AS/NZS 2890.1: Complete Guide to Carpark Standards

AS/NZS 2890.1: Complete Guide to Carpark Standards

A property developer in Box Hill submitted carpark plans for a new apartment complex. Council rejected them twice. The bay dimensions were 50mm too narrow under AS/NZS 2890.1:2004. Two months of redesign and resubmission delayed the entire project.

AS/NZS 2890.1 is the Australian and New Zealand Standard for off-street parking facilities. It governs everything from bay dimensions to line marking specifications. Whether you're designing a new carpark or maintaining an existing one, understanding this standard is essential.

What AS/NZS 2890.1 Covers

The current edition is AS/NZS 2890.1:2004, including Amendment 1. Standards Australia drafted a revision in 2023 that proposed longer bays, but it has not been published, so the 2004 edition still applies. Need the bays set out and marked? See our carpark line marking service.

Key Areas Covered:

• Parking bay dimensions and angles
• Aisle widths for different parking layouts
• Circulation roadways and ramps
• Headroom
• Line marking and signage
• Pedestrian crossings within car parks

Standard Parking Bay Dimensions

Bay size depends on the user class. The more often people come and go, the more room they get. Every 90-degree bay is 5.4 m long.

User Class 1 and 1A (employee, commuter and residential):

• Bay width: 2.4 m
• Class 1 is all-day employee and commuter parking.
• Class 1A is only for residential, domestic and employee parking.

User Class 2 (long-term public parking):

• Bay width: 2.5 m
• Long-term town centre parking, sports venues, entertainment centres, hotels and motels.

User Class 3 and 3A (short-term and high turnover):

• Bay width: 2.6 m
• Class 3 is short-term town centre parking, hospitals and medical centres.
• Class 3A is short-term, high turnover parking at shopping centres.

Accessible bays are their own class and follow AS/NZS 2890.6. See our accessible parking line marking service.

Aisle Width Requirements

90-Degree Parking:

• Class 1: 6.2 m
• Class 1A, 2 and 3: 5.8 m
• Class 3A with 2.6 m bays: 6.6 m

These are two-way widths. They still apply if you make the aisle one-way, so a one-way arrow doesn't let you narrow it.

Angled Parking:

Parking at 30, 45 or 60 degrees uses narrower, one-way aisles. The exact width depends on the angle and the user class, and is set out in Figure 2.2 of the standard.

Parallel Parking:

Parallel bays are 2.1 m wide. They're 5.9 m to 6.3 m long, depending on the aisle width. End bays with a clear run in or out can be 5.4 m.

Line Marking Specifications

• Parking bays: white or yellow lines, 80 to 100 mm wide.
• Pedestrian crossings: white or yellow bars 300 to 450 mm wide, slip resistant.
• Accessible bays: marked under AS/NZS 2890.6, with yellow shared area markings and the International Symbol of Access.

We use 100 mm bay lines as standard. They stay visible longer as the paint wears.

Headroom and Ramps

• Minimum headroom is 2200 mm, measured to the lowest obstruction, and it must be signposted at each entrance.
• Public car park ramps can be up to 1 in 5 if they're 20 m long or less, and 1 in 6 if longer.

Proposed Updates and Changes

A draft revision (2023, not yet published) proposed several important changes from the 2004 version that facility managers should be aware of.

Key Proposed Changes:

• Updated design vehicle dimensions (vehicles are larger than 2004)
• Revised user class definitions
• Enhanced pedestrian safety requirements
• New provisions for electric vehicle charging spaces
• Updated references to AS/NZS 2890.6 for accessible parking

Common Non-Compliance Issues

From our experience auditing carparks across Melbourne and Sydney, these are the most common compliance failures we encounter. Working in Melbourne? See our carpark line marking Melbourne page.

• Bays too narrow for the user class (especially end bays next to walls)
• Aisles narrowed because traffic was made one-way
• Missing or faded line markings
• Too few accessible bays, or bays with no shared area
• Poor pedestrian path marking
• Confusing directional arrows at intersections

Request an AS/NZS 2890.1 compliance assessment

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AS/NZS 2890.1 mandatory?

The standard isn't law by itself. It becomes compulsory when your council's planning scheme or your development approval calls it up, which is common for new car parks and major changes.

Do existing carparks need to meet the current standard?

Generally, existing car parks are judged against the approval they were built under. Major works or a change of use can trigger current requirements. Re-marking is a good time to fix undersized bays. If an old layout needs to go, our line marking removal service can clear it first.

Where can I get a copy of AS/NZS 2890.1?

You can buy it from the Standards Australia store. Some libraries and universities also give access. For accessible bays, read our guide to accessible parking requirements under AS/NZS 2890.6.