The ability to personalize your license plate should not be taken for granted. In most countries, you’re stuck with the numbers assigned by the local government (and, in some countries, your car will wear it for life). Some drivers try to take advantage of this privilege, and Florida’s list of denied makeup license plate applications provides a rare and sometimes humorous glimpse into these efforts.
Florida Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) rejected more than 500 apps in 2021. Most of them were rejected because they were considered offensive and a lot of them were not suitable for print in this story. A recurring theme is that Floridians, like everyone on this planet, are happy to see 2020 come to an end. “2020WTF”, “FU2020” and “WTF2020” were rejected by the DMV. Others weren’t excited about their cars: Two drivers discovered they couldn’t tell the world they were driving “SL0WP0S” or “SHITB0X” through their number plates.
Politics has inspired at least a few motorists: “FJBIDN” is one of many plaques dedicated to the president. And, sure, there are a few quirks in the group. The hopeful “DRUGMAN” is a pharmacist who may be too late to save a “DEADAF” and may be on his way to encounter “KLLER”. Those who have registered “FATAF”, “FTBSTRD” and “FKDIET” may have a few things in common. Mentions of various drugs, bodily functions and a variety of swear words are also common. And, we can’t help but wonder if “T BUNDY” is applied to brown Volkswagen Beetle Like one of the serial killer driving in his grim murder.
Let this remind you that, if you sign up for a makeup disc, Florida states that “requests with profanity or objectionable language will be denied.” Floridians crouched over the protest discs having missed their chance to move up Maine, the “wild, wild, wild west of vanity license plates” where everything up to and including the “F-bomb” is allowed and only recently has the state decided to intervene.
