How heavy are the penalties?
New Criminal Code: 8 levels
Since 1 September 2026 every offence is linked to a level from 1 to 8. The level sets the upper limit of the penalty; the judge decides based on the actual facts and the person's past. Tap a step.
Level 1
No prison: fine (in the law €200 – €20,000; with additional decimes the amount to pay can be higher), 20–120 hours of community service or 6–12 months of probation
Examples: Insult, minor threat, vandalism, not paying maintenance, religious marriage before the civil marriage, resisting the police without a weapon, a small amount of cannabis for personal use
Fine amounts in the law are increased by "additional decimes" (opdeciemen / décimes additionnels); the amount to pay can be higher than the figure in the law. From level 2 upwards, the judge can also add a fine to the prison sentence (e.g. at level 3: €200 – €10,000). If the judge accepts mitigating circumstances, they can give a level 2 or level 1 penalty. For acts committed before 1 September 2026, the law most favourable to the offender applies.
Traffic: 4 degrees
For most offences the police offer an on-the-spot payment (onmiddellijke inning / perception immédiate); if you pay, the case is closed. An administrative fee of €10.67 is added to every payment.
On-the-spot payment€64
In court: €100 – €2,500
Not indicating, not following the zip merge rule
On-the-spot payment€128
In court: €200 – €2,500
Not wearing a seat belt, overtaking on the right, not giving way to traffic from the right
On-the-spot payment€191
In court: €300 – €5,000
Red light, phone in hand, crossing a solid line, not giving way to a pedestrian, not putting a child in a child seat
On-the-spot paymentNone*
In court: €400 – €5,000
The most serious offences; driving ban compulsory
* People who live in Belgium always go to the police court for a 4th-degree offence (the on-the-spot payment of €520 is only for people who do not live in Belgium). Court amounts include additional decimes. For the 2nd and 3rd degree the court can also impose a driving ban of 8 days – 5 years. If you are convicted again within three years, the court fine is doubled. Speeding has its own tariff: €58 for the first 10 km/h over the limit, then €12 per km/h (built-up area, 30 zone, around schools) or €7 (other roads). The new Public Road Code will come into force on 1 June 2027.
Social Criminal Code: 4 levels
Breaches of labour and social security law (e.g. not declaring a worker, undeclared work, wrongly received benefits) are punished under a separate law, in 4 levels. Amounts apply since 1 September 2026, surcharge multiplier (×1.25) included.
- Level 1
Administrative fine €100 – €1,000
- Level 2
Criminal fine €500 – €5,000 or administrative fine €250 – €2,500
- Level 3
Criminal fine €2,000 – €20,000 or administrative fine €1,000 – €10,000
- Level 4
6 months – 3 years in prison and/or a criminal fine of €6,000 – €70,000, or an administrative fine of €3,000 – €35,000
For most offences the fine is multiplied by the number of workers involved (up to 100 times). The penalty comes either from the court (criminal) or from the administration (administrative), not both. At levels 3 and 4 the court can also ban the business or close the premises (1 month – 3 years).
Municipal fine (GAS / SAC)
For things like noise, rubbish, barbecues without permission or dog mess, the municipality can give a fine (law of 24 June 2013). The maximum is €500 for adults, €175 for minors; the age limit for minors is 14 or 16 depending on the municipality, and mediation is offered first. Some municipalities still apply €350. Since 1 September 2026 night-time noise is no longer a criminal offence; if it is in the municipal regulations, it falls under GAS.
What really weighs heavily: the indirect consequences
- Criminal record: can show on the certificate asked for in job applications (strafregister / casier judiciaire).
- Residence permit: serious or repeated offences can lead to it being withdrawn or not renewed.
- Citizenship: convictions can block an application.
- Driving licence and firearms licence: a ban or withdrawal can be imposed as an additional penalty.
- Compensation: is paid to the victim, separately from the penalty.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. Rules can change; every card shows the date of the last check and its verification status.