Check if a bike is reported stolen
Buying a used bike? Enter its frame number to see whether it has been reported stolen on Bike Index, a free international bike registry.
A match is a reason to stop, not proof. Frame numbers are reused and mistyped, so any match has to be checked against the number on the bike itself.
No result is not proof of ownership. Not every theft is reported, and Bike Index is one registry. This check does not yet include reports made to MyNextBike.
Where to find your frame number
Most bikes have a number stamped or engraved into the frame. Turn the bike over or look closely at:
- the underside of the frame, below the pedals (the bottom bracket) — the most common place;
- the head tube at the front of the frame, or the seat tube just above the bottom bracket;
- the rear dropouts where the back wheel fits, or the inside of a chainstay;
- the original receipt, registration card or a frame-number sticker under the lacquer.
Enter the stamped number, not a barcode sticker added by a shop. If the number has been filed off or covered up, treat that as a warning sign.
Before you buy a used bike
- Ask the seller for the frame number before you travel, and check it here.
- See the bike in person and match the number on the frame to the one you checked.
- Ask for proof of purchase, and be wary of a price far below the going rate.
- Pay in a way that protects you — read how MyNextBike buyer protection works, and our used bike buyer's guide.
Stolen-bike data from Bike Index, a free bike registry. Each result links to the provider's own record.