A Nevada resident had his license plates, which he had for 20 years, recalled by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) due to a complaint filed against them for defamation. The license plate in question reads “GOBK2CA,” which stands for “Go Back To California,” according to KOLO TV.
Under Nevada state law, license plates that make defamatory references to individuals or groups of people are prohibited. It seems that after two decades, someone finally reported the cryptic character combination to the DMV.
The owner of the plates, Adam Steelmon, shared that he had received positive feedback about them over the years. However, he had only encountered one person who found them inappropriate. Regarding the recall, Steelmon has appealed the DMV’s request to surrender his plates. A judge will ultimately decide whether he can keep them or not.
The DMV regularly reviews requests for customized license plates. Many of these requests are denied, such as the puzzling “GGGGGGG” and the explicit “U 1D1OT.” However, some combinations have been approved after careful review. Examples of approved plates include “DANK,” “RNECK,” and “BUCK UP,” as reported by 8 News Now.
Nevertheless, even if a combination is initially approved, the DMV can reassess it upon receiving a complaint.
Eli Rohl, the Public Information Officer for the Nevada DMV in Carson City, explained that all it takes is one complaint for the DMV to address the issue. If the combination violates the statute, it is their duty to recall it.
The statute outlines several criteria that license plates cannot include. This includes numbers printed upside down, more than seven numbers, expressions of contempt, ridicule, or superiority based on race, ethnic heritage, or gender. Additionally, plates cannot contain anything sexual, derogatory, obscene, reference to drugs or drug paraphernalia, reference to a gang, or make defamatory references to individuals or groups, as stated by Rohl.
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