What is the Sharjah parking timing?

Paid parking in Sharjah runs from 8:00 am to midnight in all paid zones. The hours were extended from 10:00 pm to midnight on 1 July 2026.

Is parking free in Sharjah on Friday?

Yes, in zones with yellow signs. Zones with blue signs are charged on Fridays and public holidays too, and smart parking yards follow their own rules.

Is Sharjah parking free on public holidays?

Yellow-sign zones are free on official public holidays. Blue-sign zones and smart parking yards stay paid. The municipality usually confirms the free days shortly before each holiday.

How do I pay for Sharjah parking by SMS?

Send the plate source, plate number and hours to 5566, for example SHJ 12345 2 for two hours on a Sharjah plate. Each SMS adds 38 fils to the fee.

Which app is used for Sharjah parking?

The Digital Sharjah app, which the municipality names as a payment channel, and Mawqef, the municipality’s own parking app.

How much is the Sharjah parking fine?

AED 150 for parking without a valid ticket and AED 100 for staying past the paid time. Parking in a reserved space or a bay for people of determination is AED 1,000.

How much is parking per hour in Sharjah?

AED 2 for 1 hour, AED 5 for 2 hours, AED 8 for 3 hours, AED 12 for 5 hours at a pay machine.

Sharjah parking: timings, free days, fees and fines

Last updated: 1 October 2026By the Darb Rent team, Sharjah

Paid public parking in Sharjah now runs from 8:00 am to midnight, not 10:00 pm as many older guides still say. This guide covers when you pay, when parking is free, what it costs, how to pay and what a fine costs, using Sharjah City Municipality’s own pages.

Paid parking timings in Sharjah

Parking fees apply from 8:00 am to midnight. The municipality unified the hours across Sharjah city, Kalba, Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid from 1 July 2026, extending the yellow-sign zones from 10:00 pm to midnight to match the blue-sign zones.

Sharjah paid parking hours (source: Sharjah City Municipality, 24 June 2026)
Zone	Paid hours	Paid days
Yellow signs (standard zones)	8:00 am to midnight	Saturday to Thursday. Free on Fridays and official holidays.
Blue signs	8:00 am to midnight	Every day, including Fridays and official holidays.
Smart parking yards	Check the signs at the yard	Their own fees and rules. Not covered by holiday free parking.

You have 10 minutes from the moment you park to pay, and waiting in the car does not exempt you, the municipality said in 2023.

Is parking free today in Sharjah?

It is free today if it is a Friday or an official public holiday and the sign where you park is yellow. In every other case, assume you pay.

Friday, yellow sign: free all day.
Friday, blue sign: paid. These zones are charged throughout the week and on public holidays, and the blue information sign says so.
Saturday to Thursday: paid from 8:00 am to midnight in both kinds of zone.
Smart parking yards: these have their own fees and are not part of the Friday and holiday free parking. Check the signs at the yard.

So on a Friday or a holiday, look at the sign before you walk away from the car.

Free parking days in 2026: public holidays

Yellow-sign zones are free on official public holidays; blue-sign zones and smart yards are not. The municipality restated this rule when it changed the hours in June 2026, and it usually confirms the exact free days shortly before each holiday.

UAE public holidays (source: u.ae) and what Sharjah announced for 2026
Holiday	When	Parking in yellow-sign zones
New Year’s Day	1 January	Free under the official-holiday rule.
Eid Al Fitr	1 to 3 Shawwal. In 2026 the Sharjah Government holiday ran 19 March 2026 to 22 March 2026.	The municipality announced free parking on the first 3 days of Eid.
Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha	9 to 12 Dhu Al Hijjah. In 2026 the Sharjah Government holiday ran 25 May 2026 to 29 May 2026.	Free under the official-holiday rule.
Islamic New Year	1 Muharram	Free under the official-holiday rule.
Prophet’s Birthday	12 Rabi Al Awwal	Free under the official-holiday rule.
Eid Al Etihad (National Day)	2 and 3 December	Free under the official-holiday rule. No specific 2026 announcement had been published when we last checked.

Islamic holidays follow the moon, so their dates are confirmed close to the day. Check the municipality’s news page for the announcement before you rely on a free day.

Parking zones and signs

The sign colour tells you the rule: yellow means free on Fridays and official holidays, blue means paid every day. There is no zone code to enter when you pay; you send only the plate and the hours.

Paid areas are named by district, such as Al Majaz, Al Nahda, Al Khan and Muwaileh Commercial, and the municipality publishes the full list of parking areas. The signs in each area state when fees apply. Paid parking also operates in Kalba, Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid.

Sharjah parking fees

The first hour costs AED 2 at a pay machine, and the price rises in steps rather than by a flat hourly rate. Paying by SMS adds 38 fils per message.

