Rejected! License plates deemed too obscene by Florida
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Dozens of requests for personalized license plates were rejected last year by the State of Florida. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) receives hundreds of requests each year, many of which are later determined to be obscene or objectionable. In those cases, the department will recall the plate.
Floridians were especially creative this last year with their vanity plate submissions. Some of the plates placed under review and/or rejected include "FBOMBER," "NUDEZ," "0L TURD," and "H3LLYEA," to name a few. Content warning: These were the personalized license plates that we were comfortable sharing in an image gallery below. However, some of the others were rather explicit. Here is a link to view those (PDF). (viewer discretion advised).
The department offers specialty license plates, special plates, and personalized plates. Specialty plates are optional plates available to Floridians that benefit various organizations and the causes they represent. Special plates are a subtype of specialty plates. Some specialty plates are eligible to be personalized, with an additional $15 annual fee for each personalized plate. More information on these plates, along with images are found on the FLHSMV website here (PDF).
What is the review process for personalized license plates in Florida?
Personalized license plate orders are reviewed for obscene or objectionable material by staff in tax collector or FLHSMV offices when initial applications are processed and also screened through the department's Inventory Control Unit.
How do you file a complaint about an objectionable license plate in Florida?
Customers can contact FLHSMV or their local tax collector's office to file a complaint should they encounter a plate that is obscene or objectionable.
How do you dispose of a license plate in Florida?
In Florida, license plates belong to the state and must be returned if the decal on the plate is unexpired and insurance is not maintained. Failure to surrender a valid license plate when your insurance is canceled or expired will result in the suspension of your driver's license. The state also warns that scammers could get ahold of an improperly discarded license plate to go through tolls, run red light cameras, or be used in the commission of a crime.