In a parking brake operating device for a motor vehicle, an operating lever and an intermediate lever are pivotally mounted around a transverse common shaft. The intermediate lever is pivotally mounted to a locking lever at its upper part. The locking lever is engaged with an engaging pin of the operating lever. A release lever is pivotally mounted at an upper part of the operating lever and is engaged with the locking lever in a locking position. By pressing an operating portion of the release lever manually, the release lever is disengaged from the locking lever, which is, then, disengaged from the engaging pin of the operating lever. Thus, the operating lever can easily be brought down by one hand of a driver while the parking brake is applied, and the inside of the motor vehicle is effectively utilized without keeping the operating lever upright.