Staying overnight at rest areas in Australia
Rest areas are there so drivers can take a break and manage fatigue. Whether you may stay overnight, and for how long, depends on the state or territory, and signs at a rest area always take precedence over the general rule.
This page summarises the rules and links to the official sources. It is general information, not legal advice.
Sources checked on 27 September 2026. Signs at a rest area always override the general rule.
| Where | Rule in short | Maximum stay |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | You may stay up to 20 hours in any 24-hour period at a rest area, unless signs say otherwise. | 20 hours |
| New South Wales | The NSW Government says you must not camp in rest areas; no maximum stay is published. Stop to rest when tired and follow the signs. | – |
| Victoria | Resting or sleeping in a parked vehicle to manage driver fatigue is allowed; camping is not, unless it is authorised or signposted. | – |
| Western Australia | Overnight stays are only allowed at signposted 24-hour rest areas, for up to 24 consecutive hours. | 24 hours (24-hour rest areas only) |
| South Australia | No state law prohibits camping at rest areas; the Department for Infrastructure and Transport discourages stays of more than 24 hours. | – |
| Northern Territory | Many rest stops are labelled either "24 hour overnight camping allowed" or "camping not permitted"; NT policy limits stays to 24 hours. | 24 hours (policy) |
| Tasmania | No statewide rule for rest areas; follow the signs and local council rules. | – |
| Australian Capital Territory | No territory rule for rest areas was found; follow the signs. | – |
Queensland
At a general vehicle rest area on a state-controlled road you may stay for up to 20 hours within the 24 hours after you first enter it, unless a sign sets a different limit. Using a designated rest area in this way is not treated as camping.
Generators and other engine-driven equipment must not be run between 7 pm and 7 am at general vehicle rest areas. Heavy-vehicle rest areas are for heavy vehicles: other road users must not use them without a reasonable excuse.
Sources: Transport Infrastructure (State-controlled Roads) Regulation 2017, ss 10–10B; Queensland Government: rest areas
New South Wales
The NSW Government’s fatigue advice encourages drivers to stop and rest, including a short nap when tired, and states that you must not camp in rest areas. No general maximum stay is published for NSW rest areas. Individual sites and councils may set limits by sign.
Some rest areas and truck parking bays are signed for heavy vehicles only, and some for light vehicles only; each stop page on this site shows this where Transport for NSW records it.
Sources: NSW Government: driver fatigue; Service NSW: find rest areas in NSW
Victoria
On the road reserve of freeways, arterial roads and some other state roads, the Road Management (General) Regulations 2026 (in operation since 13 June 2026) prohibit camping unless it is authorised in writing or allowed by a sign. They do not prohibit resting or sleeping in a parked vehicle to manage or avoid driver fatigue.
Roads managed by councils are covered by local laws instead.
Sources: Road Management (General) Regulations 2026 (SR 66/2026), reg 21
Western Australia
Camping in Western Australia is generally only permitted in licensed caravan parks and camping grounds. One exception allows a stay of up to 24 consecutive hours in a caravan or other vehicle at a roadside rest area signed for 24-hour use. Main Roads WA records which of its stopping places are 24-hour rest areas; stop pages on this site show it.
Main Roads WA notes that rest areas are not intended for camping, and asks other drivers to leave heavy-vehicle rest areas free for trucks where they can.
Sources: Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulations 1997, regs 10–11; Main Roads WA: long-distance driving
South Australia
According to the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, there is no state legislation prohibiting camping in rest areas, and stopping overnight is an acceptable way to manage fatigue. The department discourages stays of more than 24 hours. This is departmental guidance rather than law. Truck-only areas are signed "Truck Parking".
Sources: DIT Operational Instruction 20.03: Roadside Rest Areas on Rural Roads (v8.1, February 2026), s 6.3
Northern Territory
The NT Government lists its road rest stops, many of them labelled "24 hour overnight camping allowed" or "camping not permitted"; some carry neither label. Check the sign at each stop.
The Territory’s roadside rest areas policy says you may not stay at any one rest area for longer than 24 hours, and that motorists should not use truck parking bays except in an emergency. It is a policy rather than law.
Sources: NT Government: road rest stops; NT Roadside Rest Areas Policy (2014)
Tasmania
We found no statewide rule or official guidance on staying overnight at roadside rest areas in Tasmania. Signs, council by-laws and parks rules apply, so check them for each stop.
Sources: Transport Tasmania: heavy vehicle driver rest areas
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT has few highway rest areas, and we found no territory rule or official guidance on staying overnight at them. Follow the signs at each stop and any park or land rules that apply.
Truck drivers and truck bays
Heavy-vehicle drivers must take rest breaks under fatigue laws. Under standard hours for a solo driver, that means at most 5¼ hours of work and at least 15 continuous minutes of rest in any 5½ hours, and at least 7 continuous hours of stationary rest in any 24 hours. The Heavy Vehicle National Law applies in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria; it has not commenced in Western Australia or the Northern Territory, which have their own arrangements.
Cars and caravans parked in truck bays can leave truck drivers with nowhere legal to rest. Use the light-vehicle parking unless a bay is signed for everyone.
Sources: NHVR: standard hours; NHVR: Heavy Vehicle National Law