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BriefDiener
DE

Bußgeldstelle (fines office)

Verwarnungsgeld (warning fine): pay or not?

What this letter means

For minor offences, for example parking in the wrong place or slightly exceeding the speed limit, the authority can give a Verwarnung mit Verwarnungsgeld (warning with a warning fine) instead of a Bußgeldbescheid (fine notice). The Verwarnungsgeld is 5 to 55 euros.

The warning only takes effect if you agree and pay the money within the deadline set. This deadline should be one week. Once you have paid, the matter is closed. There are no fees or expenses for a warning.

If you do not pay, the warning does not take effect. The authority can then start fine proceedings (Bußgeldverfahren). A Bußgeldbescheid also includes a fee of at least 25 euros and expenses for delivery.

What to do now

  1. 1Check the number plate, place, time and the accusation.
  2. 2If everything is correct and you want to close the matter, pay within the deadline with the payment reference given.
  3. 3If the accusation is wrong, do not pay and write to the authority, in German, explaining why; enclose evidence, for example a parking ticket. The templates (Vorlagen) on this site are in German.
  4. 4If you only just missed the deadline, ask the authority whether it will still accept payment before a Bußgeldbescheid comes.

How you can reply

Pay

If you pay on time, the warning takes effect and the proceedings are over.

Do not pay and make a statement

This makes sense if you think the accusation is wrong. Be prepared for a Bußgeldbescheid with additional costs, against which you can then file an Einspruch (objection).

Template: Einspruch gegen einen Bussgeldbescheid

Common questions

Do I get points in Flensburg for a Verwarnungsgeld?

No. Final fine decisions above a certain amount are entered in the Fahreignungsregister (driver fitness register), but warnings are not.

Can I file an Einspruch against a warning?

An Einspruch (objection) only exists against a Bußgeldbescheid. With a warning you decide yourself: you pay, and then it takes effect, or you do not pay, and then the authority decides whether to start fine proceedings.

I was not the driver. Do I have to pay?

No, the warning is addressed to the person who committed the offence. For parking and stopping offences, however, the vehicle keeper may have to pay the costs of the proceedings if the driver cannot be identified.

Sources (German law and official pages)

  1. § 56 Verwarnung durch die Verwaltungsbehörde (OWiG)
  2. § 107 Gebühren und Auslagen (OWiG)
  3. § 28 Führung und Inhalt des Fahreignungsregisters (StVG)
  4. § 25a Kostentragungspflicht des Halters eines Kraftfahrzeugs (StVG)
  5. § 67 Form und Frist des Einspruchs (OWiG)

Research as of: 10 November 2026