CHAPTER 5
BICYCLES

ARTICLE 1. BICYCLE LICENSES

SECTION:

§7400:    License Required

§7401:    Grounds For Refusing Registration

§7402:    Safety Inspection

§7403:    Issuance Of License And Registration

§7404:    License Terms; Delinquency

§7405:    Fees For Registration, License And Transfer; Penalty

§7406:    Form Of License And Registration Card

§7407:    License To Be Attached

§7408:    Record Of Licenses Issued

§7409:    Lost Or Destroyed Licenses Or Registration Cards

§7410:    Sale Or Transfer Of Ownership

§7411:    Dealers In Bicycles

§7412:    Lost Or Stolen Bicycles, Notice To Police

§7413:    Removing Or Altering Bicycle License Prohibited; Police To Stamp Frame Numbers

§7414:    Police Authorized To Impound Unlicensed Or Nonregistered Bicycles

§7415:    Bicycle To Be Maintained In Good Mechanical Condition; Police Authorized To Impound Unsafe Bicycles

§7416:    Bicycle Defined; Unicycles And Trainer Bicycles Included; Tricycles Excluded

§7417:    Penalty For Violation

§7400 LICENSE REQUIRED

No person shall operate or use, or suffer or permit to be operated or used, any bicycle on any of the streets, alleys or public ways of the City without first registering said bicycle and obtaining from said City a license therefor as herein required. No person shall use or operate or suffer or permit to be used or operated on any of the streets, alleys or public ways of said City, a bicycle which has not affixed thereto in a conspicuous place, the license issued as herein required, valid for the then current licensing period. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §1a, adopted 1975)

§7401 GROUNDS FOR REFUSING REGISTRATION

Any of the following shall be grounds for the refusal to register or transfer registration for any bicycle:

A.    That the application contains any false or fraudulent statements.

B.    That the required fee has not been paid.

C.    That the applicant has failed to furnish to the Chief of Police the information required in the application or such reasonable information as required by the Chief of Police including failure to present the bicycle for inspection as required by this Article.

D.    If the Chief of Police determines that the applicant has made or permitted unlawful use of any registration or license.

E.    If the bicycle does not meet the minimum mechanical safety standards prescribed by this Article. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §1b, adopted 1975)

§7402 SAFETY INSPECTION

Prior to the issuance of any license or registration card required by this Article, the bicycle for which the application is made shall be brought to the Ukiah police station or other place designated by the Police Department for a mechanical safety inspection. Such inspection shall be made by an officer of the Police Department. The bicycle examined shall meet the following minimum mechanical safety standards and shall have the equipment herein required:

A.    An operative wheel brake on at least one wheel capable of stopping rotation of the wheel, immediately upon application.

B.    Such front lamp and rear light or reflectors as required by the California Vehicle Code.

C.    Handlebars of the same approximate size and in the same approximate location as placed by the manufacturer and firmly fastened so as to eliminate any vertical motion.

D.    A saddle-type seat in good repair and firmly fastened to the bicycle frame.

E.    Pedals installed and in good repair.

F.    Handle grips firmly cemented in place on handlebars.

G.    Wheels in good repair with all necessary spokes in place.

H.    Chain properly adjusted.

I.    Chain guard installed so as to protect the rider’s clothing from being caught in the chain when in operation. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §1c, adopted 1975)

§7403 ISSUANCE OF LICENSE AND REGISTRATION

Upon written application to the Chief of Police and upon compliance with the safety inspection and payment of the fee in this Article specified, said Chief of Police is authorized to issue a license and registration card to the applicant which shall entitle the licensee to operate the bicycle for which said license was obtained and to permit its operation and use upon the streets, alleys and public ways of said City except as otherwise provided herein. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961)

§7404 LICENSE TERMS; DELINQUENCY

The license shall be issued for a term of three (3) years from January 1 of each and every three (3) year period. Licenses due on January 1 shall be delinquent after January 31, and all others shall be delinquent thirty (30) days after the due date. (Ord. 542, §2; repealed by Ord. 670, §1, adopted 1975)

§7405 FEES FOR REGISTRATION, LICENSE AND TRANSFER; PENALTY

A.    The fee for the registration and licensing of each bicycle shall be three dollars ($3.00).

B.    The fee for the re-registration in cases of lost licenses shall be one dollar ($1.00).

C.    The fee for the registration of any transfer of ownership shall be one dollar ($1.00).

D.    A one dollar ($1.00) penalty shall be levied for registration and licensing after the delinquent date.

E.    License fee shall be prorated on a yearly basis by a reduction of one dollar ($1.00) thereof per year of term expired. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §3, adopted 1975)

§7406 FORM OF LICENSE AND REGISTRATION CARD

The City shall provide State of California licenses numbered in consecutive order and shall also provide registration cards, with the name of said City printed thereof, numbered consecutively with space for the name of the licensee and for the name and serial number of the bicycle for which the license is issued. (Ord. 352, §3, adopted 1941; amd. by Ord. 670, §4, adopted 1975)

§7407 LICENSE TO BE ATTACHED

Upon payment of the fee required in this Article, the Chief of Police shall issue to each applicant one of said registration cards for each bicycle registered showing the name of the licensee and the identifying data of his bicycle and shall securely attach to said bicycle in a conspicuous place, the license bearing the same number as the registration card. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §4, adopted 1975)

