What websites can I use to check if a second hand bicycle is stolen?

In Spain, you can use Biciregistro or Bike Index. In Germany, registries like Fahrrad-gestohlen.de. In the UK, BikeRegister. In each country, it is best to check the local registry and, in addition, an international database.

What are the warning signs that a second hand bicycle may be stolen?

When the seller has no receipt of purchase, does not have the original key for the lock, the price is unrealistically low, or they want to sell quickly in an unusual place.

How do you verify that a second hand bicycle is not stolen before buying it?

Ask the seller for the receipt or invoice. Request the frame number (usually engraved under the bottom bracket) and search it in national databases before buying.

What happens if I buy a stolen bike without knowing it?

Buying a stolen bike is a crime in most countries even if you did not know. You could lose the bike without compensation and face legal consequences.

Check if a Used Bike Is Stolen: Websites by Country

Checking whether a second hand bicycle is stolen before you buy it takes two minutes and can save you from a serious legal and financial problem. You only need the serial number.

Where to find the serial number

Almost every bicycle has a serial number engraved on the frame, usually on the underside, beneath the pedals area (the bottom bracket). Turn the bike over and look there. On some models, it may be on the head tube, the rear stays, or near the rear axle. If the number has been filed off, covered up, or is unreadable, do not buy that bike.

International registry: Bike Index

Bike Index (bikeindex.org) is the world’s largest bicycle registry. It is free, nonprofit, and anyone can search by serial number. It has international reach and is especially useful in countries that do not have their own national registry. Always check it, no matter where you are buying.

Spain

Biciregistro (biciregistro.es) is the national registry, promoted by the Red de Ciudades por la Bicicleta in collaboration with the DGT. You can search bikes by serial number to see if they have been reported stolen. It also shows bicycles recovered by the police that are being held in municipal depots.

In Catalonia, the Mossos d'Esquadra have their own search tool (mossos.gencat.cat) where you can check whether a bicycle has been reported stolen or is in police custody.

France

BicyCode (bicycode.eu) is the French bicycle marking and registration system. If you find a bike with a BicyCode, you can verify its status through the APIC website. The database is accessible to law enforcement, who can contact the owner if the bike turns up.

Germany

Fahrrad-gestohlen.de is a registry where bicycles reported stolen in Germany can be checked. It also covers Austria and Switzerland. It currently has thousands of bikes registered as stolen.

Bike-ID is a Berlin-based service that offers international registration and allows anyone to check whether a marked bike has been reported. Its goal is to cover all of Europe with a single synchronized database.

Netherlands

The RDW Stolen Bicycle Registry (the Dutch vehicle authority) allows you to check whether a bike has been reported stolen. The search is done through the RDW website. With the high volume of bike thefts in the Netherlands, this registry is essential if you are buying there.

BIKEBAZE (bikebaze.nl) is a free Dutch registry focused on theft prevention and bike recovery through the community.

United Kingdom

BikeRegister (bikeregister.com) is the national database recognized by all police forces in the country. It has a free tool called BikeChecker, where you enter the serial number and it tells you whether the bike is marked as stolen.

Immobilise (immobilise.com) is the UK’s national property register. It is not bicycle-specific, but police use it to identify stolen items.

Belgium

mybike (mybike.brussels) started as a registry in the Brussels region and has expanded to the rest of Belgium since 2024. It allows you to register bicycles and check whether they have been reported stolen.

Gevonden fietsen is a free registry used by local authorities and police to publish found bicycles.

Switzerland

Veloregister (veloregister.ch) is Switzerland’s bicycle registry, based in Basel. You can register your bike for free and check whether a bicycle has been reported stolen. It also offers a security tag and a bicycle passport.

Switzerland is one of the European countries with the highest rate of bicycle theft, especially in cities like Basel and Geneva, so checking is well worth it.

Denmark

Denmark has its own bicycle identification and registration system. The police register stolen bikes, and anyone can check whether a bike has been reported through the official channels of the Danish police.

Hungary

BikeSafe.hu is a service recommended and used by the Hungarian national police. It is paid, but it offers verified ownership certificates for second hand purchases.

Norway

In Norway there are several bicycle registries, both private and community-based.

Romania

RegistruldeBiciclete.ro is a free bicycle registry where you can check whether a bike has been reported stolen.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg does not have a specific public registry for stolen bicycles, but the Grand Ducal Police offer the "My Safe" feature in their mobile app, where owners can store their bicycle details (frame number, brand, model, photos). In the event of theft, this information makes recovery easier. To verify a bike before buying it, the best approach is to check Bike Index and ask the seller for documentation, without falling for the mistakes that will make you lose money when buying a cheap bike.

Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, and others

Several European countries still do not have a public national registry of stolen bicycles that citizens can access. In these cases, your best option is to check Bike Index (bikeindex.org), ask the seller for the serial number, and make sure it has not been filed off or tampered with. You can also file a report with the local police if you suspect a bike is stolen, and they may be able to check their internal databases.

Always check more than one registry

No registry has every stolen bicycle. If a bike does not appear, that does not mean it is clean; it only means it has not been reported there. The ideal approach is to check at least Bike Index plus your country’s local registry. And if, in addition to verifying the serial number, you want to inspect the bike’s real condition, with the most important things to check on a second hand bicycle and how to do a proper inspection of a second hand bicycle, you can do it step by step during the inspection. Don’t let a cheap price end up costing you more.

Where to Check if a Used Bicycle Is Stolen: Country-by-Country Websites