Section 11A. No resident of any city which accepts this section by vote of its city council, or of any town which accepts this section by vote of the town, shall operate a bicycle within the limits thereof, unless such bicycle is registered under this section in such city or town and unless the registration plate or decal issued therefor is attached to such bicycle. The police department of such a city or town, or the selectmen of such a town having no organized police department, shall register all bicycles owned by persons residing within the city or town and issue to the owners thereof certificates of registration, which shall be in effect, unless suspended as hereinafter provided, so long as such registrants own said bicycles. The application for registration shall contain the name, address and age of the owner, the make of the bicycle, and serial number, if any, affixed by the maker, or any other identifying marks. The certificate of registration shall contain the name and address of the owner, a description of the bicycle and a register number. Every bicycle so registered shall have attached thereto a registration plate or decal furnished by the police department or the selectmen, as the case may be, of the city or town where registered. Such plate or decal shall bear the register number assigned to the bicycle and the name of the city or town where registered. Upon the sale or other transfer of a registered bicycle, the registrant shall remove the registration plate or decal and surrender the same to the police department or the selectmen, as the case may be, or may, upon application but without payment of an additional fee, have said plate or decal assigned to another bicycle owned by the applicant. A bicycle rental agency in any city or town which accepts this section shall not rent or offer any bicycle for rent unless the bicycle is registered and a registration plate or decal is attached thereto as provided herein. Every person engaged in the business of buying or selling new or second hand bicycles in such a city or town shall make a report to the said police department or selectmen, as the case may be, of every bicycle purchased or sold by such dealer, giving the name and address of the person from whom purchased or to whom sold, a description of such bicycle by name or make, and the number of the registration plate or decal, if any, attached thereto. Blank forms of applications and certificates for use in carrying out the provisions of this section shall be prepared and furnished by such cities and towns at their expense. Unless otherwise established in a town by town meeting action and in a city by city council action, and in a town with no town meeting by town council action, by adoption of appropriate by-laws and ordinances to set such fees, the fee for each registration plate or decal and certificate issued under this section shall be twenty-five cents, but in no event shall any such fee be greater than two dollars and fifty cents.

Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of one dollar, and in addition the police department of such city or town, or the selectmen of a town having no organized police department, may suspend the registration certificate of any registered bicycle operated in violation of any provision of section eleven B. No violation of any provision of this section relative to the registration of bicycles shall affect any civil right or liability, nor shall any such violation by a minor under the age of eighteen be considered a criminal offense.