Vanity plates with fun sayings like SKKURT, MUFNMAN, MMM K, WAFFLES and more can be found on streets around the state — but the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles draws the line at plenty of plates, and just published its list of over 1,000 requests that it rejected in 2023.
“Colorado drivers kept the Division of Motor Vehicles busy reviewing personalized license plate applications in 2023,” the DMV says in an announcement released today, January 19. “The DMV approved over 60,000 personalized plate applications in 2023, almost doubling the amount approved in 2022.”
When it rejects plates, it does so because they are “foul, lewd or rude.” The DMV maintains an offensive-omit list of tens of thousands of plates that will be automatically rejected; staffers also review applications to catch what its automated system might not. And the list is reviewed regularly.
“The offensive-omit list has been built over the years using the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators recommendations, known offensive words and terms, and compared to what other states do not allow,” the DMV explains.
Plates can also be rejected if they were already issued in error, conflict with license-plate configurations or are reserved for auction.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the rejected plate requests in 2023. Spoiler alert: Think about things you shouldn't do/say in church.
Swearing Must Be Reserved for Inside the Car
No combination of letters that translate to the word "fuck" is allowed. Not AF, not FU. But people try anyway, with renditions like 0FOXGVN, 4FKSAKE and ABCDEFU (Gayle stan, tap in).You may not ‘F’ anything — including cancer. FCANC3R and FCANCR were both rejected in 2023. And the DMV is on to your clever replacement of ph for f.
An entire let’s fucking go category was axed in 2023: LETSFGO, LFG, LFGBBY, LFGBBYY, LFGMETS, LFGOOO.
You also can’t be “on your way to fuck” anyone, including “your girl” (OMW2FYG), “your mom” (OMW2YM), “your ho” (OMW2FYH) or “your bitch” (OTWTFYB) — all of which drivers applied for and the DMV rejected in 2023.
There are plenty of people who want to proclaim their bad bitch or badass status who weren’t allowed. BADMF1 was also rejected. There are also a shocking number of combinations including the word "hell" with almost thirty including H3IICAT, H3LLISH, H3LLYES, HELLISH and HELLRZN.
Some also want to own the reality of their car/life with SH1TBOX, SH1TBX, SH1TSHW, SHITBOX and SHITSHW all rejected by the DMV in 2023.
Stephen King Makes an Appearance
There are nearly a dozen variations of Redrum, homages to The Shining, which Stephen King wrote after staying at the Stanley Hotel. All of them were rejected! That fits the general theme: references to illegal activities like murder (redrum backward) or stalking aren’t permitted.Keep It in Your Pants
Sexual references aren’t allowed, and a great number of plate names related to fornication were struck down by the DMV. Many 69 jokes weren’t seen to completion, while 5TROK1N, 5TROKIN and ASSEATR were also rejected.Hos and hookers, and references to them, aren’t allowed — even if you’re trying to say you aren’t associated with ho activity as one person who applied for ZROHO3S tried to do.
There is no BGPMPN or BIGCUMN on Colorado’s streets. In fact, the DMV refused loads of cum and pimp references in 2023.
Plus, the DMV doesn’t allow references to boobs. Clever attempts to get a boob-related license plate — like 8OOBS, 8QQ8IES, 8OO8ARU and 8QQBS — were all rejected. Justice for Boobaru, honestly.
Coloradans Are Stuck in Middle School
Sorry, Nick Saban, but Deez Nuts jokes just seem very childish these days. Yet a dozen people applied for and were rejected from having Deez Nuts plates in Colorado in 2023. RIP, D3ZNTZ, DEEZNTZ and DZZZNTZ.Plus, there were a handful of fart and shart requests that didn’t make it to the streets.
The DMV is apparently anti-thicc queen, rejecting TH1CCUM, THICCUM and THICKAF. Among the other rejected highlights are PUSYWGN and RICHSHT. If people think their plate requests shouldn’t have been rejected, they can appeal the decision to the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Hearings Division. And sometimes, hilarious and off-color plates do make it to the road. Westword staffers collected images of plates that read SINNRZ, WETDOGY, IH8GOLF, SEXC90, NTMPRZD, TARDY B and 420THC over the past year.
In addition to personalized plates, which cost an extra $60 on top of regular fees, people can also select from 218 special license plates. In 2023, the newly reintroduced Blackout plate was the most popular, with 169,998 people selecting it. (Westword broke down what your special license plate says about you earlier this month.) According to the DMV, the increase in personalized plates last year was related directly to the Blackout plate; of the 60,000 vanity messages approved, 32,886 were on that plate. The plate with the second-highest number of approved personalized messages was the standard green mountain plate, with 12,056.
Check out the full list of rejected plates here.
