I'm driving to Florida next month and bringing 2 bikes down there. They will stay there permanently so this bike rack issue is a one time, 2 day thing.

I realized that the license plate is partially obscured by the rack and probably a bit more so when the bikes are on. It is still a bit visible. They sell mounts that I can attach a license plate but they are pricey and then there is the issue of a light.

So, as LEO do you pull people over for this? If I cable tie my plate to the bikes, so it is very visible, is the lighting going to be an issue? We will be driving at night for maybe a couple hours.

I've noticed many bike racks blocking the license plate. Couldn't you use wire to temporarily hook the license plate to a bike or the rack itself? One other thing to be aware of, blocking tail and brake lights. I almost crunched a car from behind last Friday night where tail lights and brake lights were not visible.

I wouldn't worry about it, and honestly you may be one of the few that has. I'd be most concerned with making sure my brake lights/turn signals/tail lights were visible, and assuming they were, I'd just go for it.

Cool, I could attach it to the bikes if needed. Just did the math on our route and looks like we will be stopping in NC at between 8-9 PM so lighting won't be an issue.

Brake lights should be fine but I'll be sure they aren't obscured.

I regularly see people driving with no license plates. And I’ve never noticed one pulled over by the Gendarmes. This is in Texas and Colorado, mostly. I can only conclude that a lot of LEOs aren’t actively enforcing that law.

Around here (New York)
People have these specifically to partially block the plate.
With all the red light / speed cameras.
I don’t think you’ll have an issue using it for your bikes.

You'll have no issues. I'm actually taking the kids to Toronto in the summer so I actually made sure my plate wasn't going to be obscured by anything. But driving between Ohio and FL for years with the plate partially obscured hasn't stopped anything.

Even Pennsylvania figured it out and sent me a toll bill. Even though I was using my EZPASS.

Look, you have to be doing something really stupid to be pulled over. Don't.

Police officers are people too. They understand situations.

Just don't do illegal stuff.

Genius! Feel free to take the toll roads.

Highly doubt you will get pulled over. Just too many people here and many more with issues worse than a partially obscured plate.

Some examples:

-no rear license plate
-people driving at night without lights on
-body panels flopping in the wind
-limo tint on windshields
-expired plates

Dude with a bike rack is the least of their worries

My opinion, try and NOT give them any excuse to pull you over, especially coming from out of state. Relocate or make the plate more visible. God Bless

Consider it a bonus, in case you're speeding or accidentally run through an electronic toll, you might be gtg.

If you cable tie your plates to your bike rack, they will be stolen, and then you'll be driving back home without ANY plates at all.

I agree with what everyone else is saying. The people least likely to be breaking driving laws are those with bikes on the back, since criminals and scumbags aren't interested in anything healthy like that.

You know all those people towing 5th wheels you’ve seen pulled over because their vehicle’s license plate was completely obscured?

I wouldn’t worry about it unless you are up to something illegal. There are plenty on the road with similar issues, no one stopping them.

When I haul my motorcycle in the bed of my trick the license plate isn't visible and I don't give it a second thought.

Going back 10 years or so I had a front hitch on my truck that I used to mount my surf rod rack. It was the same size (2") and I used it when we towed our fifth wheel with a bike rack that held 4 bikes.
Leaving New Hampshire and now traveling thru Vermont I got stopped by the border patrol about 100 miles from Canada. I was told I was pulled over for the bikes. The officer then asked me to roll down my rear windows so he could question my kids to see if they were mine. I have zero problems with police but this guy was a real ass hole. He started giving me a hard time about the bikes until I asked him to get a local cop as the bikes were not his concern. His words "Get the fuck out of here and don't let me catch you again".
Unless you get a real asshole, I wouldn't worry about the bikes covering the license plate. I live in a tourist town and all weekend I see bikes on the back of cars.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm not doing anything illegal this time around.

Just tape this to the back of your rig and you'll be... fine.



Safe Travels...

Such a thing has never crossed my mind. Towing a boat or trailer obscures my plate, hitch mounted cargo rack obscures it, bikes obscure it. Never an issue.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: YellowJacket,

Here's a pic. I'm on this road for almost 10 miles with not one passing zone. I get stuck behind a slow vehicle and it's very frustrating.

The sign in covered by the tree a bit.