rhm

I know, of course, that this bill won't get anywhere; that's not the issue. It's a bill before the NY State Assembly that would require bicycles to be registered, $25 fee plus $5 renewal annually.

So, assuming this actually passed; and assuming it applies only to bikes you actually ride; but also assuming it applies to all bikes you actually ride; how many of your bikes would you register? I'd have to register at least four, I think... and that would be a difficult choice.

Bianchigirll 

I would simply get 'dealer plates' like auto dealerships use LOL

I agree I doubt it will get much traction as people can se it for what it is a money grab. some idiot in Pa tried something like that for guns a few years ago I don't think it ever got out of commetee.

Bills would require license plate for all bikes, annual registration




February 28, 2011 10:52 AM

Chris White

ALBANY -- It’s like your car’s license plate, but for your bike.
Two bills recently introduced in the state Assembly would require that all bikes in the state be registered each year and sport a license plate.
Assemblyman Michael DenDekker introduced the measures.
The first applies to personal bicycles. The license plate would cost $25 for the first year and $5 each year after.
The second bill would require a $50 license plate fee for commercial bikes. It would also require casualty insurance.
All bikes would have to pass a safety inspection -- including lamp and equipment requirements -- to get the license.
Anyone under 18 would have a special mark on their plate.
If passed, DenDekker estimated the state would bring in more than $1.8 million in the first year and $375,000 each following

rhm

Yeah, dealer plates, I like that idea.

auchencrow

I would have to relocate.
(Sounds like you should consider it yourself, if you live in a state which would seriously entertain such a DRACONIAN regulation on bikes!)

-holiday76

I'd register one bike and be switching that plate around a lot from bike to bike.

Theoretically.

Ex Pres 

The plate would be on the rear of the seat bag.

due ruote 

Pass inspection? I don't like the sound of that.

WNG

DenDekker would be found swimming with the fishies in the Hudson, with an old Zefal pump in his mouth.

fas2c

In Va Bch where I used to live growing up it was "encouraged" to have your bike licensed by the city. I do not know it it was required though. All you would get was a yellow numbered reflective sticker to place on the downtube. All it did for us was to separate us from the tourists in the summer.

Upon further inverstigation is it required! It say the police will seize an unregistered bike News article

auchencrow

For those of you considering swapping plates around, be advised that Assemblyman Michael DenDekker will likely have thousands of SWAT teams stationed at bicycle check-points 24-7, to match your license plate to your bike's serial number.

WNG

Title of Assemblyman would be amended to Highwayman. It is truly amazing what government can get away with if you allow them.

Wogster

Plating bikes serves two possible purposes, one is a tax grab, the other is to reduce theft, and reducing theft only works if you could actually absolutely identify all bicycles. I can't see that working well, especially for older bicycles, look at the number of threads that start: I have this frame, and I have no idea what it is, because someone scraped off the decals and dremelled off the stops and hangers then painted it black and the only number on it looks like it could be B,E,F,H,I or T then C,O,Q or 0 then a number that looks like 23 and there could be 2 or 3 numbers and maybe another letter. 99% of the time, it's simply a tax grab.

Protests usually come from 3 sources, one is residents who have bicycles, sometimes several who will be majorly hit by the new tax, second is environmental groups who will see people deciding that the extra tax is too big an extra burden and just continue driving, third tourism boards, who see people who would bring and use bikes into the states, avoiding that state because of the extra tax.

It's been done before and usually the cost to run the program costs more then the fees generated, so they quit after a while.

Chombi

Yah right, they're gonna stop everyone on the street without bicycle plates....... Try doing that to cas strapped college kids in a campus and the LEOs will find themselve in a middle of a giant demonstration the next day in every campus. I would say if registration does help curb theft it would be something to consider, but I don't think it ever worked to minimize theft when they did have registration enforced in some jursidictions many years ago.
JMOs

Chombi

Wildwood 

Should be defeated -
the cost to put the program in place will exceed the revenue generated
the police won't be able to enforce it adequately
parents won't license kids bikes

Will they issue "antique" bike license plates, with lower fees? I want one.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

conveniently filed off officer.

vinfix

To borrow a phrase, "From my cold, dead legs..."

An assemblywoman in NJ tried this a few weeks ago and withdrew the bill after the huge outcry. Just goes to show, the only thing stupider and greedier than a Jersey politician in a New York one!

As for what I would do, that depends on the penalty. I'd probably take my chances. I read somewhere that bikes must have brakes capable of skidding the tires, so every time I go out with my fixed gear with just a front brake I'm probably already violating some obscure law.

Velognome 

New Jersey had a simular peice of legislation come up this year, it quickley died.

ColonelJLloyd 

I think the heart of the OP is "how many bikes would you register at the expense of $25 annually to comply with this law"? I would register four.

There's really no need to think about it any further. I highly doubt any of us will be subject to such a law. If we ever were, I'm certain the enforcement of said law would be lax at best.

Velognome 

This is what I love about New Jersey,

Quick and practical solutions!

Poguemahone

I'd be asking why vintage bikes aren't treated like vintage cars. In this state: One time plate fee, no inspections, and vastly lowered property taxes (a friends 1959 Caddy is valued at 100$ for tax purposes. Yeah, right). Since all my bikes but a few are older than 25 years... hmm....

brockd15 

Truer words have never been spoken.

rhm

Watch it, there! Discussion of this kind of thing will get the thread moved away from C&V, while my intent here was strictly related to the C&V propensity to collect. Bearing that in mind, I'd rather see a voluntary form of registration; and I'd have the registration be for the helmet, rather than the bike. Because no matter how many bikes I have, I always wear the same helmet. And of course any kind of registration, whether voluntary or mandatory, would have to have some kind of advantage to the registrant, which seems to be missing from this law.

mulveyr 

This is from the state that, a couple of years ago, proposed forcing everyone to buy new license plates for your cars, for the sole purpose of grabbing additional money.

Gee, I wonder where this guy got the idea...

juls

C&V should be exempt. Includeing riders

cb400bill

Force it to go underground.