Unidentified lost bikes in France now risk being destroyed
Older bikes must be manually given identification at approved stores to prevent destruction, as warehouses to store lost bikes become too full
Bikes purchased after 2021 will automatically have identifiers attached to them during the sales process, but older bikes will not
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Cyclists are being encourage to mark and register their bicycles to facilitate their return in the case of theft.
More than 300,000 bicycles are stolen every year, according to the Interior Ministry.
Those tracked down by police used to be stored in a central ‘bicycle garage’, but authorities now warn that space limitations mean a bicycle will be destroyed if it is not numbered.
Since 2021, identification of new and used bicycles has been mandatory for all bikes sold by retailers, with details recorded in the Fichier National Unique des Cycles identifiés.
It means that at the point of sale, a 10-character alphanumeric identifier is fixed to the bicycle.
The dealer registers this on the national database with the buyer’s contact details and certain characteristics of the bicycle.
They will also assign it an ‘in service’ status.
The buyer then receives an email with a password to access their personal space, where they can modify their contact details and the status of the bicycle when necessary.
Law enforcement agencies have access to the database, enabling them to return bikes when they are found.
For bicycles bought before 2021, identification is strongly recommended, but not mandatory.
To have your bicycle marked, contact a store, repair shop or association that offers the service.
It costs between €10 and €30.
You can see the list of state-approved markers here.
The Fédération française des Usagers de la Bicyclette (FUB) claims that without marking, only 2-3% of theft victims get their bicycles back.
