Salt Lake City bicyclists could soon be able to register their bikes online and for free. As part of Salt Lake City’s commitment to public safety and customer service, Mayor Jackie Biskupski and Police Chief Mike Brown are asking the City Council to change the Bicycle Licensing Ordinance so the bicycle licensing fee would be removed and the license and registration process could be done on a computer.

The proposed changes do away with City-supplied paper forms and allows bicycle dealers and residents to license their bicycles online. Additionally, the $2.00 fee for licensure and registration would be eliminated. The ordinance requires all bicycle dealers to license any used or new bicycle sold but the bike no longer has to be inspected before it is licensed.

In 2017, Salt Lake City police officers handled 1,406 bicycle reports, including1,194 stolen bikes reported stolen and 212 bicycles abandoned. Of the total, only 83 bicycles were returned to their rightful owners.

“This proposal encourages more people to license their bicycles and makes it much more likely their bikes can be returned if they are ever stolen,” said Mayor Biskupski. “This is very effective way to protect our bike-riding residents.”

Both Mayor Biskupski and Chief Brown say the current process is antiquated and long overdue for updating. The City collects about $2,600 each year from the licensing fees.

“We recognize people spend their hard-earned money on their bikes,” said Chief Brown. “This is a step in the right direction to make sure they get their stolen bicycles back.”

Salt Lake City Council Members are receiving a briefing about the proposed changes at today’s Salt Lake City Council work session.