Bicycle register: what it is and why it's important!

Bicycle theft remains a major problem. One bicycle register helps to combat this: it is an online database where bicycles (based on their unique frame number) are linked to an owner. By registering your bike, you always have a digital proof of ownership. In this article, we explain what a bicycle register does, what the difference is with a bicycle theft register, how to register your bike and how such a register helps you prevent and detect.

What does a bicycle register do?

A bicycle register determines which bike belongs to whom, usually based on the bike's unique frame number. This offers cyclists several advantages:

• Proof of ownership: with your bike linked to your name, you always have a strong proof of ownership. In case of theft, sale or police check, you can easily prove that the bike is yours.
• Higher chance of recovery: has your bike been stolen? If you have it on the register and you report the theft, everyone — from the police to an attentive citizen — can see that your bike is missing. Upon discovery, people immediately know who the owner is.
• Theft prevention: registered bikes are unattractive to thieves. Especially if you also have a recognizable SafeTag sticker If you stick a QR code to your frame, that scares you. Thieves prefer anonymous, unregistered bikes that they can easily resell.
• Data support: all registered bicycles together form a national (/international) dataset. This data helps the police, municipalities and insurers analyse bicycle theft patterns and hotspots. In this way, more targeted prevention actions can be deployed and there will be less. 'orphan bikes' at the back of stables.

In other words: a bicycle register works like a digital safety net. It makes your bike traceable and discourages thieves, and strengthens cooperation between citizens, police and insurers.

What is the difference between a bicycle register and a bicycle theft register?

In practice, a distinction is sometimes made between bicycle registers and bicycle theft registers:

• One bicycle theft register only includes bicycles that have been reported stolen. The best-known example in the Netherlands is Stop Heling, the official register of the Dutch government. This only includes bicycles whose owner has reported it to the police. Stop Heling is primarily intended as a check for buyers or sellers: you can check whether an offered bike has been listed as stolen here, but you cannot voluntarily register your own bike there. It also RDW bicycle register falls largely into this category: this register mainly includes insured bicycles that have been reported by the insurer after theft. Private individuals can do not register a bike freely in the RDW register.
• One general bicycle register on the other hand, is open to the voluntary registration of bicycles without a theft report. A good example is BIKEBAZE: a private platform where everyone has their bike can register online for free with frame number. BIKEBAZE also acts as a bicycle theft register, because your bike can also be reported stolen without you having to report it. The register is therefore preventive: you record in advance that the bike is yours, instead of just reporting a theft afterwards.

In a nutshell: Stop Heling acts as a bicycle theft register (after reporting) and RDW as a bicycle and bicycle theft register (after reporting), while a platform like BIKEBAZE is a proactive bicycle register that is accessible to everyone.

When do you end up in a bicycle register?

This depends on the type of register:

• Stop Heling (bicycle theft register): your bike comes here solo found after you have reported theft to the police. As soon as the police registers a missing person, the bike automatically enters the Stop Heling database. Private individuals cannot pre-register bicycles here; it's just a reference book for stolen bikes.
• RDW bicycle register: this is where bikes end up when they insured are and registered through the insurer. In practice, the bicycle mechanic or insurer registers the frame number with RDW when purchasing. Only those insured bicycles end up in the RDW register. There is no public portal where private individuals can use a bicycle themselves.
• BIKEBAZE: this is a private platform where, as a bike owner, you yourselves you can register your bike, always and free. As soon as you enter your frame number and details, your bike is in the BIKEBAZE register — even before anything goes wrong. In case of theft, you can then mark it as stolen there. You can easily do this on the BIKEBAZE website. BIKEBAZE also says that you must report it as a victim and it is useful to have your frame number with you in your BIKEBAZE account. This is what they ask for when you report it.

In short: with Stop Heling and RDW, getting there depends on a declaration or insurance, while you can proactively start a registration with BIKEBAZE at any time.

