DMV Squad Has Last Word on Vanity Plate No-Nos

CME2P. UGOGIRL2. BRNKLR.

Can you guess which of those personalized plates got the OK from DMV and which landed on the reject pile?

The answers are below. First, let’s get to know the crack team of arbiters paid to make the call. Holed up in gray cubicles at Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters here, they are a dedicated bunch--determined to decode the slurs, profanities and other no-nos people try to sneak onto their bumpers.

Armed with slang books, medical and foreign language dictionaries, the penal code and assorted other tools, they scrutinize hundreds of vanity plate applications each week. Lawyers are called in. Wobblers are kicked up the food chain.

Judging which plates get a thumbs-up and which get tubed is more of an art than a science.

“People have different upbringings, different feelings about what is appropriate,” said Debbie Ralls, who supervises the decoder squad. “We don’t rely on just one person’s opinion to decide if something’s OK.”

Very little gets past these folks.

“I think some people get a thrill out of trying to slide one past us,” said Ralls. “Some of the configurations are very clever. But we’ve seen ‘em all.”

NONE is a perennial favorite. Sounds innocent, right? But what if you’re pulled over and the highway patrolman tries to write your license number on the ticket? Funny, huh?

Also verboten are vulgar statements, any combination that is a racist, ethnic or sexist slur, and references to drugs or a violent crime (i.e. 187, the penal code number for homicide).

Political and religious sentiments are discouraged, though some are approved. And the plate must not “carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency,” as the application form states.

Occasionally, a proposal sounds legitimate to one DMV judge but gets nixed by a more discriminating eye. Case in point: the man who said he was a foreign caterer and wanted a plate that read 4NIC8ER.

That one nearly got through, because it seemed related to his stated profession. In the end, however, the DMV concluded that it was more related to the oldest profession.

Most requests, of course, are G-rated. Leading the pack are plates that relate to family (MOMOF3), a hobby (10NNS), or names (IMSUE). Some people combine their sport with their self-image (SCUBAQT). Others highlight their nationality (UK RIDR) or profess their love (SUL MTES).

Movies and celebrities get lots of attention on California bumpers (TRMNN8R), while ardor for the automobile is a major inspiration. There are 89 variations on BEMR (not including BMRs), 1,450 plates incorporating BENZ. (For the record, PINTO and PACER are somewhat less in demand.)

Personalized plates first hit the market in 1970. Back then, with the Vietnam War raging and flower children protesting in the streets, the most popular tag was PEACE, followed closely by LOVE. These days, various combinations of WAZZUP are all the rage, and there are 30 versions of DOTCOM.

Special plates are popular all over the state, but are particularly hot sellers in Southern California. They remain a relative bargain--just $41 to buy and $25 annually on top of the vehicle registration fee. The money, totaling $27.9 million in the last fiscal year, goes into a special fund that pays for habitat and wildlife protection.

Every now and then the DMV’s standards fail to match those of some motorists, and an approved plate will trigger complaints.

Once two gripes are recorded, officials move to pull the plate. But it doesn’t end there. Those determined to hold on to their personalized tags can request a hearing before an administrative judge.

One plate that bit the dust was NOFTCKS, which spawned outrage among those advocating sensitivity to fat people. The message--”no fat chicks”--was pulled.

Another that squeaked through but was later recalled was WIFEBTR. The proud owner said it meant “wife better,” but some motorists were skeptical, figuring the guy was undoubtedly a wife beater.

Now back to our pop quiz, starting with BRNKLR. This was a no-brainer, said Ralls, scowling at whoever tried to sneak through “born killer.”

As for UGOGIRL2, who could argue with that morsel of encouragement?

And CME2P? Sounds nasty. But lo and behold, the plate was requested by a urologist. “He had a legitimate reason to have it, so we let it through,” Ralls said.

Still, finding a combination that isn’t already taken can be tough, especially in car-crazy California. But in the spirit of the holidays, The Times took on the task.

We were sad to find that SANTA had been nabbed long ago, as had STNICK.

But if you’re an animal lover and happen to own a cherry-red VW bug, here’s our gift to you:

ROODOLF is up for grabs.

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Vanity Plate Facts

The California Department of Motor Vehicles approves 137,776 personalized plates per year. Drivers who want vanity plates can submit an application and $41 at any office. The DMV can reject letter and number combinations it deems to “carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency.”

Forbidden:

* Vulgarity

* Profanity

* Racist, ethnic or sexist slurs

* References to violent crime

* References to drugs

Political and religious sentiments are discouraged, though some are approved.

The DMV can recall a specialized plate after it is issued if complaints are received; the driver has the right to defend the plate at a hearing.

To check whether a plate is already taken, go to the DMV’s Web site at https://www.dmv.ca.gov and click on personalized plates.