Politics
‘HOKTUAH,’ ‘GYATT’ and ‘ABADMF’ Among More Than 300 Rejected Illinois License Plates in 2024
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias reveals some of the rejected Illinois license plates of 2024 in an unlisted YouTube video posted on Jan. 7, 2025. (Courtesy of Illinois Secretary of State)
More than 300 customized license plate requests in Illinois were denied last year for profanity, offensive language or illegibility, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.
The rejected plate requests include: HOKTUAH, GYATT, MUNCH, BICHIN, JAGWEED, BADARSE, AXEHOLE, ILLCUTU, HOHOHOE, ABADMF, WEENIE, DUCKOFF and THICCAF.
“While they lack subtlety, many of them made me laugh,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in an unlisted YouTube video posted Tuesday in which he announced some of the rejected license plates.
The office received a total of 60,537 requests for vanity and personalized plates last year, including the 335 requests that were denied.
Illinois vehicle owners pay an extra $94 for a new vanity plate, which contains all letters. A new personalized plate, which is a combination of letters and numbers, is an extra $47.
The office flags combinations of letters and numbers that can be construed as lewd or offensive, including expletives, racial epithets, sex and drug references and allusions to violence.
MWMWMWM and OOQQOO were also among the rejected plates because they are difficult to read and could pose problems for law enforcement, according to the office.
“Illinoisans consistently display a great deal of creativity when choosing their customized license plates, but the plates that hit the road must meet the standards of good taste and decency,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “Our team are well-versed in lecherous language and sneaky swearing, all of which are rejected and placed on our permanent prohibited list.”
The secretary of state’s office said it maintains an ever-growing rejection list, which stands at more than 8,015 license plate combinations.
The office has the authority to reject any application for personalized or vanity plates that “creates a connotation that is offensive to good taste and decency” as stated in the Illinois Vehicle Code.
Illinoisans can use the Pick-a-Plate feature on the office’s website to type in different combinations of letters, or letters and numbers, to see if they are available for purchase.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]
