Stolen bike: a checklist of what to do

Retrace editorial team · Sources checked on 18 October 2026

The steps and evidence to keep after a theft. Save your documents for the police and, if the bike is insured, your insurer.

First steps

• Note the place, date and circumstances of the theft.
• Gather bike photos, the invoice or other available records.
• Look for the serial and registration numbers in your old documents.
• Report the theft through the official service in the country where it happened and keep the reference and the service’s contact details.
• Notify your insurer under your policy’s conditions and deadlines, if the bike is insured, and keep the claim reference.
• Update the theft status with the marking operator or register where your bike is recorded.

See the steps for France or Belgium. For another country, use the reporting guide.

If a listing looks like your bike

• Keep the original link, date, text and photos of the listing.
• Note precise details that match your old photos.
• Separate observations from assumptions: the same model does not mean the same bike.
• Give the evidence to the police with your report reference and follow their instructions.

Do not confront the seller. A resemblance or an alert does not prove the bike’s identity or a theft.

Official resources

Online complaints in France, Police-on-Web in Belgium, APIC, checking a registered bike’s status and mybike in Belgium.

See recognising your bike in a listing to prepare a comparison. If documents are missing, see a stolen bike without an invoice or serial number.

Helping someone else? Share the link or print this list for them. The reporting steps depend on the country where the bike was stolen.