Cycling rules that cost money
Dutch police fine cyclists often, and the amounts are large next to au pair pocket money. What lights, a phone in your hand and the wrong cycle path actually cost, and what happens to a bike the city removes from the street.
Last checked Aug 21, 2026
Cycling rules that cost money
Dutch police actively fine cyclists, and the amounts are large against au pair pocket money. Working lights are compulsory after dark, holding a phone while riding is fined, and so is cycling on the pavement where it is not allowed. Every fine also carries an extra administration charge on top.
Lights, in the dark and in poor visibility
Your bike needs a white or yellow light at the front and a red one at the back, and a fixed light must not flash. A loose clip-on lamp is allowed on your clothing, your bag or your upper body, chest and back only, not your head, arms or legs, and the bike itself also needs a red rear reflector plus reflectors on the wheels or pedals. Cycling without working lights is fined. The current fine is published by the CJIB and re-set every 1 January. Buy a cheap set of clip-on lights in your first week and keep them on the bike, since it is one of the cheapest ways to avoid one of the most common fines.
Your phone, and where you are allowed to ride
Holding a phone in your hand while cycling is fined, whether or not you are actually using it at that moment. The current fine is published by the CJIB and re-set every 1 January. A phone holder mounted on the handlebars is allowed. Running a red light on a bike is fined too. The current fine is published by the CJIB and re-set every 1 January. So is cycling on the pavement where a marked cycle path exists instead, recognisable by a round blue sign with a white bicycle. The current fine is published by the CJIB and re-set every 1 January. You may cycle two next to each other, but never three, and not if you get in the way of other traffic. On top of every fine here, the collection agency CJIB adds its own administration charge, published alongside the fine amounts themselves.
Getting your bike back if the city removes it
Around stations, in city centres and in nightlife areas, enforcement teams remove bikes that are parked outside a rack, block a pavement, or have stood in the same spot too long. If your bike disappears from one of these areas, check the municipal bike depot, usually called a "fietsdepot", before you report a theft. Collecting a bike from the depot costs a fee, and the fee, the storage period and the depot's address are all set by the municipality, not nationally, so they genuinely differ from town to town. Search for "fietsdepot" plus the name of your town, or check fietsverwijderd.nl, and bring valid identification and, where asked for, the bike's registration number. See getting-a-bike for locking your bike properly and reporting an actual theft to the police.