Cycling fines in the Netherlands in 2027: €180 for a phone, €130 for a red light, and how to pay or appeal

Sooner or later, many people who cycle in the Netherlands get waved over by a police officer. The reasons are rarely dramatic: a rear light that died on the way home, a red light crossed because the junction looked empty, a phone held for a quick look at the map. Nobody asks you for cash at the roadside. A few weeks later, a letter arrives from the CJIB, the government agency that collects fines.

Those fines are about to rise. On 29 October 2026, IamExpat reported that most common cycling offences would cost €5 to €10 more from 1 January 2027: holding a phone while riding would go from €170 to €180, running a red light from €120 to €130. The same article added a caveat that is easy to miss: the final figures are still pending.

This guide starts from the IamExpat article and checks the numbers against primary sources: the national government (Rijksoverheid), the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the CJIB and the legislation itself on wetten.overheid.nl. It separates what is fixed from what is only proposed, then walks through the part most articles skip: what happens after the letter arrives, how to pay without surcharges, how to appeal, and how the rules apply to children. If you want the rules for different vehicles on the cycle path (e-bikes, fatbikes, speed pedelecs, e-steps), see our separate guide to the seven vehicles on Dutch cycle paths. This article focuses on fines, enforcement and the paperwork.

Main sources for this guide

• IamExpat, "Cycling fines in the Netherlands set to rise in 2027" (29 October 2026)
• Overstappen.nl, "Appen op de fiets kost straks € 180" (26 October 2026, updated 28 October): a list of 22 cycling offences with 2026 and proposed 2027 amounts, based on the OM Boetebase and the draft decree
• CJIB, "Verkeersboete": the steps from fine to reminders and collection (checked 31 October 2026)
• OM, "Ik ben het niet eens met een verkeersboete": how to appeal (checked 31 October 2026)
• The Wahv, the law on administrative enforcement of traffic rules: age limits, surcharges and deposits (checked 31 October 2026)

1. What cycling fines will cost in 2027

IamExpat's figures come from the ANWB, the Dutch motoring and cycling association. The comparison site Overstappen.nl went further and listed 22 cycling offences from the OM's official fine database (the Boetebase) next to the amounts in the government's draft decree. NL Times summarised that analysis on 28 October 2026: nine of the sixteen most frequently issued cycling fines would rise, by about 4.3 percent on average.

The most common offences, 2026 and proposed 2027

The table below shows the 2026 amounts, which are in force, and the proposed 2027 amounts. None include the €9 administration fee.

The pattern is simple: the fines that rise go up by €5 or €10, and the €50 fines stay put. The two offences commuters are most likely to commit, riding without lights and holding a phone, are both on the rising side.

Why it is not a flat 2.7 percent

In May 2026, DutchNews and DutchReview reported, citing De Telegraaf, that traffic fines would rise by 2.7 percent in line with inflation. DutchReview added that cycling fines would rise by the same percentage. The cycling table tells a slightly different story: €120 becomes €130, an increase of about 8 percent, while €50 stays at €50.

The likely explanation is rounding. Indexed amounts are rounded to tidy figures, so small fines do not move at all and mid-sized fines jump by a full €10. The 2.7 percent is an average across all traffic fines, not a rule for each cycling offence.

The reports phrase the numbers differently but agree on two things: cyclists are not exempt, and nothing is final yet. Once the decree is published, the OM Boetebase is the place to check exact amounts.

2. Why the 2027 amounts are not final yet

Dutch fines for minor traffic offences are listed in an annex to the Wahv, the Act on the Administrative Enforcement of Traffic Regulations. Article 2 of the Wahv lets the government change that annex by decree, but the draft must be shown to both houses of parliament at least four weeks before it goes to the cabinet. In practice, every annual increase goes through a consultation with parliament and an advice from the Council of State.

The 2026 timeline

Pieced together from news reports and parliamentary documents, the process for the 2027 increase looks like this.

According to the ministry's own documents, the 2027 indexation is based on consumer price inflation between March 2025 and March 2026, as published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) in early May 2026. The Council of State (Raad van State) gave its advice on the draft on 16 September 2026; according to the ANWB, it urged the cabinet to justify the increase better. The OM and the Council for the Judiciary have also said that traffic fines are out of proportion with penalties for crimes such as theft, DutchNews reported.

