The numbers and letters on your vehicle's number plate must be clearly visible from a distance of 20 metres. If you have a bike rack fitted to your vehicle and it obscures the rear number plate you can either:
* Obtain a bike rack number plate from VicRoads. See VicRoads brochure (right) for details. For the current price see VicRoads website link below.
* Attach the rear number plate from your car to your bicycle rack when it is in use and then return it to your vehicle when you are not using the bicycle rack.
Hand-painted number plates cannot be used.
You can be fined if:
* The vehicle number plate is obscured or illegible
* The rack is not removed when the vehicle is being driven without a bike being carried
* The bike rack is not illuminated at night and clearly visible from 20 metres away.
I personally use bike rack on towbar: it is safe (can drive as fast as allowed), easy to access (no need to climb up and down), and no worries about the noise generated from root rack when driving.