A parking control mechanism to prevent generation of noise and shock when a parking range is released after a vehicle has been parked so that a driver does not feel uncomfortable. A parking apparatus of an automatic transmission has a parking gear; a parking pole swingably disposed and provided with a claw arranged to selectively be engaged with a tooth space of the parking gear; an engagement inhibition device movably disposed and arranged to be moved to an inhibition position for inhibiting engagement between the claw and the tooth space and to an inhibition release position for releasing the inhibition of the engagement; and an engagement inhibition release device for moving the engagement inhibition device to the inhibition release position in synchronization with the rotation of the parking gear. After a residual torque existing between the parking gear and drive wheels has been released, the claw and the tooth space are engaged with each other.