Is bike theft registration free?

Bike Index and Project 529 both offer free core registration. Optional stickers and separate paid tools may cost money, but you can create a useful bike record without buying them.

Should I use Bike Index or Project 529?

Start with the registry used by your city, campus, shop, or police department if one is promoted locally. If there is no local preference, compare the public search, alert workflow, and sticker options. You can also register with both.

Can I register the same bike with both services?

Yes. The registries are independent. Keep the bike details consistent and update both records if the bike is sold, recovered, or reported stolen.

Can I register a bike after it has been stolen?

Both services allow a stolen bike to be added after the theft. Registration is more useful when the serial number, photos, and receipt were saved first, but add whatever reliable details you still have.

Where is my bike's serial number?

Check the underside of the bottom bracket first. It may also be on the head tube, rear dropout, seat tube, or near the motor on an e-bike. Do not confuse a component number with the frame serial.

Does registration replace a police report or insurance?

No. A registry helps identify and return a bike. File a police report after a theft and check your insurance terms separately. A strong lock is still the first line of prevention.

2 registries reviewed

Bike theft registration: compare Bike Index and Project 529

A registry gives your serial number, photos, and ownership record a home before the bike disappears. It will not stop a theft, but it gives police, shops, buyers, and people who find the bike something concrete to check.

Compare the registries Stolen-bike recovery steps

What registration does

Keeps the frame serial and photos together.
Creates a record you can mark as stolen.
Gives a finder or buyer a place to check the bike.
Supports a police report and insurance claim with saved details.

No paid placement

BikeSize has no referral or partnership agreement with either registry. Provider buttons are tracked direct links with nofollow, not affiliate links.

Lock, register, and check your coverage

These jobs solve different problems. A lock slows theft, a registry helps identify the bike, and insurance may cover the financial loss.

Lock it

Use a lock that matches the bike, location, and time it will be unattended.

Compare bike locks

Register it

Save the serial number, photos, and ownership details before you need them.

You are here

Check your coverage

Read the theft terms in your renters, homeowners, or bike policy before a claim.

Review insurance options

Bike Index and Project 529 at a glance

Both have free registration, public bike search, photo storage, and recovery tools. The main difference is how each service handles stickers, alerts, and local organization programs.

Bike Index

Bike Index is a free nonprofit registry where owners can record a bike, publish a stolen-bike listing, and let police, shops, buyers, and community members search serial numbers.

Core cost: Free
Public search: Yes
Bike identifier: Optional QR sticker
Recovery network: Yes

Read the profile Visit Bike Index

Direct provider link. BikeSize does not earn from this link yet.

BikeRegister

BikeRegister is a UK-focused registration and marking service with free online registration, police-backed checking tools, and optional physical marking products.

Core cost: Free
Public search: Yes
Bike identifier: No sticker listed
Recovery network: Yes

Read the profile Visit BikeRegister

Direct provider link. BikeSize does not earn from this link yet.

Project 529

Project 529 runs the 529 Garage registry, where riders can register a bike for free, start a missing-bike alert, search public listings, and add an optional coded Shield decal.

Core cost: Free
Public search: Yes
Bike identifier: Optional coded Shield
Recovery network: Yes

Read the profile Visit Project 529

Direct provider link. BikeSize does not earn from this link yet.

How a registry helps after a theft

The record matters because serial numbers are hard to reconstruct from memory. Save the details now, then keep the listing and police report in sync if the bike goes missing.

1
Register the frame serial, photos, make, model, and identifying marks.
2
If the bike is stolen, file a police report and mark the registry record as missing.
3
Share the public listing with local shops, community groups, and marketplace watchers.
4
When a bike is found, the serial or sticker can connect it to the record and owner.

Save these details

Full-bike photos from both sides
A clear photo of the frame serial
Make, model, color, size, and component details
Receipt, invoice, or other proof of ownership
Photos of scratches, stickers, or custom parts

Find the frame serial

Start under the bottom bracket, where the crank arms meet the frame. If it is not there, check the head tube, rear dropouts, seat tube, and the area near an e-bike motor. Photograph the number and type it into the registry. If the bike has several stamped numbers, save all of them and confirm the frame serial with the manufacturer or shop.

See Bike Index serial examples

Keep the record useful

Update the registry after a sale, repaint, major component change, or recovery. If the bike is stolen, do not try to recover it alone. Save screenshots, keep your police report number handy, and pass new evidence to the investigating agency.

Registration laws by state Reporting a stolen bike in NYC

Service questions

Theft Registration guides and comparisons

Use the guide for the big decision, then open a head-to-head comparison when you are choosing between two providers.

Last reviewed 2026-07-14. Heads up: we are cyclists, not the service provider. This is general guidance based on public information; always confirm current terms with the provider. Any provider or source links on this page are direct, non-affiliate links. BikeSize does not earn a commission if you use them.