🚗 Broken parking meter: do you have to find another one?
No. The Belgian Court of Cassation has confirmed that when the nearest parking meter is out of order, drivers do not have to look for another working meter. They must use a parking disc in accordance with the rules of the Road Traffic Code.
⚖️ What did the Court decide?
In a judgment dated 15 October 2026 (case no. C.24.0350.F), the Court of Cassation considered a dispute over a parking charge claimed in Charleroi.
The local regulation required drivers to go to an adjacent parking meter. A blue parking disc could be used only if the nearby meters were also out of order.
The Court confirmed that a local rule cannot depart from Article 27.3.1(2) of the Road Traffic Code. That provision requires drivers to use a parking disc when a parking meter is out of order. Drivers therefore do not have to look for another working meter.
Read the Court of Cassation judgment · See Article 27.3.1 of the Road Traffic Code
📍 What about Brussels?
The published information in Brussels is not worded consistently.
The parking.brussels FAQ says that if a parking meter is out of order, drivers may use another payment method or display a blue parking disc. It states that parking is then permitted for two hours.
However, some published municipal regulations still impose stricter conditions. For example, the City of Brussels regulation says that drivers must go to an adjacent meter or pay by app or text message. It allows the blue parking disc only if both adjacent meters are also out of order. The published regulation in Etterbeek contains a similar requirement.
Those provisions are now open to challenge in light of the judgment. The Court did not annul all local parking regulations. It confirmed that, in a specific dispute, a court may decline to apply a local rule that conflicts with the Road Traffic Code.
Read the City of Brussels regulation · Read the Etterbeek regulation
🅿️ What should you do if the parking meter is out of order?
Display your parking disc clearly and comply with the maximum permitted parking time and any restrictions shown on site. If possible, take a photo of the broken meter showing its identification number. Keep evidence of the time and location where your vehicle was parked.
If you receive a parking charge despite taking these steps, you can challenge it by providing the available evidence and referring to judgment C.24.0350.F. The judgment does not guarantee that every charge will automatically be cancelled: you will need to show that the relevant meter was actually out of order and that the parking disc was used correctly.
This rule concerns a parking meter that is out of order. A problem with a payment app alone is a different situation.
Received a parking charge even though the nearest parking meter was out of order? Contact my office so we can review your situation and the relevant documents.
