A driver in California has managed to secure a distinctive license plate which, when viewed in a mirror, spells out a phrase considered illegal.
According to the regulations of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), personalized license plates are prohibited from being "offensive or slang in ANY language," from manipulating letters and numbers to resemble other plates, or from resembling existing license plates. Despite these guidelines, as reported by Boing Boing, the driver of this particular truck seems to have skirted around the rules.
The DMV of the state allows for the personalization of license plates with a combination of letters, numbers, and other characters. Depending on the type of plate chosen for personalization, the number of characters can range from 2 to 7.
Beyond personalized plates, California offers a variety of other plate options including historical, military, and special interest plates.
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| Photo credit: Boing Boing |
Special interest plates support a range of state initiatives and programs spanning agriculture, the arts, coastal preservation, firemen, pets, child health and safety, preservation, conservation, recreation, and more.
Military plates include options such as Congressional Medal of Honor, Gold Star Family, Legion of Valor, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Ex-Prisoner of War, Purple Heart, and Veterans’ Organization plates.
Vintage license plates are available for vehicles of historical interest produced after 1922 and reaching the age of 24.
Time magazine notes that New York issued the first license plate of any type in 1901, following legislation requiring motor vehicle owners to register with the state.
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| Photo credit: Boing Boing |
According to the law, license plates must display "the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place, the letters forming such initials to be at least three inches in height."
George F. Chamberlain was the recipient of the first license plate issued.
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