These license plates were too hot for the Nevada DMV

Each year Nevada motorists apply for personalized license plates through the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, but not everyone’s idea makes it to the road.

Personalized plate applications are reviewed daily, and those that clearly do not violate regulations or have a conflict with standard number sequences are sent to be manufactured within seven days, according to Kevin Malone, DMV spokesman.

As of Sept. 30 there were 279,579 active registrations with personalized plates, according to the DMV.

Those plates are big money for the state, generating $6.2 million in both fiscal years 2021 and 2022.

Plates that potentially violate regulations are sent to a DMV committee that meets weekly to review flagged submissions. Last year, there were 173 plates that were sent to the committee and later approved.

In 2021, nearly 800 personalized license plate submissions were denied by the DMV — mostly because of vulgarity or drug, sex or gang references.

Here are some of the many plates that were denied by the DMV last year.

BLLSMFA

Although the faithful of the Buffalo Bills can jump through a table to prove their fandom, they can’t show that team pride on a license plate in Nevada.

There were multiple denials of plate ideas tied to the Bills Mafia, the name associated with Bills fans, similar to how Raiders fans are referred to as Raider Nation.

The reason for denial was either due to the mafia reference or because variations were seen as a sexual reference.

FNRDR

Although the Raiders are Las Vegas’ home NFL team, they also run into issues getting their personalized plate ideas approved.

One fan applied for FNRDR on a Raiders specialty license plate, stating the term stood for “Fan of the LV Raiders.” The DMV thought it was too hot for the road due to the potential for FN to be read as a profane word.

HATEDMV

If you’re not a fan of the DMV, your license plate is not a way that you’ll be able to show that.

A pair of plate submissions with negative DMV connotations were filed last year including HATEDMV. Both plate submissions were denied because of defamatory language.

With the DMV moving toward an appointment only operations and more transactions available online, maybe next year there will be zero plate submissions aimed at the DMV.

BONGWTR

Marijuana might be legal in Nevada, but drug-related references are not going to fly on license plates.

Several plate submissions were denied due to drug references, including BONGWTR, with its obvious reference to drug paraphernalia.

RXWIFE

One motorist explained she is the wife of a pharmacist and applied for the personalized plated RXWIFE since RX is an abbreviation for pharmacy.

Despite the seemingly innocent application, the DMV denied the submission. The reasoning was that it could be interpreted as meaning prescription drug wife, so it was denied for being drug related.

Here are five personalized license plates that were reviewed by the committee and eventually approved for use.

H8CVD

Call it a sign of the times, but airing your disdain of the COVID-19 virus on your vehicle may not fly in Nevada.

Multiple coronavirus related submissions were noted to include inappropriate language.

However, the motorist who applied for H8CVD was up front with the meaning — “hate covid” — and the plate was approved.

NVHTHR

The plate idea for NVHTHR was originally flagged because it appeared to state “Nevada Hater,” DMV documents show. After review, the plate was found to be an ode to its owner, Heather, and stands for “Nevada Heather.” It was approved.

UASUCA

With the betting culture prevalent in Nevada some personalized plates reflect motorists’ fondness for various games.

The UASUCA personalized plate idea was deemed derogatory, according to the DMV. After review the term was confirmed to mean “You are a sucker bluffing and they take your bet,” a poker reference, and was approved.

POPOB8

The owner of a 1973 Chevrolet applied for a classic rod plate with POPOB8 listed on it. After being flagged for a suspected use of a police slang mixed in with a sexual term, the meaning was confirmed to mean “police bait” due to the nature of the classic vehicle. It is now on the road, which may or may not be a good thing for the driver and his or her DMV record.

BLAZ3D

A motorist looking to personalize a Chevrolet Blazer SUV with the plate submission of BLAZ3D first encountered a roadblock due to the DMV thinking it was a marijuana reference. After the driver’s vehicle was confirmed to be a Blazer, the lettering was noted to mean “Beloved Blazer” and was approved for use, but is restricted to the vehicle. If the owners purchase another vehicle they will have to surrender the plate.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.