Lilongwe parking fees and fines 2026
What it costs to park in Lilongwe now: the K500 hourly scan, the new K10,000 registration, prepaid permits from K1,500 a day, and every fine from K15,000 to K500,000, from Lilongwe City Council’s own schedule.
- Parking: K500/hour
- Monthly permit: K70,000
- Clamp: K15,000
Quick answer: Lilongwe City Council charges K500 per hour (per scan) for standard parking, plus a once-off K10,000 registration per vehicle. A prepaid permit costs K1,500 a day, K8,000 a week, K70,000 a month or K600,000 a year. Fines start at K15,000 for parking outside the lines; a clamp costs K15,000 and getting a clamped and towed car back K75,000. Monthly and longer permits more than doubled since the March 2026 gazette.
Find your charge
Tap a card to jump to it, or download the whole schedule as a two-page PDF.
Parking fees and related charges
Council parking agents scan number plates with phones and cameras, so the hourly fee is charged per scan.
- ChargeKwacha
- Standard parking, per scanper vehicle per hourK500
- Parking registration, once-offper vehicleK10,000
- Registered lorries, trucks, buses and taxisper vehicleK750
- Registered international coachesper vehicleK50,000
- Registered local departure coachesper vehicleK20,000
- Registered offices and shops: companiesper vehicleK1,600
- Registered offices and shops: individualsper vehicleK1,500
- LCC tenants and government departmentsper vehicleK750
- Drop-off fee, local busesper vehicleK10,000
- Overnight parking, local busesper vehicleK10,000
- Clamping feeper vehicleK15,000
- Recovery fee thresholdthresholdK10,000
The card lists the registered-vehicle rates (lorries, taxis, coaches, offices and shops, council tenants) ‘per vehicle’ without saying per day or per hour. If you run a business fleet, ask the council’s parking office which period applies before you budget.
Prepaid parking permits and reserved parking
Paying ahead is cheaper if you park in town most days: a monthly permit works out at about K3,200 a working day, against K500 for every hour on the scan.
- Permit, per vehicleKwacha
- DailyK1,500
- WeeklyK8,000
- Monthlywas K32,000 in MarchK70,000
- Quarterlywas K90,000 in MarchK200,000
- Semi-annuallywas K170,000 in MarchK400,000
- Annuallywas K320,000 in MarchK600,000
- Reserved parkingper slot per monthK50,000
Parking fines and clamping in Lilongwe
Every penalty on the card, grouped. Unless marked, each is per offence.
Illegal parking
- Parking outside marked parking boundariesK15,000
- Not following parking directions or markingsK15,000
- Parking across a marked line, taking two spacesK30,000
- Blocking other parked vehiclesK50,000
- Blocking vehicles entering or leaving a parking areaK60,000
- Leaving a vehicle beyond the parking time limitK75,000
Parking area conduct
- Blocking access to a parking space without permissionK50,000
- Doing business in a parking area without written permissionK50,000
- Dirtying a parking spaceK40,000
- Washing or cleaning a vehicle in a parking areaK60,000
- Non-emergency repairs in a parking area without permissionK60,000
- Parking a vehicle too heavy or big for that spaceK100,000
Paying and enforcement
- Cheating or giving false information to avoid parking feesK75,000
- Destroying a fine, bill, notice or receipt before payingK75,000
- Obstructing a parking agent or officerK150,000
- Damaging parking signs or noticesK150,000
- Damaging parking enforcement or fee collection equipmentK150,000
- Redeeming a clamped and towed vehicleper vehicleK75,000
Other
- Defacing a poleminimum chargeK500,000
-
If your car is clamped
The clamping fee is K15,000 per vehicle on top of the fine for the offence. If the car has also been towed, redeeming it costs K75,000. Pay only the council or its official agents and keep the receipt: destroying a fine, bill or receipt before you pay is itself a K75,000 offence.
-
Do not argue with the agent
Obstructing a parking agent, officer or the council’s service provider costs K150,000. If you think a ticket is wrong, pay or note the details and take it up with the council: [email protected] or 0884 823 555 (Public Relations office).
Trucks, the CBD and commercial vehicles
Lorry, bus and taxi operators: these are the charges that hit hardest.
