Hitch-mount bike racks and the bikes can obscure a vehicle’s license plate (or a tail lamp), which is an infraction in many states. (Utah is an exception.) States generally allow police to stop, then ticket for anything that obscures a license plate or makes it unreadable, including grease or road grime. (Police could use the pretext stop to check for more-illegal behavior.) Cyclists are not alone: A license plate could be obscured by a trailer hitch, a trailer, a wheelchair or wheelchair-carrier, or a hitch-mount luggage rack. It’s possible to buy license plate extenders and light boards; one could also place a color photocopy of the plate in the rear window.