http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/01/09/breaking-news-lapd-reccomends-dicontinuing-bike-license-program/

This was the press release from Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. http://la-bike.org/press-releases/press-release-bicycle-license.html

At least at this time, it is no longer required to have a license in the City of Los Angeles. If you're planning to ride in other cities, such as Santa Monica, which still technically requires a license, you may want to get one... or if you're concerned about recovery efforts, in the event of a theft. Actually, if your bike is valuable enough to have that much concern, you might consider the National Bike Registry which gives law enforcement agencies the ability to trace your bike, if it's stolen and/or recovered anywhere in the country... and is online, cheap, and covers individual bikes or up to five bikes on a family "plan" for a minimum of 10 years.

Regarding the Culver City requirement, I think that this is a good thing, since it seems designed to shed light on traffic in used bikes in order to detect stolen bikes being sold to dealers.

BICYCLE DEALERS

§ 7.04.400 DEALERS' REPORTS OF PURCHASES.

All persons engaged in the business of buying or receiving on consignment secondhand bicycles or secondhand bicycle frames shall make a daily report to the Chief of Police upon forms provided for that purpose by the Police Department. All junk dealers who purchase or otherwise acquire any bicycle or bicycle frame as junk, or otherwise, shall report such acquisition to the Chief of Police on such forms within 24 hours thereafter, and shall not sell or otherwise dispose of any bicycle or bicycle frame within 21 days after such article has been purchased or received.

('65 Code, § 8-32) (Ord. No. CS-100 § 71)

§ 7.04.405 DEALERS' REPORTS OF SALES.

In addition to any other reports required by the provisions of this Chapter, all persons engaged in the business of selling new or secondhand vehicles, or bicycle frames, shall make a daily report to the Chief of Police. Any junk dealer who sells or otherwise disposes of any bicycle, bicycle frame, or other part thereof, as junk, or otherwise, shall report such disposition to the Chief of Police within 24 hours thereafter.

('65 Code, § 8-33) (Ord. No. CS-100 § 72)

§ 7.04.410 FORM OF REPORTS.

All reports required by this Chapter shall be in writing and shall show:

A. The name and address of the person from whom or to whom such bicycle frame was purchased, consigned, or otherwise acquired, sold or otherwise disposed of.

B. The description of each such bicycle or bicycle frame.

C. The frame number thereof.

D. The number of the license plate, if any, which was acquired thereto.

E. Such other information as the Chief of Police requires.

('65 Code, § 8-34) (Ord. No. CS-100 § 73)

at WILLYSBIKES
11968 foothill blvd
lake view terrace,ca 91342
818 896-4249
$5.00

It's the bike that gets the license, right, like my car has a license plate? Or me? I have to be a CA resident, or how else am I supposed to present ID?

And what's with the two locations. LA is HUGE and what if a bike is your only mode of transport? How the heck are you supposed to get there?

Why can't you just go into any local station and give them the form and the bux? There are at least 15 locations to go get fingerprinted for volunteering, why can't they take these apps?

If bikes are supposed to be sold WITH the licenses, why can't I just go get one at a bike shop? (Like a fishing license?)

Why don't they have the form online? And how are we supposed to know all this stuff? This is seriously messed up.

Sadly enough, a license is required at USC because of theft. I went through 2 bikes while there. Sometimes people take blow torches to bike racks to steal bikes over there, but bikes are a must on campus for safety reasons (you have to bike home pretty fast there at night). Additionally, DPS will confisgate your bike if it's on campus without a license and re-sell it.

What shocked me was when they started ticketing bicyclists for not "walking their bike" when crossing the street or entering campus. They constantly ticket students at McClintock and Jefferson. You are also ticketed if you bike on the sidewalk. How can they do this? It's absolutely nuts with the bike traffic jams it causes. I noticed in the LA Times article this week, about the student that was killed, that a student was quoted as saying that DPS/LAPD is too busy ticketing bikers as opposed to keeping the students safe...

I loaded the rack and off I go...After wheeling my bike into the front office I noticed a note taped to the back of a computer monitor. It said that as of August 1, 2008 any person in possession of an unlicensed bicycle would be cited under LAMC 26.01. After 15 minutes, paying $3 and giving them my drivers license I was out the door with my new bicycle license...although for some reason it's only good for 2 years.

So.. here's some helpful tips.

The address of the Central Community Police Station is 251 E. 6th Street, L.A. 90014. It is on the north side of the street between Maple and Wall. 6th Street is a ONE WAY STREET going from West to East. If you're driving there are parking meters on Maple and Wall south of 6th Street. You cannot go North on Wall since that is police parking.

The first officer I spoke with did not know they did licenses there.. so.. you may have to educate them. If nothing else point to the notice on the back of their computer screen.

Payment is by CASH ONLY and they cannot break a large bill like a $20. They do require a drivers license or state issued ID.

You will get 2 labels with two different numbers on them. One is the license and one is some other weird tracking number with the expiration date.

I asked what happens if the license gets peeled off and I get stopped. Supposedly the officer can enter the bicycle serial number and confirm it's yours without needing the actual bicycle license number. However, that would mean that you would need to carry some form of identification on you.

"In case of a general period of political unrest, the Board of Police Commissioners shall be entitled to temporarily detain the owner of any such registered bicycle for a period not to exceed 7 days in the prison of their choice in order to secure for themselves the overtime and pay required to own a truck with large wheels and a jet ski or motor powered ocean going vehicle"

A list of bike riders is the best idea ever. Especially if it is only us bike kooks who sign up. They can hand that list over to the feds and never have to worry about livable streets ever again.

What are the penalties for falsely registering a bicycle? Like if I put down the name "Elmer Fudd, Address: 666 Sexdevil Dr., Los Angles, CA" for my new Cervelo all-carbon road fame with Campy parts - will I face a stiff penalty or time in the pinta?

I'm not giving up the fight for shoe registration, by the way. Baby strollers too. Lists - we need lists! More government lists!

LAMC: 26.01(B)
3. Issuance.

A. No bicycle shall be sold by a duly authorized agent unless a valid bicycle license or bicycle license renewal indicia has been attached thereto prior to sale or unless a bicycle license or license renewal indicia is sold and issued to the purchaser and attached to the bicycle at the time of sale. Such license or license renewal indicia shall be sold only upon full payment of the required fee set forth in Subsection (g) hereof and no other sum. (Amended by Ord. No. 154,686, Eff. 1/1/81.)

B. Upon receipt of the required bicycle license fee, the agent shall attach the license indicia to the frame of each bicycle so licensed. The license indicia shall remain permanently attached to the bicycle. In addition thereto, the agent shall issue to the bicycle owner a registration card which bears the same number as shown on the license indicia, if any, and shall forward a duplicate copy of the registration card to the Board of Police Commissioners within 24 hours of the date of such issuance. The registration card shall include the bicycle owner’s name and address, the number, if any, of the bicycle license as shown on the license indicia, the date such bicycle license was issued, the name and address of the bicycle retailer, the serial number of the bicycle, the make and type of the bicycle, and such other information deemed to be necessary by the Board. The Board of Police Commissioners shall maintain a record of each bicycle license issued.