36 thoughts on “Question: Is There Any Justification For A State Censoring Vanity Plates? (And What’s Wrong With “KAIJUU”?)”

1. I wish states would get out of the vanity license plate business entirely.

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   • Vanity plates are big business, at least in Texas. The fact that this is government proctored speech, however, means standards must be set and then upheld. Money always looks good to a politician, after all. 🙂

     This is where it gets unethical, I believe. We have an entire staff dedicated to reviewing these things, who we (the people) pay so that we don’t get offended. Silly.

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   • Second. My state, Virginia, issues the most in the country.

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     • When we visit our Virginia family, my dad and I always crack up that everyone in Virginia seems to suffer an identity crisis.

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       • The lotteries are big business as well. They’re still a bad idea.

         I can remember as a kid when they first started appearing (in the ’60s?) thinking, “People pay extra for this? Is something that’s one of the seven deadly sins a good thing to advertise on your car?”

         Frankly, I’d just as soon not have to explain to my grand children what “CKSCKR” OR “MTHRFKR” mean while driving down the road. I think there need to be some limits. If there’s a problem with some reasonable limits constitutionally, drop the whole program.

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2. That’s some list. I admire the three Merlot drinkers. I’m of the age when Merlot became big, and then we were all shamed by Sideways. Now I drink Syrah.

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   • I had the same thought! Who are all these Merlot drinkers in Utah?

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3. I am torn on this. The plate is a government ID even though registration for it is paid for by the individual. Since it is required for operating a vehicle and you have to pay for it I want to say you should be able to select the ID number if available. On the other hand the the government shouldn’t be in the business of promoting or offending through the issuance of IDs. Unless it is completely unrestricted it is unethical to censor. I think the only ethical thing to do is just stop vanity plates altogether.

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   • I do have to admit that everyone thinks I have a vanity plate as mine just happens to contain the model letter/ number of the car it is on, it is kind of cool as I can play it up on occasion.

     I have been slacking and haven’t yet registered my car in the state I retired to.
     What is your take on other specialty plates? Due to my service I have a financial incentive to get a specialty plate but you can’t take the incentive and have a normal plate.

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4. I think it is worth noting that the plates remain the property of the state, so that “vanity” plates are a limited courtesy.

   They also are meant to identify the vehicle to law enforcement. Names that distract from that are reasonably prohibited:

   “BOLO for blue sedan, plate number ‘I^FARTED’ “

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   • Worth noting, but I don’t care for technicalities where state regulation of free speech is involved. Either all, or nothing.

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5. Is there a free speech argument that when one citizen purchases government endorsement of a particular message, other people no longer a permitted to have that same now governmentally-endorsed message on their vehicles?

   Are vanity plates inherently unethical because they should be nothing the government engages in?

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   • It’s a decent argument, I think.

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6. I’m not able to understand many of them either, but many I am able to figure out are about alcohol. It gives people two angles to contest the restrictions: not only are crossing the line of restrictions of speech, they’re also skirting the line on the establishment clause of the first amendment. The bulk of the anti-drinking folks out there are Mormon, and they’re banning it on theocracy grounds, which a government official simply can’t be tolerated when they do it.

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   • If a state can ban consumption of alcohol ethically, it doesn’t matter if the vast majority of people vote to ban it because their religion preaches that consumption of alcohol is bad. This isn’t an imposition of religious practice. The argument here would have to come from the other angle of religious protections: if this unreasonably infringes on the free practice of a religion.

     If someone can reasonably demonstrate that consuming alcohol is a key part of their ability to practice their OWN religion, then such a ban could be found Unconstitutional as it affects the practice of religion. But it’s hard to post hoc an argument…that is to invent a new religion that allows one to skirt a law one doesn’t like.

     If a legislature passes laws that establish an official religion, or prohibiting the free exercise of a religion, then they get in trouble. Banning alcohol consumption neither imposes religious practice nor inhibits it (and in places where it can reasonably be demonstrated to do so, exceptions would have to be carved…like some denominations insist on wine during communion).

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     • Ever hear of the Native American Christian Church? Peyote root is part of their ritual…all quite legal.

