Jan 27, 2023 - News

North Carolina's banned vanity license plates

Illustration of North Carolina license plate with symbols implying a swear word.

Illustration: Allie Carl, Maura Losch/Axios

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles has rejected nearly 10,000 personalized license plates — a number growing every month in an attempt to keep offensive plates off the street.

Driving the news: Axios requested a list of the vanity license plate applications that the DMV rejected.

Catch up quick: The N.C. DMV keeps a running list of personalized license plates that are not allowed to hit the streets.

  • A personalized plate comes with an upfront cost of $30, plus an annual renewal fee.

The intrigue: Not all bans are forever. The state recently decided to allow specialized plates relating to the LGBT community that were once banned, like QUEER and GAYPRIDE, WFDD reported.

  • Sometimes, the DMV will approve a vanity license plate but then retroactively revoke it. Last year, an Asheville woman made national news for fighting to get her custom FART license plate back.

Here's a sampling of the plate applications that were nixed:

The political: BIDENSUX, DMPTRUMP, TRUMP 69, 0BAMALIE, H8FAUCI, H8LBRLS, NCDMVSUX

The school spirit: H8D00K, UNC SUXX, NCST8SHT, D00KY, ​​0HEELYA

What did you say to me?: UPYUR$, B0FADEEZ, BORN2KILL, B1TEME, SCREWU2, M0VEB, 0HELLNAW

I'm scared: DETHDLR, KILLER, GUN4HIRE, GUILTYAF, GUNRUNR, CUINHELL, MURDER, KILSH0T, IH8PPL

Stay off drugs: #1ST0NER, DANK, G0TTWEED, ACID, G0NJA, DRGDLR, C0KEDLR, RUHIGH

The indecipherable: 01101010, MNMMNNMN, MWWMMWWM, S5S5S5S5

avatar

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Raleigh.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more

More Raleigh stories

No stories could be found

Raleighpostcard

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Raleigh.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more