In short. The police ask for three things: a licence (a tourist shows an international driving permit together with the national licence), the STNK registration and a helmet on your head. Fines under Law No. 22 of 2009 are maximums set by the court: without a licence of the right category up to Rp 1,000,000, licence not with you up to Rp 250,000, no STNK up to Rp 500,000, no helmet up to Rp 250,000, red light, sign or speeding up to Rp 500,000, headlight off up to Rp 250,000, no indicator up to Rp 250,000. Arrest for these violations has been abolished since 2 January 2026. An official fine is paid at a bank or in court using the tilang slip: a blue slip means you agree with the violation, a red one means you dispute it in court. Cash is not paid to the officer, and the law has no "tariff" for foreigners. ETLE cameras send a letter to the vehicle owner, which for a rented bike is the rental shop. Stop, switch off the engine, take off your helmet and hand over the documents.
What they ask to see. Three things: a licence, the STNK vehicle registration and a helmet on your head. For a tourist the licence is an international driving permit together with the national licence, for a KITAS holder a local SIM, with details in the driving licence guide. The rental shop issues the STNK with the bike, usually as a copy: the original stays with the owner, and that is normal, a copy is enough at a post. You do not have to carry your passport, a photo on your phone is enough, but keep a copy of your passport and visa in the same place.
What the violations cost. Law No. 22 of 2009 sets a maximum fine for each violation, and the court assigns an amount within it. From 2 January 2026, Law No. 1 of 2026 abolished arrest for these violations, and the fine amounts stayed the same. The most common in Bali, per the Detik summary:
- No licence of the right category, Article 281: up to Rp 1,000,000.
- Licence exists but is not with you, Article 288: up to Rp 250,000.
- No STNK, Article 288: up to Rp 500,000.
- No helmet, driver or passenger, Article 291: up to Rp 250,000.
- Running a red light or ignoring a sign, Article 287: up to Rp 500,000. Speeding, same article: up to Rp 500,000.
- Bike without mirrors, headlight, horn or with a straight-pipe exhaust, Article 285: up to Rp 250,000.
- No number plate, Article 280: up to Rp 500,000.
- Headlight off at night, Article 293: up to Rp 250,000. In the daytime a bike's headlight must also be on, fine up to Rp 100,000.
- No indicator when turning, Article 294: up to Rp 250,000.
These are the upper limits under the law. The law knows no permanent "tariff" at a post, and it has no article "foreigner without a local licence, 500 thousand on the spot".
Blue and red slip. If there is a violation, the officer writes a slip, tilang, and keeps your licence or STNK as security. A blue slip means you agree with the violation: you pay the fine with a BRIVA code at BRI bank, through an ATM or mobile banking, and you do not have to go to court. The document is returned at the prosecutor's office or at the Satlantas department against the receipt. A red slip means you disagree and want a court hearing: a date is set and the judge decides the amount within the limit of the article, usually below the maximum. You choose which slip to receive. Paying late leads to a block on the STNK and the maximum fine, as Auto2000 writes, so pay in the first days.
Money on the road. An official fine is never paid to the officer in cash: it goes to the budget through a bank or a court, and you keep a receipt. If someone at a post offers to "settle it on the spot", that is not a fine, and you will receive no document. A calm reply: "Tolong tilang biru", write a blue slip. You may ask for the officer's name and unit, as police at a post work in uniform with a badge.
Cameras. ETLE automatic violation cameras operate on the main roads of south Bali. A letter with a photo goes to the vehicle owner, for a rented bike that is the rental shop, and it will pass the fine on to you when you return the bike. Ride without a helmet on an empty road in Canggu and the camera will remember it, even if there was no post.
How to behave. Stop where they show, switch off the engine, take off your helmet and hand the documents over directly. Do not argue that there was no violation if there was one: arguing means a red slip and court, calm means a blue slip and ten minutes. Do not hand over your phone, do not sign papers you do not understand, and ask to be shown the article. If something goes wrong, foreigners in Kuta have a tourist police, and a serious conflict is reported on 112.
What this means for you. A helmet, a licence with an international permit, a copy of the STNK and a headlight switched on cover nine posts out of ten. At the tenth, ask for a blue slip and pay at the bank: it is cheaper than "on the spot" and leaves you a receipt. Save the legal maximums in your phone: when someone names a sum, you will know where it comes from.