States Reject Some Personalized License Plates
| We all know there are certain letter combinations California and other states will not allow if you ask for what are called ‘vanity plates”. License plates for your vehicle that may spell out your name or the name of your favorite sports team, for instance.
California, and most other states, base their decision on words they believe others could find offensive. One such case was a man in Oakland, California who requested a plate bearing the word “Queer” which was rejected by the California Department Of Motor Vehicles. But the man asking for the plate took the case to court, and the court threw out the state’s decision. Among the thousands of requests that the Sunshine State rejected are CANBIZ, a reference to marijuana, INURFACE and MEANN2U, deemed to be too aggressive, and even COVID19. You can find a longer list on the internet. Illinois has released a “naughty list” that compiles 2023’s rejected vanity plate requests. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says he’s rejected more than 300 personalized license plate requests over the past year due to profanity, offensive language or illegibility. “I appreciate the creativity and pride Illinoisans take in choosing their own customized license plates, but they must meet the standards of good taste and decency,” Giannoulias adds. “We keep an eye out for anything tawdry, lewd or offensive, all of which are rejected and placed on our permanent rejection list.” The permanent list now features more than 7,600 requests, he says. Among the requested plates making this year’s list are MILFS, WOOPASS, POOPSY, DZNUTZ, and IOWASUX. -Tony Lee |