How to register your bike

The registration process varies by platform:

• BIKEBAZE (recommended): go to the BIKEBAZE website and enter your bike's unique frame number. In addition, fill in your details. The registration process is complete gratuitous and completed in a few minutes. BIKEBAZE also offers a website where you can enter a frame number to check if a bike is registered as stolen.‍
• RDW bicycle register: as an individual, you cannot start a registration here directly. The RDW only receives cycling information from the insurer. When you buy and insure a new bike, it is often automatically registered with RDW. For private individuals, however, this remains invisible, and there is no option to register your bike on your own initiative.‍
• Stop Heling: there is no pre-registration option. You enter this automatically when you report a theft. Stop Heling does offer a website where you can enter a frame number to check if a bike is registered as stolen, but you can go there not pre-register your own bike.‍
• Local registries: some municipalities or services have separate registers for found/lost bicycles, but these are often regional and less known. For the widest possible coverage, we recommend using BIKEBAZE, as this platform offers a national database.

In short, for individuals, BIKEBAZE the most accessible and complete option to register a bike.‍ All you need is the bike's frame number (often under the bottom bracket or on the frame) and a few minutes to fill in the details online.

Examples of bicycle registers in the Netherlands

The Netherlands now has a number of systems in the field of bicycle registration:

• BIKEBAZE: a private platform with a focus on prevention. Anyone can voluntarily register a bike, report a bike as missing and use an optional SafeTag-QR code sticker. Through technology and community (users who scan and report along), BIKEBAZE helps to combat bicycle theft in concrete terms. It is free and fully publicly accessible.
• Stop Heling: the Ministry of Justice's national bicycle theft register. This only includes bicycles that have been reported by the owner. This system is used to check whether a used bicycle is registered as stolen when selling or purchasing it. Stop Heling does not contribute much to prevention before theft; it is a retrospect check.
• RDW bicycle register: an official register with the National Road Traffic Office. The RDW mainly registers insured bicycles — usually automatically via the insurer when purchased. Private individuals cannot register bicycles freely here; the RDW does not register unsecured or uninsured bicycles. This register is particularly useful for the police and insurers to verify whether a bicycle was insured after reporting a theft.

Which bike register suits you best?

For individuals who want their bike preventive want to protect, is coming BIKEBAZE the best on the bus. In comparative research, BIKEBAZE itself concludes that private individuals should choose their own free platform. The advantage is that you can cycle your bike at BIKEBAZE without insurance or declaration you can name it, while Stop Heling and the RDW register only contain information after something has been reported to the police or insurer. BIKEBAZE also offers an active community and prevention tools (such as the SafeTag) that are missing in the other registries.

In short: if you want to get started with registration quickly and independently as a cyclist, choose BIKEBAZE. If you just want to check whether a used bike has been stolen, Stop Heling and the RDW register are sufficient, but they do not provide preventive protection.

How can you check if a bike is registered as stolen?

Before you buy a bike or if you are unsure about a bike found, it is wise to have a check chairs to do. This can be done in several ways:

• Stop Heling: visit the website stopheling.nl and enter the serial number (frame number). This allows you to check whether the bike has been listed as stolen in the police database.
• RDW Bicycle Theft Register: go to the RDW site (RDW Bicycle Theft Register) and search for the chip number or brand+frame number. This register contains all (mostly insured) stolen bicycles in the system.
• BIKEBAZE BikeVault: you can also use the BIKEBAZE database to find a search query do. If a bike (with the same frame number) is listed as stolen in the BIKEBAZE database, you'll see that. In addition, anyone can scan a bike with the SafeTag QR code to immediately check whether the bike has been reported missing. This is a publicly accessible feature of the BIKEBAZE platform. If stolen, the rightful owner can be contacted and the location where the bike was scanned will be shared with the rightful owner.