- CBD permit, vehicles of 10 tonnes and above, 5am to 7pmper entryK150,000
- Entering the CBD without that permit, 5am to 7pmK225,000
- Articulated vehicle or horse in a residential or commercial area without a permitK225,000
- Repairing a vehicle in a residential or commercial areaK75,000
- Running a public transport business without a licenceK150,000
- Not registering a commercial vehicle with the councilK75,000
Vehicles of 10 tonnes and above need a permit to enter the Central Business District between 5am and 7pm: K150,000 per entry. Without one the penalty is K225,000. Articulated vehicles (and horses) also need a permit to enter, move or park in residential and commercial areas.
Public transport needs a council licence too: running one without it is a K150,000 offence. Licence fees for minibuses, taxis, kabaza and lorries are in our Lilongwe business licence guide.
- CBD permit, 10 t+
- K150,000 per entry
- No permit, 5am to 7pm
- K225,000
- Bus drop-off
- K10,000
- Bus overnight
- K10,000
- International coach
- K50,000
- Local departure coach
- K20,000
What went up since the March 2026 gazette
LCC’s fees were gazetted on 20 March 2026 and took effect on 1 April (LCC notice). The October card raises these:
- ItemMarch → October
- Monthly permitK32,000 → K70,000
- Quarterly permitK90,000 → K200,000
- Six-month permitK170,000 → K400,000
- Annual permitK320,000 → K600,000
- Articulated vehicle or horse without a permitK170,000 → K225,000
- Defacing a pole (minimum)K150,000 → K500,000
New on the card, not in the March gazette: K10,000 once-off registration, K15,000 clamping fee, rates for registered vehicles, coaches and council tenants, K10,000 bus drop-off and overnight fees, K150,000 CBD entry permit for 10-tonne vehicles. The hourly K500 scan, the daily and weekly permits and most fines stay the same.
The council’s City Charges page still shows the March permit prices (and an annual permit of ‘K6,000,000’, which the gazette gives as K320,000). Go by the October schedule.
- Monthly permit
- +119%
- Annual permit
- +88%
- Pole defacing
- x3.3
Download the full schedule (PDF)
Two A4 pages with every fee, permit and fine, and what changed since March. Free to print and share.
Lilongwe parking FAQ
How much is parking in Lilongwe?
K500 per hour (per scan) for standard parking, from Lilongwe City Council’s 2026 schedule. A prepaid permit costs K1,500 a day.
Do I have to register my car for parking?
The 2026 schedule adds a once-off parking registration fee of K10,000 per vehicle.
How much is a monthly parking permit in Lilongwe?
K70,000 per vehicle (it was K32,000 in the March 2026 gazette). Quarterly is K200,000 and annual K600,000.
What is the fine for wrong parking in Lilongwe?
K15,000 for parking outside the marked bay or ignoring markings, K30,000 for taking two spaces, K50,000 for blocking other cars and K60,000 for blocking an entrance or exit.
How much does it cost to remove a wheel clamp?
The clamping fee is K15,000. Redeeming a clamped and towed vehicle costs K75,000.
Can I wash my car in a parking area?
No. Washing or cleaning a vehicle in a parking area is a K60,000 offence, and non-emergency repairs there K60,000 too.
When did the new parking fees start?
The council published the 2026 schedule on 21 October 2026. It did not give a separate start date on the card; ask the council if you were charged the old rate on a permit bought earlier.
Related guides
GuideLilongwe business licenceFees for 70+ business types
GuideBlantyre business licence2026/27 fees, pay at Civic Offices
GuideMzuzu business licenceForms, renewal, FDH deposit
GuideLilongwe city rates2026 rates, 60 days to pay
GuideBlantyre city ratesTHA K30,000, bank accounts
GuideLilongwe building permitK400 a square metre, 30 days
GuideMzuzu building permitPlans, fee formula, inspections
GuideDriving licenceDRTSS, MalTIS, learner, test
GuideOpen a bank account8 banks comparedSources: Lilongwe City Council 2026 Parking Fees & Penalties Schedule (21 October 2026, also reported by the Malawi News Agency); LCC fees and charges gazette (General Notice No. 22, 20 March 2026, effective 1 April 2026); LCC on automated parking; City Charges on lcc.mw. Checked October 2026.