What is certain and what is not

The ANWB's own 2027 page states plainly that the decision on the new amounts is not yet final. One practical point is not in doubt: the amount is set by the date of the offence. Anything you do on or before 31 December 2026 is fined at the 2026 rate, even if the letter arrives in January.

3. How the system works: who stops you, who bills you, who decides

Three organisations are involved in a Dutch cycling fine. The police or a municipal enforcement officer (a BOA) spots the offence. The CJIB (Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau) sends the fine and collects it. The OM's central processing office, Parket CVOM, handles appeals.

Minor traffic offences are dealt with under the Wahv as administrative penalties. Everyone calls it the Wet Mulder, after the MP behind it, and you can recognise these fines by the large "M" in the top right corner of the CJIB letter. The OM says that Mulder fines are not recorded, so they do not give you a criminal record.

The Wahv defines a "driver" (bestuurder) as any road user other than a pedestrian, so cyclists are covered. Serious offences are a different matter. Cycling under the influence of alcohol, for example, is handled under criminal law through an OM penalty order (strafbeschikking). Overstappen.nl lists it at €200 or more.

The ceiling and the fee

A Wahv fine can never exceed the maximum for the lowest category of criminal fines, which has been €550 since 1 January 2026. On top of each fine, the CJIB charges a €9 administration fee, as both Rijksoverheid and the OM's Boetebase page confirm. Running a red light in 2026 therefore costs €120 + €9 = €129.

4. The rules behind the most common fines

The easiest way to avoid fines is to know exactly what counts as an offence. Here are the ones that English-language guides from IamExpat, DutchReview, Expatica, ACCESS and Xpat.nl all mention, checked against the law and the government's own guidance.

Lights: on, steady, and in the right place

Rijksoverheid says you must have a white or yellow front light and a red rear light switched on in the dark and in poor visibility. Detachable lights are fine, but no light may flash. You can attach lights to your clothing or bag, but only on your chest or back, not on your head, arms or legs.

A lighting offence costs €75 in 2026 and €80 under the 2027 proposal. That covers not just riding without lights, but also the wrong colour, flashing, or a light in the wrong place. In winter it gets dark before 17:00, so our guide to Dutch winter time and darkness is worth a look for the season.

Phones: holding it is the offence

Article 61a of the Dutch traffic regulations (RVV 1990) bans holding a mobile electronic device used for communication or information while riding. The ban has applied to cyclists since 1 July 2019. Holding the phone to glance at a map is enough; it does not matter whether you were typing.

Viewing a phone fixed in a handlebar mount, or calling hands-free, is not covered by this ban. Holding a phone while stopped at a red light is not "while riding" either. The RVV contains no ban on earphones, but riding unable to hear traffic is risky and could count against you after a collision.

Red lights, priority and cycle paths

A red light costs €120 in 2026. As IamExpat's earlier guide notes, an exception applies where a sign allows cyclists to turn right on red, but pedestrians then have priority. At junctions without signs, cyclists must give way to traffic from the right; failing to do so also costs €120 (€130 proposed for 2027).

Article 5 of the RVV says cyclists must use a compulsory cycle path, marked by a round blue sign with a white bicycle. Riding on the road instead, or against the direction of traffic, costs €75 (€80 proposed).

Pavements, passengers and riding side by side

Article 4 of the RVV reserves the pavement (trottoir or voetpad) for pedestrians, so cycling on it is not allowed. This offence does not appear in the main lists, so check the Boetebase for the amount. Some pedestrian streets open to bikes outside shopping hours; the signs at the entrance say when.

Passengers are allowed within limits. Article 58a of the RVV permits one passenger aged 8 or older on the rear luggage carrier. Children under 8 must ride in a proper seat that supports their back, hands and feet. Article 3 allows two cyclists to ride side by side.

If you come from a country where carrying a passenger is banned, this may surprise you. If you come from one where pavement cycling is common, that is the habit to unlearn.

Carrying ID

When police stop you, anyone aged 14 or older must be able to show valid ID (the identificatieplicht). A DutchReview writer described being fined for missing lights and then fined again for not carrying ID. A residence card or passport belongs in your bag whenever you cycle.