Hourly parking fees (source: Sharjah Municipality parking portal)
Duration	Pay machine	By SMS
1 hour	AED 2	AED 2.38
2 hours	AED 5	AED 5.38
3 hours	AED 8	AED 8.38
5 hours	AED 12	AED 12.38

If you park in the same areas for months, a subscription replaces hourly payment. These are the prices for individuals; the municipality adds AED 45.50 in service fees to each.

Parking subscriptions for individuals (source: Sharjah City Municipality service directory)
Subscription	3 months	6 months	12 months
All areas of Sharjah city	AED 850	AED 1,400	AED 2,300
Two areas	AED 500	AED 900	AED 1,700

How to pay for parking in Sharjah

The quickest way is an SMS to 5566. You can also pay in the Digital Sharjah app, in the municipality’s Mawqef app, or at a pay machine.

SMS: send the plate source, the plate number and the number of hours to 5566, separated by spaces. For a Sharjah plate, SHJ 12345 2 books two hours. You can book 1, 2, 3 or 5 hours.
Plate source codes: SHJ (Sharjah), DXB (Dubai), AUH (Abu Dhabi), AJM (Ajman), RAK (Ras Al Khaimah), FUJ (Fujairah), UAQ (Umm Al Quwain).
Extending: a reminder arrives 10 minutes before the ticket expires. Reply Y to 5566 before it runs out to add an hour.
Apps: Digital Sharjah is the channel the municipality names alongside SMS. Mawqef is the municipality’s own parking app.
Pay machines: the street meters take coins, so keep a few dirhams in the car.

SMS payment needs a UAE mobile number. It works without registration for UAE private plates; other plate types must be registered first on the parking portal or by calling 993. In Khorfakkan, add KH before the hours.

Sharjah parking fines and how to pay them

Not paying costs AED 150 and overstaying costs AED 100. Parking fines are issued by the municipality, not the police, so they are checked and paid through the municipality.

Common parking fines (source: Sharjah City Municipality parking violations table)
Violation	Fine
Parking without a valid ticket	AED 150
Staying past the paid time	AED 100
Obstructing traffic or endangering others	AED 200
Stopping on the roadside or pavement	AED 500
Parking next to a fire hydrant	AED 500
Parking in a reserved space	AED 1,000
Parking in a bay for people of determination	AED 1,000

To check or pay, use the municipality’s vehicle violation inquiry and payment service and search by vehicle number or fine number. Digital Sharjah also lists a Sharjah Municipality vehicle violations service. If you believe a fine is wrong, the municipality has a parking violation objection service that is decided within 5 working days.

For speeding and other police fines, see the Sharjah traffic fines guide.

Parking a rental car in Sharjah

A parking fine is recorded against the car’s plate, so on a rental it reaches the rental company first. Tolls and fines are not included in the rental rate and are charged separately by the rental company.

Pay as soon as you park, and keep the SMS confirmation until you return the car.
Use the plate source and number exactly as they appear on the car’s plate.
Check the sign colour on Fridays and holidays before assuming parking is free.
If you find a ticket on the windscreen, tell the team on WhatsApp the same day.

Driving into Dubai or Abu Dhabi as well? Tolls work the same way; see Salik and Darb tolls.

Sharjah parking: frequently asked questions

What is the Sharjah parking timing?: Paid parking in Sharjah runs from 8:00 am to midnight in all paid zones. The hours were extended from 10:00 pm to midnight on 1 July 2026.
Is parking free in Sharjah on Friday?: Yes, in zones with yellow signs. Zones with blue signs are charged on Fridays and public holidays too, and smart parking yards follow their own rules.
Is Sharjah parking free on public holidays?: Yellow-sign zones are free on official public holidays. Blue-sign zones and smart parking yards stay paid. The municipality usually confirms the free days shortly before each holiday.
How do I pay for Sharjah parking by SMS?: Send the plate source, plate number and hours to 5566, for example SHJ 12345 2 for two hours on a Sharjah plate. Each SMS adds 38 fils to the fee.
Which app is used for Sharjah parking?: The Digital Sharjah app, which the municipality names as a payment channel, and Mawqef, the municipality’s own parking app.
How much is the Sharjah parking fine?: AED 150 for parking without a valid ticket and AED 100 for staying past the paid time. Parking in a reserved space or a bay for people of determination is AED 1,000.
How much is parking per hour in Sharjah?: AED 2 for 1 hour, AED 5 for 2 hours, AED 8 for 3 hours, AED 12 for 5 hours at a pay machine.

Sources

Rules and figures in this guide come from these official pages. Check them before you travel, because they can change.