In Berlin most small tourist offences cost little, but a few are expensive: travelling without a valid ticket on public transport costs €60, and dropping a cigarette butt or litter in the street can lead to a fine from €55 and much more for a cigarette. This guide answers the most common "can you…?" questions, with the published amounts. Scales change: these figures, consulted in October 2026, are indicative. For alcohol, cannabis and etiquette, we point to our dedicated guides.

Table: can you…?

Question Answer Indicative fine
Travel without a valid ticket on the metro, tram or bus? No €60 (BVG)
Cross on a red pedestrian light? No €5 (€10 if there is an accident)
Walk on the road when a pavement exists? No €5
Drop a cigarette butt in the street? No from €250 under the city's scale
Drop small litter, a cup, chewing gum? No €55 "Verwarngeld", more in some cases
Smoke in a BVG vehicle or on a platform? No €15 for a first offence
Drink alcohol in the street? Yes, without nuisance see alcohol in the street
Smoke cannabis anywhere? No see cannabis in Berlin
Cycle in a pedestrian zone not open to bikes? No about €35

Public transport

A metro and S-Bahn ticket machine

There are no turnstiles: you validate your ticket and it is checked on board. Without one you must pay €60; a named subscriber who shows their pass within seven days pays only €7. See transport in Berlin.

In the street

  • Pedestrians: obey the lights, even at midnight with no car in sight; the fine is low, but in front of children you wait for green.
  • Litter: the city's scale has been raised; a dropped cigarette can cost more than €250. Use bins or a pocket ashtray.
  • Bikes: pavements and pedestrian zones are off limits to cyclists unless signed.
  • Urgent needs: look for public toilets rather than risk a fine for causing a nuisance.

If you are checked

Stay calm, show ID and ask for proof of payment. A fine can be contested in writing. For everything else, see the rules and etiquette in Berlin and the scams to avoid.