The Hidden Message On This California License Plate Has Gone Viral

A California driver managed to get a specialized license plate that spells a prohibited word when viewed in a mirror.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, personalized license plates cannot: “Be offensive or slang in ANY language,” “interchange letters and numbers to look like other plates,” or “resemble an existing license plate.” The driver of this truck slipped past the rules, Boing Boing reports.

Photo credit: Boing ​Boing

Plates can be personalized “with your own combination of letters, numbers, and other characters,” notes the state’s DMV. “Standard plates that are personalized allow for 2 to 7 characters. Other personalized license [plates can have] a varying number of characters based on what kind of plate you choose to personalize.”

In addition to personalized plates, California offers special interest plates, military plates, and historical plates.

Special interest plates reportedly help fund various state projects and programs, including those dealing with agriculture, the arts, coastal preservation, firefighters, pets, child health and safety, preservation, conservation, recreation and more.

Military plates include Congressional Medal of Honor, Gold Star Family, Legion of Valor, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Ex-Prisoner of War, and Purple Heart. In addition, “Veterans’ Organization plates are available to anyone who wishes to order one to represent their pride in the nation’s military.”

Photo credit: Boing ​Boing

Historical plates are also available “for motor vehicles that are of historical interest” that were built after 1922 and at least 24-years-old.

The first license plate of any kind was issued in 1901, when New York passed a law requiring motor vehicle owners to register with the state, reports Time magazine.

The law required license plates to include “the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place, the letters forming such initials to be at least three inches in height.”

A man named George F. Chamberlain received the first license plate issued.

Related Posts

Everyone’s noticing the same thing about Kate Middleton’s latest outfit

Kate Middleton, the beloved Princess of Wales, revealed in January 2025 that she was in remission. Since her cancer prevented her from performing her royal duties, now…

Husband Rushes Wife to ER — Then Drops a Shocking Confession

I’m Dr. Green, and I’ve worked night shifts in the ER for over a decade. But nothing prepared me for the night Jerry rushed in, carrying his…

A Strange Note in a Lunch Bag Changed Everything—Now I Keep Coming Back

It started on a walk to the library when I noticed a folding table offering “FREE LUNCH FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS.” I ignored it at first. But…

My Parents Missed My Wedding Because of My Sister’s Dog — Should I Feel Hurt?

My name’s Thomas, and I’ve always felt like my parents favored my older sister, Emily. They constantly canceled plans with me, missed important events like my graduation…

When My Husband Refused to Help Buy a Gift for My Mom, I Showed Him Why It Matters

Chelsea’s world fell apart when her husband Kyle refused to give her money to buy a gift for her mom. What began as small cracks grew into…

My Mother-in-Law Ruined My Daughter’s Pageant Dress Because She’s Not Her Biological Grandchild

Sometimes, the people who are supposed to love us most turn out to be the cruelest. On the morning of my daughter Sophie’s school pageant, her dress…