Your car · Bike racks
Bike Racks in Europe: Plates, Lights and How Far Bikes May Stick Out
Verdict
If the rack hides your number plate or lights, they have to be repeated on the rack. How far bikes may stick out, and how to mark them, changes at each border.
Germany and Denmark require a third plate when the rack hides yours; Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Sweden offer one to cars registered there. Italy wants lights and a plate holder on the rack. Spain wants a V-20 panel on any rear overhang.
Each rule below comes from an official page and was checked twice. Where a country is not listed, either its authorities have published nothing we could find, or we have not researched it yet; the list at the end says which. A gap is not a permission.
| Country | Answer | In short |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Allowed with limits | Loads sticking out more than 1 m behind must meet Schedule 12 conditions of the Construction and Use Regulations. Driving with incorrectly displayed number plates can cost up to £1,000. |
| Ireland | Allowed with limits | A bike rack must not make the registration plate harder to read. At night, a load sticking out over 3 ft 6 in (about 1.07 m) behind the rear lamps needs a red lamp. |
| France | Allowed with limits | A bike carrier may be fitted to a car as long as the load complies with the Code de la route loading rules (articles R.312-9 to R.312-25). |
| Belgium | Allowed with limits | Local police: a bike carrier may stick out at most 1 m behind the car; plate and lights must stay visible, or you can be fined and told to remove it. |
| Germany | Allowed with limits | If a carrier or load covers the rear plate wholly or partly, you must fit a third plate (no registration-office visit needed). |
| Austria | Allowed with limits | A load may lengthen the vehicle by up to a quarter; anything sticking out over 1 m must be clearly marked. A red extra plate for bike carriers is optional. |
| Switzerland | Allowed with limits | Since 1 March 2022 an optional third plate can be fitted on a rear carrier; otherwise move the rear plate. Rear-mounted bikes may stick out max 20 cm per side. |
| Italy | Allowed with limits | Indivisible loads may stick out behind up to 3/10 of vehicle length, marked with a retroreflective square panel. A rear carrier hiding lights or plate needs its own lights and a plate. |
| Slovenia | Allowed with limits | Registration plates must be uncovered, clearly visible and legible, so a rear bike rack must not hide the plate. Official rules on overhang length and marking were not found. |
| Spain | Allowed with limits | Rear load may stick out up to 10% of car length (15% if indivisible), marked with a V-20 panel and, at night, a red light. Plates and lights must stay visible. |
| Poland | Allowed with limits | Rack hides your plate: get an optional third plate from your registration office. Rack hides lights: it needs its own lights. Rear overhang max 2 m; mark anything over 0.5 m. |
| Czechia | Allowed with limits | Czech registration offices issue a third plate (type 602, 520 x 110 mm) for a rear carrier: CZK 480 online, CZK 600 otherwise. Overhang and marking rules not confirmed officially. |
| Slovakia | Allowed with limits | If an approved bike carrier hides the plate, move the plate (with lighting) onto the carrier or fit a duplicate 'NOSIČ' plate from the police. Bikes overhanging over 40 cm need red-white reflective marking. |
| Hungary | Allowed with limits | You can get a special registration plate for a bike carrier, or move the car's rear plate onto the carrier. The carrier plate comes only in standard type A size. |
| Bulgaria | Allowed with limits | If a bike carrier covers the rear plate and has a place for a plate, the Interior Ministry issues a third plate. Load overhang rules were not found. |
| Denmark | Allowed with limits | If a bike carrier fully or partly hides the rear plate, you must use an extra (third) plate with red lettering, ordered from Motorstyrelsen for DKK 110. |
| Sweden | Allowed with limits | Since 2 February 2022 owners of Swedish-registered vehicles may order an extra plate for a bike or load carrier (SEK 62). Same number, same rules as the normal plate, including lighting. |
Country by country
United Kingdom allowed with limits
- Rear projections over 1 m (up to 2 m) must meet Schedule 12 para 4; longer projections trigger further Schedule 12 conditions. Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, reg. 82
- Driving with incorrectly displayed number plates can be fined up to £1,000. GOV.UK - Displaying number plates
Do: Keep your plate correctly displayed; check Schedule 12 if the load sticks out more than 1 m.
Ireland allowed with limits
- Nothing fitted to the car may make the registration plate harder to read. S.I. No. 318/1992 Vehicle Registration and Taxation Regulations 1992, reg. 9(9) (Revenue)
- The rear plate must be easily readable from behind. S.I. No. 318/1992, reg. 9(7)
- In lighting-up hours, a load projecting more than 3 ft 6 in behind the rear lamps needs a rear projecting load lamp showing a red light to the rear. S.I. No. 189/1963 Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations 1963, art. 9(4)(a) and 14(4)(a)
Do: Keep the plate readable from behind; at night add a red lamp for overhangs over 1.07 m.
