Bekeuring

fine, ticket [noun] [de bekeuring, de bekeuringen]

"Bekeuring" is used in the context of an authorized civil servant fining a person for violating the law, usually the police writing a ticket for breaking a traffic rule. Besides "bekeuring", the word "boete" is also often used to indicate a fine. A "boete" is a penalty in general, the difference with "bekeuring" in the above context is minimal though. In the context of football/soccer, the Dutch use the same word for "penalty", sometimes pronounced incorrectly though (by lower educated coaches 🙂 )

There are a number of synonyms for "bekeuring" and "boete". We have listed most of them under ‘Related words’.
 
Examples:
– "Ik heb gisteren een bekeuring van 20 Euro gekregen voor rijden zonder verlichting."
("Yesterday I was fined 20 Euros for riding (my bike) without lights." Literally: "…I (have) received a fine…" The 20 Euros is actually the official figure.)

– "Ik heb dit jaar al drie bekeuringen gehad voor te hard rijden."
("This year I have already been fined three times for speeding." Literally: "…for driving too fast.")

– "Mensen die geen identiteitsbewijs bij zich hebben, kunnen tegenwoordig een boete krijgen."
("Nowadays, people who don’t carry an ID card can be fined." Literally: "…can receive…")
 
Related words:
– "Bon": ticket.
– "Parkeerboete": parking ticket.
– "Prent": <informal> ticket. Literally: print/picture (old fashioned).
– "Proces-verbaal": charge / a written report by a police officer of the law violation in question.

Extra:
If one is stopped by a police officer for violating a traffic rule, the police officer always asks for the reason of your "bad" behaviour. Then he says that you are not obliged to answer. I (Sander) have never been able to determine why they want this information, since they just shrug or patronize you when you do tell them. One of our friends is infamous for giving rude, out-of-context, reasons. Consequently he is fined again, this time for insulting a police officer.
You never pay your fine on the spot, but you will get a receipt (some kind of "proof" of your crime). Then after a few weeks a letter will arrive with the fine which you will then have to pay by bank transfer.
Read more about Dutch traffic fines in the ‘Extra’ of DWOTD 127. Stoplicht.