5. How much enforcement is there?

On 17 February 2026, the OM, CJIB, police and the Ministry of Justice and Security published traffic enforcement figures for 2025. Fines for cyclists without lights and for holding a phone both rose.

The total number of fines fell, mainly because of fewer speeding tickets, but fines issued after a police officer stops someone in person went up. Almost all cycling fines are issued that way, so the trend matters for cyclists.

According to CBS, 281 cyclists died on Dutch roads in 2025, 35 more than the year before, making cyclists the largest group of road deaths. SWOV, the national road safety research institute, lists phone use by cyclists and other road users among the factors that put cyclists at risk.

6. When the letter arrives: paying the CJIB

Whether you were stopped in person or not, the fine comes later as a letter from the CJIB. It shows the offence, the amount, a CJIB reference number and the payment deadline.

Eight weeks, two weeks, then surcharges

The CJIB explains the sequence like this. You have eight weeks to pay or to arrange a payment plan. If the CJIB has not received payment by then, it sends a payment reminder (betalingsherinnering) giving two more weeks without extra costs. After that, it sends up to two formal reminders (aanmaningen): the first is 1.5 times the original fine, the second three times. Articles 23 and 25 of the Wahv set out these 50 and 100 percent surcharges.

If the second formal reminder is also ignored, the CJIB can take money directly from your bank account (up to €500 at a time) or pass the debt to a bailiff (deurwaarder), whose costs are added. A €120 cycling fine can end up well above €360.

As long as you pay before the payment reminder runs out, you pay nothing extra. If you travel for several weeks, ask someone to check your post, or log in to the CJIB's online portal with DigiD to see whether anything is outstanding.

Paying and payment plans

You pay by bank transfer to the CJIB account on the letter, or through the QR code or payment link printed on it. CJIB material has set the minimum for a payment plan at €75, so red-light (€120) and phone (€170) fines both qualify. Conditions include having completed any previous payment plan; smaller amounts are typically split into a few monthly instalments.

Fake CJIB messages

In March 2026, DutchNews reported that a wave of fake fine emails pushed calls to the CJIB from a few dozen a week to around 5,200. The CJIB never contacts people about fines or reminders by email, text message or WhatsApp; official notices always come by post. A message saying you must pay within 24 hours or the amount will go up is a scam. To check, do not click any link; log in to the CJIB website with DigiD. For more on scams that impersonate trusted institutions, see our guide to bank helpdesk fraud.

7. Disagree? Appealing to the OM

If the letter carries an "M" in the top right corner, you can appeal (in beroep gaan) to the public prosecutor at Parket CVOM. English-language articles sometimes call this an objection or bezwaar; the official Dutch term is beroep.

How and when to appeal

According to the OM, you can file online through the Digitaal Loket Verkeer, which requires DigiD, or by letter to Parket CVOM, Afdeling Mulder, Postbus 50.000, 3500 MJ Utrecht. Your letter must include your name, address, date and place of birth, phone number, the CJIB number, your reasons, the date and your signature. Add whatever evidence you have. The judiciary's website (Rechtspraak) offers a template letter in Dutch.

The deadline is printed on the fine; under general Dutch administrative law it is six weeks. The OM explains that the date on the letter is deliberately later than the posting date, so you get the full appeal period.

You do not have to pay first

At the OM stage, you do not have to pay the fine while your appeal is pending. If a reminder arrives by mistake after you appealed on time, it is cancelled automatically. The prosecutor decides within 16 weeks of the end of the appeal period, extendable by 10 weeks. The outcome is one of three: inadmissible, upheld (the fine is changed or cancelled), or rejected, in which case the CJIB sends you a new payment request.

If you disagree with the prosecutor's decision, you can go to the subdistrict court. Under article 11 of the Wahv, you must first pay security for the fine and the administration fee (capped at €225 plus the fee for larger fines, and half that if you were under 16 at the time). A further appeal to the court of appeal in Arnhem-Leeuwarden is only possible if the fine exceeds €110, so most cycling fines stop at the subdistrict court.

When an appeal is worth it

Appeals succeed when the facts are wrong: you can show you were not at the stated place and time, or photos contradict what the fine describes. "I didn't know the rule" or "I was in a hurry" are not grounds. The OM does not state whether appeals in English are accepted, so adding a few lines in Dutch is the safer route. If you lack DigiD, which many new arrivals do in their first weeks, use the postal route and keep proof of sending.

