Request denied: Colorado DMV shares 2023’s rejected personalized license plates

LAKEWOOD, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024 — Colorado drivers kept the Division of Motor Vehicles busy reviewing personalized license plate applications in 2023.The DMV approved over 60,000 personalized plate applications in 2023, almost doubling the amount approved in 2022.While thousands of applications were approved, plenty were rejected for being foul, lewd or rude requests. In total, the DMV reviewed and rejected over 1,000 personalized license plate configuration requests in 2023.Rejected requests for license plate configurations, such as “GYATTT,” “GTJIGGY” and “OMGWTF” were added to the offensive-omit list, which the DMV uses to automatically reject most foul, lewd or rude requests.The list features requested personalized license plates that were reviewed by DMV team members as well as terms that are automatically rejected by the DMV’s processing system, DRIVES. The system rejects some requests if they were already issued, conflicts with regularly issued configurations, any reserved for auction, and those that run afoul of the DMV’s offensive and omit list.The offensive and omit list has been built over the years using the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) recommendations, known offensive words and terms, and compared to what other states do not allow.A DMV committee periodically reviews these terms and alphanumeric combinations. Sequences can be removed from the list by committee vote or if a court ruling orders the DMV to remove and issue the configuration. A customer may appeal a personalized plate decision with the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Hearings Division.Coloradans can personalize many of the state’s 218 license plates at an additional cost of $60 on top of regular fees. Personalized license plate renewal can cost between $25 and $75, and can be completed online or at a county motor vehicle office.