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7. I am able to figure out many are about alcohol.

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8. Does the state hold power over what you choose to change your legal name? Can I be “Shitface Asshole” or will they tell me to use that as my pseudonym?

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   • They do have the power to veto a legal name change.

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   • I know a guy who would go with “Woujascrewme” if he could get a judge to agree. The idea of women having to say ‘Mr. Woujascreme, the doctor will see you now’ tickles his fantask.

     I, of course, could go for “Yourgrace Hismajesty.”

     /snark

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     • I hope this guy isn’t a close friend. If he his, make sure he stays on his meds.

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       • Dude is one of those party animal types. Predator on the club scene 🙂

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9. I actually know a bunch of these — but a lot of the number ones are over my head.

   I am cracking up that people would want booze or drug themed vanity plates — they might as well put: PULLMEOVR

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   • Hah! Then they could buy one of those “I support law enforcement because I got shaken down by a phone call from the Sheriff’s union so I could put one of these stickers on my bumper so I would get a warning instead of a ticket if I get pulled over” stickers. I wonder which would prevail?

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     • Jack needs to install “like” and “love” buttons like FB. I have nothing to add to your comment!

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       • I could. I hate them. I ding first time commenters who just express favor or disfavor. I don’t care how many people like an opinion. I care who well reasoned and argued the opinion is.

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       • I’m with you, Sparty. It’s good a lot of the time to just “turn to the joke.” Which is a line from some famous 19th Century American thinker whose name escapes me. But I’ll figure it out.

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         • Ralph Waldo Emerson. (As quoted by my late, favorite, college English professor). Cheers.

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   • Bingo. Stay away from THAT car…

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10. In honor of Jack my favorite is: DRNKJAK

    As a young girl I went to my 1st rodeo and was so enthralled I told my mom I wanted a vanity plate that said RODEO. My wise mom said “no honey, you don’t want that kind of attention.” Now I want one that says something to the effect of Communism Sucks…but there’s no good 6 letter version I can think of.

    Though slightly different topic: What’s the deal with Freemasons having their own plate?

    More random: Author April Henry penned a cozy mystery about a DMV clerk who grants vanity plate requests.

    https://www.aprilhenrymysteries.com/circles-of-confusion-1st-in-claire-montrose-series.html

    “With the exception of having the power to reject salacious requests for vanity license plates, Claire Montrose leads a monotonous life. Then she inherits the possessions of her great aunt and finds a beautiful painting hidden for decades in an old suitcase.”

    It wasn’t a bad read and definitely had some creative DMV plates.

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    • Whatever car you currently drive automatically says “communism sucks”, no need to be redundant.

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      • True

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11. Seriously – “H00AH” is forbidden? Well then, “SCREWYA!” Go Army!

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12. How about “NXTC”? Or, leave the ‘N’ off?

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13. When I was an officer on patrol, I frequently had to suppress a chuckle when radioing some rather humorous vanity plate titles to dispatch during traffic stops. As for the issue of censorship, I personally feel that the state often goes too far in censoring the plate applications. Case in point: a friend had a regular license plate which ended with “AK47. When he tried to get “AK47” on a vanity plate, it was rejected. In another case, the state refused to issue “LOST TAG,'” which I thought was hilarious. Go figure. On the other hand, like Other Bill, I’d just as soon not have to explain the more vulgar ones to my grandkids.
    These plates are big business in Tennessee as well, along with the “affinity plates” for a plethora of colleges, organizations and causes. In retirement I have not kept up with the number, but there are well over fifty and probably closer to one hundred of these plates available by now. For example, if you went to Purdue, or are just a Boilermaker fan, you can get a Tennessee plate declaring your affiliation. I am sure most other states are dealing with these as well. It is a nightmare for the County Clerks in the state who actually issue these plates and try to keep the majority of them on hand for issue. Any time I go in to register a vehicle or renew a registration, I marvel at the array of samples on display.

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    • Arizona has recently tried to get out of the affinity plate business. They’ve tried to go from something like eighty options down to ten or so. Crazy.

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