Parking fines and towing in Chișinău: what you risk and how to avoid it

Updated: September 2026 · For information only, not legal advice

Most parking fines in Chișinău come from being in a hurry: you can't find a spot and leave the car “just for five minutes” on the sidewalk, on a crossing or next to a stop. Below are the current amounts, how to pay half, when your car can be towed and what to do to get it back.

1. How much an illegal parking fine costs

The Contravention Code distinguishes between stopping and standing. Stopping where it is prohibited (Art. 238(1)) is punished with a warning or a fine of 3 to 6 conventional units, i.e. 150–300 MDL. Standing where it is prohibited (Art. 238(2)) costs 18 to 30 conventional units, i.e. 900–1,500 MDL. One conventional unit is worth 50 MDL.

Since 6 July 2023, no penalty points are applied for standing in prohibited places — only the fine. The difference between stopping and standing matters: stopping is a short halt, usually to let passengers in or out or to load something; if you leave the car and walk away, it is standing, and the fine is higher.

2. How to pay only half the fine

If you pay within 3 working days of being notified of the decision, you pay half of the fine imposed (Art. 34(3) of the Contravention Code). The “72 hours” deadline you still see in many articles was replaced by 3 working days in 2018. If you challenge the decision and do not withdraw the challenge, you lose the discount.

If you admit the offence on the spot, the officer can apply the simplified procedure, with a fine equal to half the minimum: 450 MDL for prohibited standing. Paid within 3 working days, that amount is halved again, to 225 MDL.

3. Where to check and pay fines

Traffic offences recorded by surveillance cameras appear in MCabinet, under “Contravenții”, with the date, place and photo; you sign in with an electronic signature. Fines can be paid online through MPay or in the EVO app.

4. When your car can be towed

Since autumn 2025, Article 439 of the Contravention Code allows towing only if the car is stopped or parked illegally and, in addition, is in one of the situations below:

it blocks other vehicles or their access;
it is on a pedestrian crossing or less than 5 m before it;
it is on the sidewalk or a green area;
it blocks access for people with disabilities or for service vehicles;
it occupies a space reserved for people with disabilities;
it blocks access to an electric-vehicle charging station;
it is less than 25 m from a public transport stop or less than 15 m from an intersection;
it is on a railway level crossing or less than 50 m from one, in a tunnel, or on a bridge, viaduct or ramp;
it ignores police instructions during a public event.

Towing doesn't replace the fine: on top of it you normally also pay for the tow and for storing the car at the impound lot.

5. How to get a towed car back

Cars towed in Chișinău are taken to the impound lot in Trușeni, str. Calea Trușenilor 46. If your car is gone, check parcarespeciala.md or call the National Public Security Inspectorate (INSP): +373 22 223 059.

To collect it you need your ID and a document proving your right to the car, the release document issued by the police, and proof that you paid for the tow and storage. The impound lot operator publishes the current tariffs on its website.

6. Paid parking in Chișinău: what's decided and what isn't

As of late September 2026, Chișinău's municipal regulation on paid parking has not been approved: City Hall is waiting for the national law. Draft law no. 162 of 14 May 2026 on regulating public parking has gone through public consultation but has not been adopted. It proposes fines of 900–1,500 MDL for not paying for parking or taking up two spaces, and graduated fines starting at 150 MDL for overstaying the paid time.

The draft municipal regulation provides for three tariff zones and payment by SMS, app or MPay. We'll update this page when any of these rules comes into force.

7. How to avoid fines and towing

Check for sign 3.31 (No Stopping) and sign 3.32 (No Standing), and remember three distances: 5 meters before a pedestrian crossing, 15 meters from an intersection and 25 meters from a public transport stop. Leave your car on the sidewalk only where it is specially designated and signposted.

With Parkane you reserve, in advance, a legal spot that another driver is about to free up — so you never have to choose between being late and getting a fine.

Never fight for parking in Chișinău again

Download Parkane for iOS and Android and reserve your next spot before you arrive.

Download Parkane