Bike racks and number plates

Just dangling the plate won’t
Just dangling the plate won’t do. It won’t be illuminated.
If you want it correct you cannot have the lights obscured in anyway. This includes any reflectors, number plate lights or reversing lights. I suppose failiure to have a less than perfect system might give the idiot who drives into you a good argument with the insurance companies.
Despite this I fit mine high enough for the plate to show and make sure that the lights can be seen through the spokes with no frame bits in the way.

If the bike carrier does not

If the bike carrier does not leave the lightboard and/or the registration plate visible, it is compulsory to fit an additional plate

Not my words, found on non-gov web site. You might want to buy yourself a copy of the Highway code (or phone dvla) to double-check.

I use a light board when carrying 3 bikes (only ever do this going on hols) but never bother when just carrying one bike, my argument being that the single bike does not render lights or reg plate invisible.

The use of the word “visible” opens up a world of interpretations. That says to me that as long as the lights aren’t totally blacked out, you can argue that they’re visible. Might be tougher to argue the reg plate – presumably if it is unreadable rather than invisible you stand a chance of being pulled over.

Lovely bike btw – but it is obscuring your reg plate. If you could get the bike 6 inches higher I don’t think anyone could fault you.