§7408 RECORD OF LICENSES ISSUED

The Chief of Police shall keep a record showing the date of the issuance of each license and the number thereof, the name of the licensee, the make and serial number of each bicycle licensed and the fact and date of any surrender or transfer of said license. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6b, adopted 1975)1

§7409 LOST OR DESTROYED LICENSES OR REGISTRATION CARDS

If a registration card be lost or destroyed, upon satisfactory proof thereof and without payment of any fee, a duplicate card will be issued. If the license be lost or destroyed, the licensee shall surrender the registration card and shall secure another card and license by making another application and the payment of the required fee. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6c, adopted 1975)

§7410 SALE OR TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP

It shall be the duty of every person who sells or transfers ownership of any used or secondhand bicycle registered under the provisions of this Article, to report in writing such sale or transfer to the Chief of Police within ten (10) days thereafter and give the name and address of the person to whom such bicycle was sold or transferred and to surrender the registration card theretofore issued to him. It shall be the duty of the purchaser or transferee, in the event such bicycle is to be used within the City, to apply to the Chief of Police for a transfer of the registration of such bicycle within ten (10) days after such sale or transfer. Upon surrender of such registration card and the receipt of an application for transfer, accompanied by the fee herein provided, a new registration card shall be issued in the name of said purchaser or transferee. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6d, adopted 1975)

§7411 DEALERS IN BICYCLES

All persons, firms or corporations in the City engaged in the business of selling new bicycles, and all persons, firms or corporations in the City engaged in the business of buying or selling secondhand bicycles shall make a report, in writing, to the Chief of Police of every bicycle sold or purchased by them where the sale is to or the purchase from a resident of the City, or where such bicycle is intended to be used in the City. Such reports shall be made within twenty four (24) hours of the purchase or sale and shall contain the name and address of the person from whom the bicycle has been purchased or to whom it has been sold, the description of such bicycle, the frame number thereof, and the number of the license plate, if any, thereon. The Chief of Police is directed to make available free forms for this purpose. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6e, adopted 1975)

§7412 LOST OR STOLEN BICYCLES, NOTICE TO POLICE

In case any bicycle registered under the provisions of this Article is lost or stolen, the owner or person in control thereof shall immediately, upon becoming aware thereof, notify the Police Department. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6e, adopted 1975)

§7413 REMOVING OR ALTERING BICYCLE LICENSE PROHIBITED; POLICE TO STAMP FRAME NUMBERS

No person shall wilfully or maliciously remove, destroy, mutilate or alter any bicycle license issued pursuant to this Article, or any identifying number of any bicycle. The Chief of Police shall stamp numbers on the frames of bicycles on which no serial number can be found, or on which the said number is illegible or insufficient for identifying purposes. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6f, adopted 1975)

§7414 POLICE AUTHORIZED TO IMPOUND UNLICENSED OR NONREGISTERED BICYCLES

Any police officer is authorized to take up and impound any bicycle found to be used or operated within the corporate limits of the City which is not registered pursuant to this Article or which has not affixed thereto a license issued under the provisions of this Article, valid for the then current licensing period.

Any such bicycle taken up and impounded as herein provided shall be released to the owner thereof upon demand ten (10) days after impounding unless proceedings shall have been commenced in a court of competent jurisdiction, in which case such bicycle shall continue to remain impounded until the completion of such proceedings or until written order of the court ordering the release of such bicycle. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6g, adopted 1975)

§7415 BICYCLE TO BE MAINTAINED IN GOOD MECHANICAL CONDITION; POLICE AUTHORIZED TO IMPOUND UNSAFE BICYCLES

Every bicycle operated within the City shall at all times be maintained so as to meet the minimum safety standards and have the equipment provided in §7402. Any bicycle not so maintained may be impounded by any police officer in such manner and for such period as provided in §7414 for unlicensed or nonregistered bicycles. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6h, adopted 1975)

§7416 BICYCLE DEFINED; UNICYCLES AND TRAINER BICYCLES INCLUDED; TRICYCLES EXCLUDED

"Bicycle" shall mean a light vehicle with saddle-type or similar seat for the rider and propelled by pedals operated by the rider and generally consisting of two (2) wheels, one in the front of the other. The word "bicycle" as used in this Article shall include a one-wheel vehicle similarly propelled commonly called a unicycle, and shall also include a bicycle having one or more additional wheels attached for balance commonly called a trainer bicycle. Tricycles and small bicycles having a wheel diameter of less than twelve inches (12"), designed and manufactured for operation by small children upon the sidewalks shall be excluded from the definition of a bicycle as used in this Article.

All rules and regulations applicable to bicycles shall be applicable to all vehicles included in the definition of bicycles as used herein, except those rules and regulations which, by their very nature, can have no application. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6i, adopted 1975)

§7417 PENALTY FOR VIOLATION

Any violation of this Article shall be considered an infraction. (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; amd. by Ord. 670, §6j, adopted 1975)


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Previous §7408, Devices in Lieu of License Plate, cited: (Ord. 542, §2, adopted 1961; repealed by Ord. 670, §6a, adopted 1975)