Bike marking in France: the law and what it changes
Marking links your bike to your contact details in a national register. If the bike is found, the police know who to call.
What is marking?
A unique number put on the frame, engraved or on a label. It has to stay readable when the bike is parked.
The number is linked to your contact details: surname, first name, phone, email. They are recorded in the FNUCI (fichier national unique des cycles identifiés), France’s national register of marked bikes. APIC runs it for the French state.
Is it compulsory?
Yes, for a bike sold by a business:
- since 1 January 2021 for a new bike
- since 1 July 2021 for a second-hand bike
The seller then collects your contact details. Two exceptions: children’s bikes with wheels of 16 inches or less, and sales between bike trade businesses.
Between private individuals, the law does not require the bike to be marked. A bike bought before 2021 may not be marked either. In both cases, you can have it marked yourself.
Where to get it marked
At an operator approved by the state, or at a partner bike shop. The government publishes the list of operators: Bicycode, Auvray, Decathlon and others.
The price depends on the operator. Bring an identity document and the bike’s invoice if you have it.
What marking changes if the bike is found
Without marking, a bike that is found often has no known owner. According to the FUB, the French federation of bike users, more than 150,000 bikes are found abandoned.
With marking, whoever finds the bike can check the national register and reach you: police, gendarmerie (France’s other police force), municipal police, lost property offices (objets trouvés), pounds (fourrières).
The official figures: 6.5 million bikes registered at the end of October 2024. Of 63,800 thefts reported in the register, more than 11% of the bikes were found (Ministry of Transport, February 2025).
Marking does not bring the bike back on its own. It lets you prove the bike is yours, and lets people reach you.
What to do if it is stolen
- Report the theft to your operator. The rules give you two weeks. Do it the same day.
- Check your contact details with the operator: that is how you will be reached.
- Give the marking number in your complaint to the police. See reporting a bike theft in France.
- The day the bike comes back, change its status with the operator, again within two weeks.
Selling or buying a marked bike
Selling? Report the sale to your operator.
Buying second-hand? Anyone can check a marked bike’s status with its number, on the APIC website. If it is reported stolen, do not buy it.
Keeping the numbers in one place
The marking number, the serial number, the invoice and the photos: that is what you will be asked for after a theft. Retrace’s bike record keeps them in one place. It is free.