France allowed with limits
- Bike carriers are not type-approved under the Code de la route; they may be fitted if the loading rules (art. R.312-9 to R.312-25) are respected. Assemblée nationale, question écrite n° 31322, réponse ministérielle du 24/02/2009
Do: Check the carrier and its load against the Code de la route loading rules before you drive.
Belgium allowed with limits
- Bike carrier may project at most 1 m behind the vehicle. Lokale politie (politie.be zone 5351) - Adviesmoment mobilhome en caravan
- Plate must be readable at all times and lights must stay visible. Lokale politie (politie.be zone 5351) - Adviesmoment mobilhome en caravan
- Load may not hide lights, reflectors or plate; driver can be fined and told to remove it. Police locale Brunau (police.be 5337) - Porte-vélos et sécurité : quelques conseils (17/06/2024)
Do: Keep the plate readable and the lights visible, and the overhang under 1 m.
Germany allowed with limits
- A third plate is mandatory if the rear plate is wholly or partly hidden by a carrier or load (FZV §10(9)). Stadt Köln - Zusatzschild für Fahrradträger oder Ladung
- The extra plate is bought from a plate maker; no visit to the registration office and no stamp needed. Stadt Köln - Zusatzschild für Fahrradträger oder Ladung
Do: Fit a third plate on any rear carrier that hides your plate.
Austria allowed with limits
- Load may exceed the vehicle's length by no more than one quarter of its length. RIS - KFG 1967 § 101 Beladung (Fassung ab 30.07.2026)
- Load protruding more than 1 m must have its outermost points made clearly visible. RIS - KFG 1967 § 101 Beladung (Fassung ab 30.07.2026)
- A red extra plate for a rear bike carrier is optional; moving the original plate is an alternative. oesterreich.gv.at - Kennzeichen für Fahrrad-Heckträger (updated 12.03.2026)
- Red plates issued since 12 April 2021 carry the national mark and are usually recognised abroad. oesterreich.gv.at - Kennzeichen für Fahrrad-Heckträger
Do: If the carrier hides your plate, move it or get the red plate; mark loads over 1 m.
Switzerland allowed with limits
- An optional third plate for rear carriers removes the need to move the car's plate. ASTRA - Veloträger / drittes Kontrollschild
- Bikes fixed to the rear may overhang max 20 cm per side. ASTRA - VRV Änderung Art. 73 Abs. 2 Bst. d (in force 1.4.2024)
Do: Move your plate to the carrier or order a third plate from the cantonal office.
Italy allowed with limits
- Indivisible load may stick out at the rear up to 3/10 of the vehicle's length. Codice della Strada art. 164 (text on aci.gov.it)
- Rear overhang must be signalled with one or two square retroreflective panels. Codice della Strada art. 164 (text on aci.gov.it)
- Fine for breaching art. 164: EUR 87 to 344. Codice della Strada art. 164 (text on aci.gov.it)
- Rear carriers that hide lights or plate are allowed only with supplementary lights/signalling devices. Decreto MIT 19 dicembre 2024 n. 328 (GU n. 16 del 21.1.2025), art. 2
- The carrier's plate holder may carry the car's plate or a repeater plate (art. 100 c.4 CdS). Decreto MIT 19 dicembre 2024 n. 328, art. 4 c.2
- Such carriers must be type-approved to UNECE Regulation 26. Decreto MIT 19 dicembre 2024 n. 328, art. 2 c.2
Do: Carry the square reflective overhang panel; on a rear carrier, use its lights and plate holder.
Slovenia allowed with limits
- Plates must be uncovered, clearly visible and legible. Pravilnik o registraciji motornih in priklopnih vozil (Uradni list RS 48/2011), čl. 33(2)
Do: Do not let the rack or bikes cover the rear plate or lights.
Spain allowed with limits
- Load (incl. bikes on a rear rack) must not hide lights or number plates. BOE - Reglamento General de Circulación (RD 1428/2003), art. 14.1
- Cars (not goods vehicles): rear overhang max 10% of vehicle length, 15% if the load is indivisible. BOE - Reglamento General de Circulación, art. 15.3
- Any rear overhang must be marked with the V-20 panel, fixed at the end of the load, perpendicular to the vehicle axis. BOE - Reglamento General de Circulación, art. 15.6
- Between sunset and sunrise or in poor visibility, the overhanging load also needs a red light. BOE - Reglamento General de Circulación, art. 15.6
Do: Fit a V-20 panel at the rear of any overhanging bikes/load; keep plate and lights visible.
