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Rejected Texas license plates for 2023: More than 3,000

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Published  January 5, 2024 10:59pm CST
Texas
FOX 26 Houston

HOUSTON - It's that time of the year when we see which personalized license plate names were rejected in 2023.

More than 3,000 license plate proposals were rejected by the Texas Department of Public Safety including "MILFMAN", "A FELON", and "A FELON".

Data was not available for December 2023, but TxDMV's records state more than 3,000 license plates were declined from January to November 2023, which is a decrease from the more than 5,000 license plates rejected in 2022.

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The Texas DMV allows plates to have letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols like hyphens, periods, hearts, stars, or the state silhouette, but they cannot be indecent, vulgar, or have derogatory content.

Here are some of the plates that were rejected in 2022:

  • DK BSTR
  • BDBTCHS@
  • WNWWNWW
  • UR2SLOO
  • ZERODUX
  • KRAKHD
  • 8OSS@BSH
  • DD NUTZ
  • GOAT&PMP
  • URMOM1
  • BYE 8ISH
  • JLBRE4K
  • BDNLOST
  • JOMAMMA
  • WTHPPL
  • COOG4R
  • FUPUTIN
  • SRRY KRN
  • WI5E@A55

Why do some Texas personalized license plates get rejected?

According to TxDMV, there are several reasons a personalized license plate "pattern" can get declined.

One reason could be if the plate conflicts with a current or proposed plate pattern issued by the state.

However, the TxDMV says plates can also be rejected if they are considered "objectionable", "misleading" or one of the following:

  • Indecent, which includes references to a sexual act, sexual body part, excretory or bodily fluids or functions, or a "69"
  • Vulgar, meaning containing swear or curse words
  • Derogatory, including words that belittle, demean, or disparage any person, group, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or associated with an organization that advocates such expressions
  • Refer to race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, even if the reference is not derogatory
  • Refer to illegal activity like gangs, violence, or implied threats of harm. It also cannot describe, advertise, advocate, promote, encourage, glorify, or condone violence, crime or unlawful conduct.
  • Refer to a controlled substance or illegal drug or the physiological state produced by the substance
  • Uses a representation of, or reference to, law enforcement, military branches, or other governmental entities and their titles, including acronyms. References to publicly or privately funded colleges or universities are allowed.
  • Has a pattern that has been set aside exclusively for use on military or other restricted-use license plates such as "DV" for disabled veterans.

For a full list of guidelines, click here.