Why a bicycle register helps with prevention and detection

A well-functioning bicycle register does more than just record who owns it. It also contributes to prevention and detection from bicycle theft:

• Discouraging theft: When thieves know that a bike is registered (and even has a prominent SafeTag), they are at greater risk of being caught. Compatriots find stolen bicycles more quickly, which increases the risk of being punished for thieves. This scares off and makes cycling without registration relatively more attractive.
• Quick feedback: will the police or a citizen recover a stolen bike? Thanks to registration, you can immediately call or email the right owner. A marked bike in the register indicates the status “stolen” at a glance. This means less time in storage, less red tape and therefore a faster return for the rightful owner.
• Insurance and police: For the police and insurers, registration is a strong piece of evidence. A registered bicycle already has a file (with registration and possibly purchase details), which makes it easier to process a declaration or claim for damages. There is less debate about who owns it.
• Data-driven approach: As more cyclists register, a detailed picture of bicycle theft trends is created. Authorities can then check more specifically for theft hotspots and make better policies. In practice, registration appears to be effective in the fight against bicycle theft, partly because investigation costs fall when bicycles are easier to provide feedback to their rightful owner.

In short: each additional registered bike reinforces prevention and makes detection more efficient. It creates a chain of trust between citizens, police and insurers, and increases the chances of being caught by thieves.

BIKEBAZE as an active community registry

BIKEBAZE emphatically positions itself as public solution with community power. What makes BIKEBAZE different?

First of all, BIKEBAZE is fully public and voluntary. Everyone — from individuals to schools or companies — can register bicycles and report missing persons for free. BIKEBAZE combines technology with a community approach: users can scan SafeTags and check frame numbers. This creates a network of “neighborhood guards” who help find deleted bicycles. When finding a stolen bike, you can contact the rightful owner.

Secondly, BIKEBAZE is actively focusing on prevention. The eye-catching and hard-to-remove SafeTag sticker is a unique element: if you scan the QR code, you'll immediately see that the bike is registered and can contact the owner. This visibility discourages thieves and increases the chances of being caught considerably.

Finally, BIKEBAZE collaborates with authorities. There is open communication with municipalities, police and insurers to return stolen bicycles more quickly. While traditional registers are usually static, BIKEBAZE is innovative: “modern, accessible and focused on direct action”‍. Thanks to this community-oriented approach, BIKEBAZE acts as a public-friendly solution that fills the gaps left by the RDW and Stop Heling.

Together, these elements form an active registration and prevention chain. By registering your bike with BIKEBAZE, you are part of that chain: you contribute to a safer cycling culture throughout the neighborhood.

FAQ

Where can I register my bike? The easiest way is to ride your bike gratuitous to register with BIKEBAZE. All private individuals can voluntarily register their bike here and make reports. Stop Heling and RDW can only be consulted for stolen bicycles: Stop Heling only has bicycles after reporting them and RDW only has insured bicycles.

How do I check if a bike has been stolen? Perform an online check with the frame number. You can do that on the official Stop Heling-website or at the RDW Bicycle Theft Register. Alternatively, you can use BIKEBAZE's BikeVault: if the bike is marked missing by someone, you'll see it immediately. This is particularly useful when buying second-hand.

What does it cost to register my bike? With BIKEBAZE, registration is complete free. You don't pay a subscription and there are no hidden costs. (The RDW register has no separate costs for consumers because it works through insurers, and Stop Heling is free anyway.)

Do I need to register my bike? No, there is currently no legal requirement for bicycle registration. However, given the high number of thefts, it is highly recommended. For e-bikes, insurers often require that theft be reported to the police; however, a registered bike makes this process easier.

Register your bike and order a SafeTag!

Do you want to protect your bike as much as possible? Register your bike with BIKEBAZE for free. In a few minutes, your bike will be in the database - an online register for cyclists - linked to your data. Then paste a BIKEBAZE SafeTag on your frame. This eye-catching QR code sticker lowers the risk of theft by as much as 98%. If someone comes across your bike and scans the tag, that person knows immediately that they stumble upon your bike property. This is how we make bicycle theft a lot more difficult together.

Hint: The more cyclists register, the safer it becomes for everyone. So register your bike in the database today and order a SafeTag for ultimate prevention. Safety starts with registration!