Bike stolen? What to do now
First check whether the council removed your bike, because that happens more often than people think. If it really was stolen, report it to the police and make sure as many people as possible can recognise it.
1. Was it removed by the council?
Dutch municipalities remove tens of thousands of wrongly or long-parked bikes every year. They go to a bike depot and are kept for a few weeks. Search for yours on verlorenofgevonden.nl, the national register the depots list their bikes in.
Read what to do if your bike was removed, or look up your city: fees and how long bikes are kept differ per municipality.
2. Report it to the police
Always file a report (aangifte), even if you have little hope. Online at politie.nl it takes about fifteen minutes. A report puts your bike in the RDW bike-theft register, where buyers and dealers can check it, and your insurer will ask for it.
- the frame number
- brand, model and colour
- where and when it was stolen
- photos and the receipt, if you have them
Is your bike on FietsRadar? Then FietsRadar prepares these details for you, ready to paste into the police form, in Dutch.
3. Put it on the map
Report the theft on FietsRadar. Your bike appears on the live map, people with an alert area nearby are told, and you get a poster to share. If someone spots your bike and reports it, you hear straight away when the frame number matches.
4. Share the poster
The more people know your bike, the better the chance someone sees it. Share the poster link in your neighbourhood app, WhatsApp groups and on social media. The poster shows the bike, not you: your name, address and phone number stay private.
5. Watch second-hand sites, but never confront a thief
Stolen bikes are often resold quickly. Keep an eye on Marktplaats and Facebook Marketplace for a few weeks. If you think you see yours, do not contact the seller or go there yourself: call the police on 0900-8844, or 112 if it is happening now.
6. Tell your insurer
If your bike is insured against theft, report it as soon as you can. Insurers usually ask for the police report number, the receipt and the keys. Check your policy for the deadline.
By city
- Bike stolen in Amsterdam
- Bike stolen in Rotterdam
- Bike stolen in The Hague
- Bike stolen in Utrecht
- Bike stolen in Groningen
- Bike stolen in Eindhoven
- Bike stolen in Nijmegen
- Bike stolen in Tilburg
- Bike stolen in Haarlem
- Bike stolen in Leiden
- Bike stolen in Enschede
- Bike stolen in Breda
- Bike stolen in Delft
- Bike stolen in Arnhem
- Bike stolen in Amersfoort
- Bike stolen in Zwolle
Frequently asked questions
What are the chances of getting a stolen bike back?
Through the police alone they are small: only a small share of registered bike thefts is solved. You raise your odds by acting fast, checking the depot and getting as many people as possible looking.
Is a police report worth it without the frame number?
Yes, but without a frame number the bike cannot go into the RDW register and is harder to identify. Look for the number on the receipt, insurance papers or an old photo. See where to find your frame number.
What does FietsRadar cost?
Registering a bike and reporting a theft are free, as are alerts, the poster and the frame-number check.
Sources
Updated 1 October 2026