For law enforcement & cities
A bike recovery system that works like a
badge number.
529 Garage gives officers in the field a national source of truth for bike ownership - for every agency, every officer and every bike.
529 is a community initiative supported by Sundays Insurance. Learn more.
Bike theft is solvable - with the right tools.
It's high-volume, low-resolution, and largely invisible. Most thefts go unreported, most departments lack a way to query ownership, and recovered bikes pile up in property rooms with no one to return them to.
2.4M
bikes stolen each year in the US
Barajas et al., Findings, 2025
37%
of thefts are reported to police
Bike Index / UCSB SPAR Labs, 2023
~2%
baseline recovery without a registry
FBI UCR larceny clearance rates
17.8%
recovery rate with a 529 Shield (8.5% without)
529 Garage data, 2022-2025
Just 4 steps. From encounter to return.
An officer doesn't need to learn a new system. The workflow mirrors a routine property check - just with a national registry of ownership behind it.
Step 01
Encounter
An officer comes across a bike - recovered, abandoned on a rack, or found during a property check. The officer opens the 529 Garage app.
Step 02
Query
Scan the Shield or search by serial number. The app queries 529 Garage for bike photos, owner contact, and any active theft reports or Missing Bike Bulletins.
Step 03
Match
If the bike is registered and reported stolen, the officer sees the owner's name (if shareable), photos of the bike, police report number, and can contact the owner via the 529 service.
Step 04
Return
The officer returns the bike to the owner. The owner marks the bike as recovered on their 529 Garage. Another bike reunited with its owner.
Multiple tools, one registry.
Assisting agencies to fight bike theft.
Field app for officers
Empower officers with 24/7 access to the registry. Scan a shield, query the 529 Garage registry based on bike details and location, and contact the owner in under 60 seconds - enabling rapid bike recovery before owners even report theft. Works on any department-issued iOS or Android device.
Agency dashboard
See registered bikes in your jurisdiction, theft hotspots, and recovery trends. Export for internal reporting and city safety committees.
Bike alerts
When a bike is reported stolen, a 529 Missing Bike Bulletin is pushed to the app and to the 529 community within a 15-mile radius -- putting eyes on the street within minutes.
529 Shield
A tamper-evident decal that links straight to the registry. Shields deter thieves and help officers identify and contact bike owners.
Transfer of custody
When a bike is recovered, custody transfers to the bike owner can be logged via our property room tool - signed, and auditable, so returning bikes from the property room to the owner takes minutes, not weeks.
Branded community registration
Use the 529 app to host registration events. Plus, residents can register their bikes through your department's co-branded 529 Garage portal. A free public good, delivered by you.
529 Shield
Visible deterrent. Scannable, tamper-resistant QR code that links straight to the owner if found.
Why the Shield matters
Reported data from over 35,000 theft cases suggests that bikes with a 529 Shield are on average recovered 2X more often than those without. In some states, the difference is even higher. As one rider put it: "The Shield made all the difference - police could identify my bike immediately and I got it back within 48 hours." When it comes to getting your bike back, visibility matters.
How our agencies use shields
As part of a crime-reduction strategy, our law-enforcement partners register bikes and hand out 529 Shields at community events, bike rodeos and registration drives -- building trust and visibility in one move.
Proven results
Vancouver adopted 529 Garage in 2015. Bike theft dropped 30% in two years, and kept falling.
Bikes are returned to their owners almost every day. Here's what that looks like in real life:
Thieves struck when Roberta was camping. They broke into her car, stole her home keys, then her two $16,000 bikes from the garage.
Roberta filed a police report and started a 529 alert. Four days later, a tip came in. Her bikes were listed on Facebook Marketplace. Within hours the police assisted, the thief was in custody and her bikes were on their way home.
Fewer bikes stolen. More bikes returned. That's the impact of 529 Garage.
What partners are saying
The Vancouver Police Department recovers over 2,000 stolen bikes a year. Locating the victims is a significant challenge. Project 529 supports our ability to pursue criminal charges, serves to prevent future thefts and ultimately assists in reuniting victims with their stolen property.
Chief Constable Adam Palmer
Vancouver Police Department
529 Garage has been a fantastic bike registry program. We've seen a dramatic drop in bike thefts within the City of Brandon and have been able to return numerous seized bikes to their rightful owners. The 529 app is a great tool - I highly recommend this registry to any police agency looking for an effective tool to combat bike theft.
Cst. Adam Potter
Brandon Police Service
The City of Long Beach has partnered with Project 529 to support bike registration and recovery for our community, and the experience has been excellent. The platform is easy for residents to use, the team has been responsive and genuinely invested in our program's success. I'd recommend Project 529 to any municipality or agency looking to stand up a bike registration program with a real partner behind it.
Willie Walker
Parking and Mobility Officer, City of Long Beach
791
Partners fighting bike theft
40%
Reduction in theft in active cities
3M+
Searchable bikes
Enroll your agency
Bring 529 Garage to your community.
Every jurisdiction is different, so our pricing is tailored to yours. Tell us about your agency and we'll put together a quote that fits your size, footprint and goals.
Onboarding in days, not weeks
Training for officers, property teams and detectives
Co-branded community registration portal
Daily support from a real human
Sized for your community
Pricing scales with your jurisdiction - urban or rural, large or small.
Response within 1 business day
A member of our team reaches out with a tailored quote after you submit.
