2025 rejected personalized license plates in Texas

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Thousands of Texas drivers attempted to push the boundaries of state decency standards in 2025, according to a recent analysis of personalized license plate denials.

Texans pushing the boundaries

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The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles rejected 1,951 plate requests throughout the year. Data shows that while many applicants submitted unique phrases, the vast majority of denials followed a few specific and recurring themes.

The most frequent cause for rejection involved "DV," which could be references to the disabled veteran designation. There were 349 occurrences of the letters "DV" being used in restricted or suggestive ways. While Texas offers official plates for veterans, many applicants tried to bypass traditional formatting or pair the letters with vulgar terms.

Slang and modern acronyms were also a primary target for state reviewers. The shorthand "AF," often used to emphasize a point with profanity, appeared in 116 different requests. Drivers attempted to pair the suffix with everything from professional titles to descriptions of their driving speed.

Click here to see all 2025 rejected license plate requests

Authorities also blocked 101 variations of anatomical references and 100 requests featuring the number 69. To circumvent digital filters, applicants used "leetspeak," which involves substituting numbers for letters. Common examples include using the number five in place of the letter S or using zeros in place of the letter O.

Symbol substitution became a major trend for the year. Applicants used the heart, the star, and the Texas silhouette symbols as silent placeholders to break up profanity. The Texas silhouette was the most requested symbol among the denied group with 218 appearances.

Aggressive messaging also defined the 2025 rejection list. The acronym "FAFO," which stands for a profane warning about consequences, appeared 39 times. Other drivers were denied for "rearview mirror" messages intended to taunt other motorists, such as "1UR-SL0W" and "MOVEE MF."

State guidelines prohibit any plate that could be considered objectionable or misleading. Despite the high volume of rejections, the 2025 data suggests that Texas motorists continue to search for creative ways to test the limits of what is allowed on the road.

What are the rules for personalized license plates?

TxDMV reviews your personalized plate pattern before your plates are manufactured and considers how the personalization may be viewed. When reviewing a personalized alphanumeric pattern, the TxDMV does not always consider the applicant’s subjective intent or declared meaning.

There are several reasons why TxDMV may decline a requested personalized alphanumeric pattern.

1. The alphanumeric pattern conflicts with the department’s current or proposed regular license plate numbering system.

2. The director or the director’s designee finds that the personalized alphanumeric pattern may be considered objectionable. An objectionable pattern may be viewed as:

Indecent (defined as including a direct reference or connotation to a sexual act, sexual body parts, excreta, or sexual bodily fluids or functions. Additionally, the alphanumeric pattern "69" is prohibited unless used with the full year (1969) or in combination with a reference to a vehicle);
Vulgar, directly or indirectly (defined as profane, swear, or curse words);
Derogatory, directly or indirectly (defined as an expression that is demeaning to, belittles, or disparages any person, group, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. "Derogatory" may also include a reference to an organization that advocates the expressions described in this subparagraph);
A direct or indirect negative instruction or command directed to another individual related to the operation of a motor vehicle; 1/13/2023
A direct or indirect reference to gangs, illegal activities, implied threats of harm, or expressions that describe, advertise, advocate, promote, encourage, glorify, or condone violence, crime, or unlawful conduct;
A direct or indirect reference to controlled substances or the physiological state produced by such substances, intoxicated states, or a direct or indirect reference that may express, describe, advertise, advocate, promote, encourage, or glorify such substances or states;
A direct representation of law enforcement or other governmental entities, including any reference to a public office or position exclusive to government; or
A pattern that could be misread by law enforcement.

Check if your license plate idea is available

The cost of a personalized license plate ranges from $50 to $570. You can go to the agency's website and submit your personalized plate configuration to see if it's available – or if someone got to it first.

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