Fine notice / hearing form
Bußgeldbescheid / Anhörungsbogen · sent by Police / city order office (Ordnungsamt)
Act now — this one has real deadlines
What this letter is
Either an Anhörungsbogen (hearing form — "you are suspected of X, you may respond") or the Bußgeldbescheid itself (the fine decision). Classic triggers for newcomers: riding without a valid ticket, cycling violations, jaywalking at the wrong moment, speeding in a rental car, late Anmeldung.
What to do
- Note the two documents' different clocks: the Anhörungsbogen asks for personal data within ~1 week (you must confirm identity data; you need NOT self-incriminate on the facts). The Bußgeldbescheid has a 2-week objection (Einspruch) window — after that it's final.
- Minor and accurate? (€60 fare, €25 cycling) — pay by the deadline with the exact reference number; done, no criminal record, life goes on.
- Wrong or excessive? File the Einspruch within 2 weeks — in writing, with your version and evidence. For anything above pocket-money amounts, free first-consultations (student legal advice, Mieterverein-style services, or a lawyer's Erstberatung) are worth it.
- Fare-dodging repeatedly is prosecuted criminally in Germany — treat the first €60 letter as the cheap warning it is.
- Never ignore: unpaid fines escalate to enforcement and — for internationals — surface at permit extension time.
General information, not legal advice. Always verify payment details on the sender's official website before transferring money.