8. Children and teenagers

Families whose children cycle to school need to know how fines work for minors. Article 3 of the Wahv allows fines only from age 12, and article 2(4) halves the fine for anyone under 16 at the time of the offence. Rijksoverheid states that parents pay fines given to children under 16, while young people of 16 and over pay the full amount themselves.

The Overstappen.nl list shows the effect: holding a phone costs €170 for riders aged 16 and over and €85 for younger riders.

The under-16 amounts apply the Wahv's half-price rule; the €9 fee comes on top. The appeal procedure is the same as for adults, and the court deposit is halved.

Fines are separate from liability for damage. If a child crashes into someone or something, Rijksoverheid explains, parents are liable for children under 14; at 14 and 15 the child is liable, and parents may be too if they could reasonably have prevented it; from 16 the young person is liable. A family liability insurance policy (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering particulieren, AVP) usually covers such damage, which is a good reason to check yours.

Talking to children about the rules

The Hague International Centre notes that Dutch primary schools teach traffic safety and that pupils take a cycling exam around age 11 or 12. Children who arrive mid-way through primary school may have missed the earlier lessons. Rather than leading with the size of the fines, explain why each rule exists. Lights are not for seeing the road; they are so drivers can see you. Holding a phone leaves one hand for braking. Priority from the right is how unmarked junctions avoid collisions. On a first ride together, point out three things: the round blue sign for a compulsory cycle path, the white triangles painted on the road (haaientanden, "shark's teeth") that mean you must give way, and the small cyclists' traffic lights.

9. Situations newcomers run into

Some groups of internationals are more likely to run into trouble with cycling fines, not because they ride worse, but because of their circumstances.

Two of these deserve a closer look. Visiting friends and family are subject to the same rules and fines; leaving the country before the letter arrives does not cancel the fine, and the letter will land with whoever lives at the address given. And because the CJIB checks the municipal register (BRP) when letters go unanswered, keeping your registered address up to date protects you from surcharges on fines you never saw.

10. Worked examples (fictional)

These three fictional cases show how the date of the offence and the rider's age change the amount.

Case 1: commuting home in December

A newly arrived engineer in The Hague rides home at 17:00 in December 2026 without noticing the rear light battery has died. A police officer stops her. Missing rear light is a lighting offence: €75 + €9 at the 2026 rate. The letter may arrive in January 2027, but because the offence was in 2026, the 2026 amount applies. If she pays within eight weeks, there is nothing more to pay.

Case 2: a 14-year-old checks the map

In February 2027, a 14-year-old riding to school holds a phone to check directions and is stopped. Because he is under 16, the fine is halved: €90 if the 2027 proposal is adopted, €85 if it is not. His parents pay, plus the €9 fee.

Case 3: visiting parents

Visiting parents borrow bikes, ride along the pavement, then cross a red light and are stopped. The red light alone costs €120 each in 2026 (€130 proposed for 2027), and the pavement riding may be fined separately. The letters go to the address they gave, so whoever receives them needs to pay or appeal before the deadline, even if the visitors have flown home.

When a letter arrives, start by checking two things: the date of the offence, and whose name is on the letter.

11. Mistakes to avoid

People lose more money through handling the paperwork badly than through the fines themselves.

Old figures are a real trap. IamExpat's earlier guide to cycling fines, for example, still mentions €55 per missing light and €35 for missing reflectors. Always look for a date, or check the Boetebase.

12. Checklist

Before you ride

• White or yellow front light and red rear light work, and neither is on flash mode
• Red rear reflector (not a triangle) and amber pedal reflectors are in place
• Phone is in a handlebar mount or in your bag
• Brakes and bell work
• Anyone 14 or older carries ID
• Children under 8 ride in a proper child seat

When a letter arrives

• Check the "M", the date, place and description of the offence
• Put the eight-week deadline in your calendar
• If the facts are wrong, appeal to the OM before the deadline (no need to pay first)
• If the amount is hard to pay at once, ask the CJIB for a payment plan
• Ignore emails and texts about fines; check on the CJIB website instead

