A pink bicycle locked to a bike rack and nearly buried in snow
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Bicycle Registration and Safety

The primary function of the Bicycle Registration Program is to provide identification for bicycles stored on campus. Information on the registration can be used to locate the owner should a bicycle be found abandoned or recovered off-campus. Bicycle registration is provided free of charge to members of the Mount Holyoke College Community.

How to register a bicycle at Mount Holyoke

Any student, faculty or staff member who stores a bicycle on the Mount Holyoke College campus can register with Public Safety and Service. You can register your bicycle using this form. Registration is free.

The information we will need for the registration process is the bicycle's make, color, number of speeds and serial number. The serial number is engraved on the bicycle frame (not on wheels, etc.) and is often located under the bicycle between the pedals.

Once your bicycle is registered you will receive a decal. Bicycle registrations have an expiration date, so be sure to remove any old decals before affixing a new one.

Why should you register your bicycle?

1. To Discourage Theft and Identify Your Bicycle

The information on the bicycle is kept on file at Public Safety and Service for several years, so even if a student has graduated and something happens to their bicycle, we will be able to provide their information on her bicycle if they can not locate its serial number, etc. Additionally, the sticker identifies the bicycle as belonging to someone who is at Mount Holyoke College, so if it is located by a law enforcement agency off-campus it is more likely to be returned to its owner.

2. To Prevent your bike from being Removed From Campus

Public Safety officers with some of the abandoned bikes left on campus
Public Safety officers with some of the unregistered or abandoned bikes found on campus. 

Unregistered bicycles and those registered to students who have graduated are considered abandoned and are removed at the end of each academic year in order to make room for new registered bicycles. Storage space on campus is very limited, and removal of bicycles no longer being used is vital to assure that there is space for new bicycles. Bicycles are removed regularly; be sure to register yours to be sure it will be allowed to stay on campus.

There is not a limit to the number of bicycles you can register on campus. However, to be fair to other bicycle owners, we ask that you have no more than two bicycles stored on campus at one time so everyone will have room to store their bicycle.

Bicycle decals have an expiration date; check the date on your decal, especially if ownership has been transferred or if you took a leave of absence. If your decal is expiring, come in to obtain a free replacement decal.