Load on the tow bar

There are special bike racks that you can attach to your car’s tow bar. You may only transport bicycles on a bike rack. Anything other than bicycles is not permitted on a bike rack. For example, transporting a suitcase or cardboard box on a bike rack is prohibited. There are, however, special luggage racks that you can attach to the tow bar to transport goods, as shown in the photo below.

You may not transport more bicycles than the bicycle carrier is designed for. Three bicycles on a bicycle carrier designed for two bicycles is prohibited.
The bicycles may not protrude more than 20 centimeters from the side of the car. If the bicycles protrude more than 10 centimeters from the side, you do not need a marker sign. Some theory books and many other websites claim this is the case. But this is absolutely not true! A marker sign is never required on or attached to a passenger car or a commercial vehicle.

If the lights and retroreflectors at the rear of the vehicle are obscured by the load carrier or the goods, the load carrier must be equipped with two red taillights, two red brake lights, two red retroreflectors, and two amber indicator lights at the rear.

A bicycle carrier must have a white license plate with the same number and letter combination as the car. License plate lighting is also required.

A bicycle carrier is not classified as a trailer and therefore does not need to have a rear fog light.