Skip to content
BELtogether
EN
TRTürkçeNLNederlandsFRFrançaisENEnglish
Back

Tools

Letter guide

A translation gives you the words; this guide tells you what they mean, your deadline and what to do.

Or choose the type of letter

Type of letter

Municipal administrative fine

The letter contains these words: GAS, gemeentelijke administratieve sanctie, sanctionerend ambtenaar, verweermiddelen · SAC, sanction administrative communale, fonctionnaire sanctionnateur, moyens de défense

From whom?
The municipality's sanctioning officer
What does it mean?
The letter says you have broken a municipal rule, for example on noise, rubbish, parking or barbecues. This first letter is not yet a decision to fine you; it informs you of your right to defend yourself. It does not go on your criminal record.

Deadline

15 days to send a written defence (30 days for parking fines). To appeal against the decision, you must submit a written application to the police court within one month. The exact deadline is stated in your letter.

What should you do?

  1. Make a note of the date; do not throw the letter away.
  2. If the facts are wrong or you have an explanation, send a written defence quoting the file number.
  3. If the fine could exceed 70 €, you can ask to present your defence in person; mediation or community service may also be offered.

Who can you ask? The municipality's information desk; free first-line legal advice. Help addresses · Related rule

Learn with an example

Sample letter: Municipal administrative fine

Tap the numbers: see what each part means and what you need to do.

Language of the letter

  1. Gemeente Voorbeeldstad — Sanctionerend ambtenaar

  2. AANGETEKEND · Dossiernummer: GAS/2026/01234 · Datum: 21 september 2026

  3. Betreft: kennisgeving van een inbreuk — gemeentelijke administratieve sanctie

  4. Op 14 september 2026 om 23.40 uur stelde de politie vast dat er vanuit uw woning nachtlawaai werd veroorzaakt (artikel 85 van het algemeen politiereglement).

  5. U beschikt over een termijn van 15 dagen na deze kennisgeving om uw verweermiddelen schriftelijk mee te delen.

  6. Indien de sanctionerend ambtenaar een geldboete van meer dan 70 euro overweegt, hebt u het recht uw verweer mondeling toe te lichten, eventueel bijgestaan door een raadsman.

  7. In plaats van een geldboete kan u, met uw akkoord, een gemeenschapsdienst of een bemiddeling worden voorgesteld.

  8. Tegen de beslissing kan u binnen een maand na de kennisgeving ervan beroep aantekenen bij de politierechtbank.

  9. De sanctionerend ambtenaar

Part 1 / 9

Sender: the municipality's sanctioning officer

What does it mean?

The letter does not come from the police or a court, but from the municipal officer who deals with administrative fines (GAS / SAC). This is not a criminal case, and it does not go on your criminal record.

What should you do?

Note who sent the letter. You can put your questions to this office; the address and phone number are in the letter.

Work out your deadline

Approximate deadline for a written defence: Thursday 8 October 2026

This is an estimate. How the deadline is counted and the last day are stated in your letter; if you are not sure, ask the municipality. The deadline to appeal against the decision is separate: one month from the notification of that decision.

This is a sample letter made for learning; it does not come from a real organisation. Dates, amounts and numbers are examples; wording and deadlines can differ between organisations. For words you do not know, see the glossary of official letters.

To translate the whole letter: Google Lens

  1. Open the Google Translate appIf it is not on your phone, download it for free from the app store. Tap the 'Camera' button.
  2. Choose the languagesOn the left Dutch (or French), on the right your own language. Not sure? Choose 'Detect language'.
  3. Scan the letterPut the letter flat in good light, hold the phone still above it and tap 'Scan'. The translation appears on top of the letter.

Careful: Machine translation can get legal words wrong. Always check dates, amounts and the file number in the original letter. Then type an important word from the letter in the box above. Your letter is not uploaded to this site or sent anywhere.