Drop Bike Licensing Requirement

At the October meeting of the City of Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, it was stated that “no independent bicycle dealer has been fined” for not including licenses with bicycles sold--not to mention the thousands of bikes rolling through checkout stands at Target and other department stores throughout the city. But bicyclists have been ticketed by the LAPD for not having a bicycle license.

We are all bound as citizens to obey the law, but enforcement of laws shouldn’t be at the discretion of officials, sometimes only when it is convenient for them. The City of Los Angeles Municipal Code includes specific licensing requirements and penalties for bicycle retailers and owners. However, licenses cannot be purchased by the average citizen interested in complying with the law. Bicycle retailers haven’t provided the licenses for years; LAPD offices are not prepared to provide the license although legally they are required to do so.

After several phone calls and some insistence at the Van Nuys police station I was able to obtain a bicycle license. According to municipal code, it is supposed to be valid until “Jan. 1 of the third year following registration”; the one issued to me will expire after just one year!

The only fair option is to immediately drop the City of Los Angeles bicycle licensing program.