California License Plate With Hidden Message Captivates Online Viewers
Note: This article revisits a story that originally captured headlines in December 2016.
In California, a driver managed to acquire a custom license plate that reveals a forbidden word when viewed in a mirror.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has specific rules for personalized license plates. According to these guidelines, plates must not: “Include offensive language or slang in any language,” “Use letter and number combinations to mimic other plates,” or “Resemble existing license plates.” Despite these regulations, this particular truck’s owner managed to evade these rules, as reported by Boing Boing.
The DMV allows for personalization of license plates with “a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols,” with standard plates offering between 2 to 7 characters. Other types of personalized plates might have varying character limits depending on the specific design chosen.
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Beyond personalized plates, California offers a range of specialty plates including those for special interests, military service, and historical vehicles.
Special interest plates help support numerous state initiatives, such as those related to agriculture, the arts, coastal preservation, and more.
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Military plates include designs for Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Gold Star Families, Legion of Valor members, Pearl Harbor Survivors, Ex-Prisoners of War, and Purple Heart recipients. Additionally, “Veterans’ Organization plates are available for those who wish to show their military pride.”
Historical plates are available for vehicles that are considered historically significant, provided they were built after 1922 and are at least 24 years old.
New York was the first state to issue license plates in 1901 as part of a law mandating vehicle registration, according to Time magazine.
The law stipulated that plates must feature “the owner’s initials in a visible spot on the back, with each letter at least three inches tall.”
The very first license plate was issued to George F. Chamberlain.
Sources: Boing Boing, California DMV, Time