Sharjah public parking grace period explained: What drivers need to know

Dubai: Dubai: Need to park your car and run into a grocery store or pharmacy for a few minutes but don’t want to pay for a full hour of parking? If you’re driving in Sharjah, you may not have to.

Sharjah Municipality has confirmed that motorists benefit from a 10-minute grace period when using public parking spaces across the emirate. The clarification was shared in a recent video posted on the authority’s official Instagram account (@shjmunicipality).

Here’s everything you need to know about how the grace period works, parking fines, zones, costs, and payment options in Sharjah.

What is the public parking grace period in Sharjah?

Drivers in Sharjah receive a 10-minute grace period every time they use a public parking space.

According to Sharjah Municipality, the parking system automatically grants motorists a fresh 10-minute window with each new parking session. During this time, no parking violation is recorded, allowing drivers to complete quick errands without immediately paying for parking.

How are public parking fines recorded in Sharjah?

Sharjah uses digital scanning vehicles to monitor paid parking zones, supported by inspectors on foot. The monitoring process follows a two-step system:

• The scanning vehicle takes an initial reading of all parked cars in the area.

• It returns after ten minutes for a second reading. If no payment is detected after this period, a violation is issued.

If payment is made within the 10-minute grace period, no fine is recorded. The same grace period applies whether monitoring is carried out by a scanning vehicle or a parking inspector.

Does the grace period apply if you change parking spots?

The grace period still applies even if you move your car to another parking space.

Each time the system detects a vehicle in a new location, it checks previous readings within the zone. If the car is registered as newly parked, a fresh 10-minute grace period is automatically applied.

Even if the vehicle was scanned earlier in the same area, the system renews the grace period once it identifies a new parking entry.

Fine for not paying public parking in Sharjah

If you continue to park your car beyond the 10-minute grace period without paying, you will receive a Dh150 public parking fine for failing to purchase a valid ticket. Fines can be settled through the official Sharjah Municipality website at shjmun.gov.ae.

Sharjah public parking zones explained

Sharjah has two types of public parking zones, both with the same parking fees but different operating hours:

• Standard parking zones: 8am to 10pm, Saturday to Thursday

• Seven-day parking zones: 8am to 12 midnight, including Fridays and public holidays

Seven-day parking zones can be identified by blue information signs displayed in the area.

How much does public parking cost in Sharjah?

Public parking fees in Sharjah are as follows:

• Dh2 for one hour

• Dh5 for two hours

• Dh8 for three hours

• Dh12 for five hours

How to pay for public parking in Sharjah

Drivers have several options to pay for public parking across the emirate:

1. Parking metres - Parking metres are available in all public parking areas. Payments can be made using cash.

2. mParking (SMS payment) - You can pay by sending an SMS to 5566 in the following format:

Plate source [space] Plate number [space] Number of hours

Plate source codes include:

• Sharjah – SHJ

• Dubai – DXB

• Abu Dhabi – AUH

• Ras Al Khaimah – RAK

• Ajman – AJM

• Fujairah – FUJ

• Umm Al Quwain – UAQ

Additional charges of 38 fils per SMS apply.

3. Digital Sharjah app - Drivers can also pay for and renew parking online through the Digital Sharjah app, using a phone wallet or credit card.

4. Monthly parking permit - If you regularly park in specific areas, you can apply for a monthly parking permit, which may be more cost-effective for frequent visitors.