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Rejected personalized license plates (Florida's Version): 'FARTZ,' '0NLYFN,' 'H4WK2AH'

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Published  December 20, 2024 6:01pm EST
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • Florida rejected dozens of personalized license plate requests in 2024 for being obscene or objectionable, including examples like "FARTZ" and "0NLYFN."
    • The state reviews hundreds of vanity plate submissions each year and can recall previously issued plates if they violate guidelines.
    • While Floridians can personalize specialty plates for a fee, creativity must stay within the bounds of public decency.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Imagine pulling up behind someone at a red light and reading their license plate: "0NLYFN," "02SEXXY", and "H4WK2AH." For some, they're punny. For others, it's a roadtrip pastime. 

More than 150 custom license plates Floridians tried to get printed were rejected by the powers at be at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in 2024 – and shared with FOX 35 Orlando. Here are the 2023 rejections.

The yearly list has become a sort of tongue-in-cheek holiday staple at the end of the year for news coverage. Most of the submissions were too explicit to be broadcast on TV or included in the article. Instead, FOX 35 has combed through the list to find the best of the worst that we can comfortably share.

By far, the viral "Hawk Tuah" moment (we'll let you Google that story) inspired several drivers to try and get a variation of that on the back of their vehicle. In fact, there were nearly two dozen attempts – some clever, we might add. All were rejected.

Some of the other attempts: "OFCR NO," "UGLY AF," and "L8TE AF."

PHOTOS: Florida rejected these license plate ideas

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Here are some of the custom license plates Floridians submitted – and were ultimately rejected by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Image credit: FOX 35 illustration. 

What are the rules for personalized license plates?

A motorist might get lucky and have their submission approved, but the FLHSMV does have the power to pull that approval. It happened with a handful of license plates this year.

Personalized license plate orders are reviewed for obscene or objectionable material by staff in tax collectors or FLHSMV offices when initial applications are processed and also screened through the department's Inventory Control Unit. 

Check if your license plate idea is available

The cost for a personalized license plate is a $15 additional fee. You can go to the agency's website and submit your personalized plate configuration to see if it's available – or if someone got to it first. Check it here.

Laugh or cringe?

If you're on the road and see a license plate you don't like, you can actually file a complaint by contacting the FLHSMV or your local tax collector's office.

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 hold of an improperly discarded license plate to go through tolls, run red light cameras, or be used in the commission of a crime. 

The Source: Source material for this article comes from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).

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