Localmedium impact · 5/10substantive090845

Council proposed law requiring Philadelphia bike riders to register bicycles.

Official:Amending Chapter 12-800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Bicycle Regulations and Penalties," by requiring the registration of a bicycle that is operated on any public right-of-way, and providing penalties for violations, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember DiCicco

Introduced: November 19, 2009

: Committee on Streets and Services

public safetyregistrationtransportation

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2008–2011 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill requires Philadelphia residents to register their bicycles with the city and display a registration plate when riding on public rights-of-way.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Requires registration of bicycles operated on public right-of-way by City residents, with some exceptions (bicycles with a seat height of less than 25 inches).
Requires the Police Department to develop a bicycle registration application that includes information such as make, model, color, serial number, and owner's name and address.
Imposes a registration fee of $20, which must be paid to register a bicycle.
Requires registered bicycles to display a registration plate with a unique registration number, which must be clearly visible from the rear of the bicycle.

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