Poland allowed with limits
- Since 1 January 2016 you can get a third plate from the vehicle's registration office for a bike carrier. KMP Dąbrowa Górnicza (policja.gov.pl) - Trzecia tablica rejestracyjna już dostępna
- Apply at the vehicle registration office where the car is registered. KMP Dąbrowa Górnicza (policja.gov.pl)
- If the carrier hides the rear lights, it must have its own lights; the plate goes in a lit holder. KMP Dąbrowa Górnicza (policja.gov.pl)
- The third plate goes in the carrier's designated plate spot; you may not move the car's own plate. KPP Pisz (policja.gov.pl) - Kilka słów o bagażniku rowerowym mocowanym na hak pojazdu
- Load may stick out at most 2 m behind the vehicle. KMP Gliwice (policja.gov.pl) - transport samochodem długich ładunków
- Load sticking out more than 0.5 m behind must be marked: white-and-red stripes or, on a car, a red flag of at least 50 x 50 cm. Up to 0.5 m needs no marking. KMP Gliwice (policja.gov.pl) - transport samochodem długich ładunków
- In poor visibility the end of the load needs a red light and a red reflector. KMP Gliwice (policja.gov.pl)
Do: Polish cars: order the third plate before the trip. Any car: lights on the rack if it hides them; mark loads over 0.5 m.
Czechia allowed with limits
- Owners place the extra plate as a third plate on the rear bike carrier. Policie ČR (archive) - Motoristé a letní cestování
- The carrier plate (type 602) is a single 520 x 110 mm plate, black characters on white. Ministerstvo dopravy ČR - Nové registrační značky
- It is requested with the ministry's plate application form for a carrier attachable to the vehicle. Ministerstvo dopravy ČR - Žádost o vydání tabulky s registrační značkou
- The carrier plate costs CZK 480 if requested online via the Transport Portal, CZK 600 by data box, email, in person or by post at a municipal office with extended powers. Portál veřejné správy (portal.gov.cz) - Žádost o vydání třetí registrační značky (nosič kol)
Do: If your rack hides the plate, fit the third plate (Czech cars) and keep lights visible.
Slovakia allowed with limits
- If an approved bike carrier makes the plate unreadable, the plate must be moved (to the carrier, with lighting), or a duplicate plate marked 'NOSIČ' may be used; it can be requested from the police. Zákon 364/2024 Z.z. amending 8/2009 Z.z., § 123 ods. 14 (effective 1 July 2025)
- Bikes carried on a rear-mounted carrier count as a projecting load. Vyhláška 9/2009 Z.z., § 3
- Load projecting more than 40 cm at the front or rear must carry a reflective red-white striped marking (stripes 70-100 mm, min. 0.20 m², one side at least 400 mm). Vyhláška 9/2009 Z.z., § 3
Do: Move the plate to the carrier or fit a 'NOSIČ' plate; mark bikes overhanging 40 cm+ with red-white board.
Hungary allowed with limits
- A special plate may be fitted to a bike carrier, or the car's rear plate moved onto it. 216/2017. (VII. 26.) Korm. rendelet, amending 326/2011 Korm. rendelet 57. § (6a), in force 31 July 2017
- The carrier plate is only made in type A size. 216/2017. (VII. 26.) Korm. rendelet, 57. § (6b)
Do: If the carrier hides the plate, order the special carrier plate or move your rear plate onto the carrier.
Bulgaria allowed with limits
- If a fitted rack or carrier covers the rear plate and has a manufacturer-designated place for a plate, the Interior Ministry issues a third plate with the registration number. МВР Traffic Police – Providing a third registration plate for a vehicle (legal basis: Наредба № I-45/2000, чл. 10, ал. 9)
Do: Bulgarian-registered cars: apply to the traffic police for a third plate for a carrier that covers the rear plate.
Denmark allowed with limits
- The extra plate with red text must be used when the rear plate is fully or partly covered. Motorstyrelsen – Faktaark: Ekstra nummerplade (April 2019)
- A third plate costs DKK 110. Skattestyrelsen Motor – Gebyr for registrering og nummerplader (updated 10 June 2026)
Do: Danish cars: order the third plate via Motorregisteret before fitting a rack that hides the plate.
Sweden allowed with limits
- An extra plate on a bike carrier has been allowed since 2 February 2022. Transportstyrelsen - Extra registreringsskylt för lasthållare
- The extra plate must meet the same requirements as the ordinary plate, e.g. lighting. Transportstyrelsen - Extra registreringsskylt för lasthållare
- Plates must be clearly visible and readable. Polisen - Fordon
- Vehicle owners order the extra plate through Transportstyrelsen's e-service, like a replacement plate; it costs the same, currently SEK 62. Transportstyrelsen - Extra registreringsskylt för lasthållare
- The number on the carrier plate must be the same as on the vehicle. Transportstyrelsen - Extra registreringsskylt för lasthållare
Do: Order the extra plate from Transportstyrelsen if your carrier hides the plate; use a lit plate holder.
No official answer yet
Searched, nothing official found: Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal, Romania, Greece, Norway. Follow the signs and the general law there, and do not rely on forum advice.