Bike Registration

Register your bike with 529 Garage

The Ottawa Police Service recover hundreds of bikes a year but often have very little information to discover whom they belong to. By registering your bike, the information is available to us to help get your bike back to you if it's found.

It's easy to register. Simply download the app from Apple or Google, input your information, and even upload an image of your bike. This service is free.

Visit project529.com/garage for more information.

Follow these tips to help protect your investment:

Store your bicycle inside (in a locked garage, if available), and avoid locking your bike on the front porch or at the side of your house.
If you live in living in high-rise apartments and condominiums, store your bike in a designated secured enclosure.
Use easy-to-see bike racks, properly anchored and not concealed by landscaping or structures.
Invest in a proper bike lock, such as a U-Lock that requires more time to defeat than a cable lock. Consult with your local bike shop for expert advice and how to secure your bike properly.
Take your helmet and any bike accessories with you (if possible) to minimize being targeted.
When transporting, consider locking your bike on your car rack if you plan to leave it unattended.
If you're buying a used bike, ask to meet in a public place and verify the serial number on 529 Garage. If the seller isn't comfortable, you shouldn't be either!
Always report thefts to the police – online

About 529 Garage

In partnership with Safer Roads Ottawa, we connected with 529 Garage—a free bike registration program that connects riders to each other in the area.

The app alerts other Ottawa-area bicyclists any time a bike is stolen or goes missing. Once the user determines his or her bike is missing, they activate an alert notification to 529 Garage, which sends out a broadcast to all users in the area to be on the lookout for the missing bicycle.

Additionally, it redirects users to file a police report to legally claim their bike if it's recovered.

Help us spread the word—download a poster or pamphlet.

Bike shop partners

Bike theft data

Check Open Data Ottawa for information about local bike thefts.

For privacy reasons, each point has been geo-masked to the nearest intersection within the neighbourhood where the bike was reported stolen.

Key incident details are included in the dataset, such as: date, time of day, day of week, make, model, colour, reported value, and speed. This information is updated annually to provide information that will help collaborate on solutions to prevent bike theft in Ottawa.

The release of bike theft data is part of our commitment to improving access to public safety data. In addition to this data, the Criminal Code of Canada offence data is also available at the neighbourhood level through www.neighbourhoodstudy.ca.

Common questions about 529 Garage

Do I need to bring my bike with me to register and get a 529 Shield?

If you plan to get your shield at one of our events, bring your bike with you, and pre-register on the 529 Garage app. If you are getting a shield at one of our police stations, you will need to pre-register your bike on the 529 Garage app and make sure one of the registration photos includes one with you and your bike.

How is my information shared?

Only law enforcement personnel will have access to the full database. If you have to issue an alert, you can choose what type of information you will release to the biking community.

What do I do if my shield falls off?

The 529 Garage stickers are made extra sturdy, with a special adhesive that makes it difficult to remove them once applied. However, if your shield falls off your bike, you are still protected because you registered your bike with 529 Garage. The sticker itself is meant to act as a visual deterrent. If you can't catch us at one of the events we attend, you can still register through the 529 Garage website and get your sticker at a later time.

Where can I find my serial number to register my bike?

Please be sure to look at your serial number closely. Diagram showing where to locate a bike's serial number

Why do I have to file a police report?

To ensure that the right bike goes to its proper owner, we require a police report to be filed.

Why do I have to file a police report if the police have called me to come get my bike?

To release the bike to you, we need to verify that you are the owner. By creating a report, you provide us with a formal record for accountability and transparency purposes.

How effective has this app been in other jurisdictions?

The Vancouver Police Service and affiliated RCMP stations have reported a 30% reduction in bike thefts in Vancouver, 60% in Granville, and a 55% reduction in Whistler.

How does the biking community help with this initiative?

Anyone that has the app on their smartphone can help with the recovery. Once a user reports their bike is missing, anyone within 15 kilometres of where the bike was stolen receives a notification with details of the missing report. Other users can send a notification if they spot the missing bike.

Someone found my bike, can I go and get it?

Never attempt to recover a stolen bike without first ing police.

What happens to my 529 Garage registration if I sell my bike?

There is a tool on the app that lets you forward the bike's information, sticker registration, and non-personally identifying photos to the email of the person to whom you sold your bike.

Does Ottawa Police get any money from this program?

No. The Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Safety Council and Bike Ottawa are sponsors of this initiative and offer the shields free of charge at police stations or at local biking events. Local bike shops may ask for a small fee to cover their costs of running the program.

Related information

Cycling safety