<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2013-11-21</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001059262</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>STANDARD PARKING CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>STAN</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001291190</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Sacks Robert N</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O STANDARD PARKING CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>200 E. RANDOLPH STREET, SUITE 7700</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHICAGO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>IL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>60601-7702</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Executive VP, General Counsel</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-11-21</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1866</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>23.95</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>63213</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents sale transaction required to satisfy tax-withholding obligations associated with vesting of a restricted stock unit.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes 53,499 restricted stock units previously granted to the reporting person.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>On November 21, 2013, one-third of the outstanding restricted stock units granted to the reporting person and other members of the issuer's management team on October 4, 2012 in connection with the issuer's acquisition of Central Parking Corporation vested and were settled in shares of the issuer's common stock.  Pursuant to the terms of the restricted stock unit awards, such vesting was delayed from the original vesting date of October 4, 2013 until immediately after the end of the most recent ''black-out period'' under the issuer's insider trading policy. Upon the vesting of the outstanding restricted stock units held by the reporting person (as well as other members of the issuer's management team), the reporting person (as well as each such other management team member) automatically sold, solely for purposes of satisfying resulting tax withholding obligations, a number of shares of the issuer's common stock sufficient to enable the reporting person to satisfy such obligations.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Jerome L. Pate, as attorney-in-fact for Robert N. Sacks</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-11-21</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