13. Summary

• On 31 October 2026, the 2027 cycling fines are proposals: €180 for holding a phone, €130 for a red light, €80 for no lights, with €50 fines unchanged
• The increase is expected from 1 January 2027, but the Council of State has asked for justification and a majority of MPs want it dropped; check final amounts in the Boetebase
• Every fine carries a €9 administration fee, and the amount is set by the date of the offence
• Fines come by post from the CJIB; pay within eight weeks plus a two-week reminder period to avoid surcharges of 1.5x and then 3x
• You can appeal to the OM's Parket CVOM without paying first; a court appeal requires a security deposit
• Children can be fined from 12; under-16s pay half and their parents are liable
• Pavement cycling is not allowed, but one passenger aged 8 or over on the carrier and riding two abreast are

Sources

Expat and English-language media

• Cycling fines in the Netherlands set to rise in 2027 — IamExpat: proposed 2027 amounts and lighting rules (starting point)
• Things that will get you a fine when cycling in the Netherlands — IamExpat: types of offence, example of outdated amounts
• Cyclists to face higher fines for traffic violations next year — NL Times: 9 of 16 offences up 4.3% on average; half price under 16
• More phone-use fines, fewer speeding tickets — NL Times: 2025 enforcement figures
• Dutch traffic fines are going up again — DutchReview: the 2.7% increase and cyclists
• 7 things that will get you fined while cycling — DutchReview: a first-hand account of a police stop and an ID fine
• Dutch traffic fines set to rise in line with inflation — DutchNews: 2.7% report and criticism from the OM and judiciary
• Traffic fine agency flooded with calls about suspicious emails — DutchNews: fake CJIB messages
• Cycling in the Netherlands — Expatica: bells, lights and phones
• Cycling in the Netherlands — ACCESS: lights, reflectors, carrying children
• Cycling in the Netherlands — Xpat.nl: phone use and drink-cycling fines
• Cycling in the Netherlands — The Hague International Centre: basics for The Hague region, school cycling exams

Fine lists

• Appen op de fiets kost straks € 180 — Overstappen.nl: 22 cycling offences, 2026 and proposed 2027
• Boetebedragen fietsers 2026 — ANWB: 2026 cycling fines
• Boetebedragen 2027 — ANWB: status of the 2027 decree, MPs and Council of State

Primary sources

• Boetebase — Openbaar Ministerie: searchable fine amounts; €9 fee
• Ik ben het niet eens met een verkeersboete — Openbaar Ministerie: how to appeal, address, decision periods
• Veelgestelde vragen verkeersboete — Openbaar Ministerie: Mulder fines, no criminal record, no payment needed to appeal
• Meer boetes voor de meeste verkeersovertredingen in 2025 — Openbaar Ministerie: 2025 enforcement figures
• Verkeersboete — CJIB: 8 weeks, reminders, 1.5x and 3x, collection
• Overtredingen Wahv totaal 2025 — CJIB: lighting and phone offence counts
• Betalingsregelingen — CJIB: payment plan threshold and conditions
• Hoe hoog zijn de boetes in Nederland? — Rijksoverheid: fine categories and the €9 fee
• Schulden van kinderen — Rijksoverheid: half fines for under-16s paid by parents; liability for damage
• Regels voor fietsverlichting en reflectie — Rijksoverheid: light colours, no flashing, placement, reflectors
• Wahv — wetten.overheid.nl: age limits, deposits, surcharges, appeal thresholds
• RVV 1990 — wetten.overheid.nl: cycle paths, pavements, passengers, phone ban
• Advice W16.26.00200/II — Raad van State: advice on the 2027 indexation decree
• Voorbeeldbrief beroep verkeersboete — Rechtspraak: template appeal letter
• Meer verkeersdoden in 2025 — CBS: 281 cyclist deaths in 2025
• Achtergronden bij De Staat van de Fietsveiligheid 2025 — SWOV: risk factors for cyclists, including phone use

All sources were checked on 31 October 2026. The 2027 amounts are proposals and may change during parliamentary scrutiny. When a letter arrives, and especially after 1 January 2027, check the current amount in the OM Boetebase and the procedure on the CJIB website.

Original article

Cycling fines in the Netherlands set to rise in 2027 — IamExpat