you choose, following the official process is safe — doing nothing and ignoring the notice is the only choice that reliably makes things worse.
(1) Pay by the due date — the simplest way to accept the offence and finalise the matter. Pay using the methods listed on the notice, such as online, phone or BPAY. (2) Payment plan (instalments) — a scheme for people who cannot pay in one go, such as those on low incomes or Centrelink payments; always apply first rather than leaving the fine unpaid. (3) Internal review — apply to the issuing agency when there are mitigating circumstances such as a medical emergency, obscured or unclear signage, or an obvious error on the notice. If you have a clean record, a one-off caution may be issued in some cases. (4) Court election — the option to contest the matter before a magistrate; the fine may be reduced, but there is a risk it ends up larger than the original infringement, with court costs on top, so decide carefully.
When you apply for a review, payment is usually put on hold while it is assessed, but if the review is rejected you must pay within the new deadline you are given. Always check and keep the outcome notice (upheld/caution/rejected). Details of how this works vary by state.
When you receive a notice, before reacting emotionally, the important first step is to verify the facts on the document and secure evidence. Conditions at the scene (signage, roadworks, etc.) change over time and evidence becomes harder to collect, so act as quickly as possible.
A fine notification received by text or email may be fake (a scam). Instead of using links in the message, go directly to the official portal such as Revenue NSW and look up the notice by its number, and report suspected scams to Scamwatch (ACCC).
Who issues the notice, where to lodge a dispute, and whether demerit points are involved all depend on the type of offence. Start by identifying which type your notice is.
Mostly issued by local councils. If the signage was obscured or unclear, take photos immediately — they can be used in a review. Note that invoices from private car parks, such as shopping centres, are private claims that are different in nature from government infringement notices, so handle them separately.
Because much enforcement is by fixed and mobile cameras, the notice is sent to the vehicle's registered owner. If someone else was driving, a driver nomination within the deadline is a legal obligation, and demerit points may be imposed along with the fine. Specific points and amounts vary by state, so check the official portal.
Issued by each state transport authority's authorised officers for offences such as not holding a valid ticket or transport card, or misusing concession fares. If you have card balance or tap records from the time, you can retrieve them and use them as review evidence.
Offences such as jaywalking or not wearing a bicycle helmet are mostly issued on the spot by police. Even if the amount looks relatively small, the same escalation process applies if unpaid, so respond by the same principles.
Practical tips to reduce mistakes when actually responding.
These are the most common and costly mistakes. The core message is simple — ignoring the notice is the worst option.
Official NSW portal for looking up, paying, setting up instalments and requesting a review of fines (Revenue NSW)
Victoria's fines management agency — look up, pay and dispute fines (Fines Victoria)
Queensland's unpaid fines collection agency SPER — payment plans and enforcement information (Queensland Revenue Office)
Official South Australian government portal — information on fines and expiation notices
NSW Legal Aid — free legal information and advice on dealing with fines
That is the worst option. Once the due date passes, a reminder or penalty reminder notice with added fees is issued, and if you continue to ignore it, the matter can escalate to enforcement — licence suspension, vehicle registration (rego) suspension, seizure of property, or garnishing of wages. Even if you cannot afford to pay or believe the fine is unfair, the right response is never to ignore it, but to use the official channels such as applying for a payment plan or requesting a review.
You can apply to the issuing agency for an internal review when there are mitigating circumstances. Typical grounds include a medical emergency, signage that was obscured or unclear, or an obvious error on the notice (wrong number plate, wrong location, etc.). In some states, a one-off caution may be given as a lenient outcome if you have a clean record, but this is never guaranteed. When applying, it helps to submit evidence such as photos and medical records.
If you cannot pay in one go, do not just leave it — apply for a payment plan (instalments). State agencies such as Revenue NSW, Fines Victoria and SPER run instalment and deferral schemes for people on low incomes or Centrelink payments. Some states also have additional support processes for severe financial hardship, so check the official portal or call to ask.
This happens because camera-detected offences are sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. If someone else was actually driving, you are legally required to submit a driver nomination within the deadline. If you do not nominate, the registered owner keeps the fine and the demerit points, and for company-registered vehicles, failing to nominate a driver attracts a substantially increased corporate fine. Making a false nomination is itself a serious offence.
They are separate tracks. The fine is a monetary payment, while demerit points are penalty points recorded against your licence — paying the fine does not remove the demerit points. If your demerit points exceed the threshold, it can lead to licence suspension. Demerit points or driving restrictions can also apply to holders of overseas or provisional licences, but how they apply differs by state, so confirm officially with your state's transport authority (e.g. Transport for NSW, VicRoads).
It is possible, but there are risks. If you choose court election, a magistrate may consider your circumstances and reduce or dismiss the fine — but conversely, you could end up with a larger fine than the original infringement plus court costs, and a conviction could be recorded. Unless you have solid evidence or have obtained legal advice, decide carefully, and check free legal information from your state's Legal Aid before deciding.
First, suspect a scam. There are many fake texts and emails posing as unpaid fine or toll notices. Do not click links inside the message — instead, go directly to the official portal (Revenue NSW, Fines Victoria, SPER, etc.) and look up the notice using its number. If the fine is real, it will show up on the official portal. If you suspect a scam, you can report it to Scamwatch (ACCC).
