New York Banned License Plates

Are you going to apply for a license plate in New York? But have you seen how many license plates are banned every year in the state? Then, you should continue reading as we are going to introduce the main reasons for the rejection of the personalized license plates.

If you do some research to find lists of New York banned license plates, the quantity may surprise you. In reality, all of us guess what kind of vanity plates cannot be acceptable for the state. But still, people apply for license plates with inadequate content.

What are license plates and why are they banned?

License plates are vanity plates with personalization for your motor vehicle. And many people choose unique combinations of numbers and letters to make their vehicle look special. However, as you can choose the combination you want, you may put words that may seem funny to you. They may still be offensive or misleading to others.

That is why the State of New York controls and administers the issuance of license plates. Consequently, each year the number of New York banned license plates increases.

How are New York License Plates regulated?

Like other states (such as the State of Idaho), the State of New York manages the applications for license plates. More precisely, the Department of Motor Vehicles (the DMV) of New York is in charge of making rules and restrictions for license plate applications. The department processes the applications, approves or rejects the license plates. Then, it prepares the plates for the citizens.

What are common reasons for New York license plates refusal?

As shown above, the Department of Motor Vehicles usually rejects license plate applications that contain offensive connotations or lead to misconceptions. Here are the main reasons why your license plate may be unacceptable:

• Your license plate does not contain any letters. According to DMV, it must have a minimum of one letter in the combination.
• The license plate contains six numbers followed by a letter. Remember this rule as well.
• If your license plate can make people think that it relates to a governmental agency.
• Your license plate contains offensive, derogatory, obscene, immoral meanings for any group of people. It cannot have a racist tone, be rude or anti-social, have political connotations, etc.
• It contains sexual meanings (even hidden). Your license plate combination cannot relate to an intimate body part, sexual function, etc.
• If your license plate describes, promotes, expresses, or relates to drugs, crime, violence.
• Your license plate is misleading because of the substitution of “0” for “O”, etc.
• If the DMV keeps the plate for particular vehicle classes and not passenger vehicles. These are the historic motor vehicles or members of specific professions, county clerks, etc.

How much do the personalized plates cost?

The personalized license plates in the State of New York usually cost $60 initially. After that, the annual fee is $31.25. The motorcycle plates cost less: initially, you pay $35, and the annual fee will be $18.75.