GOBK2CA: Cheeky License Plate Recalled From Nevada DMV

Author Shawn Tempesta

July 10th, 2023 1:00 AM

Nevada DMV gobk2ca plate

More traffic than ever before. Home values have skyrocketed. The secret is certainly out: Nevada is the place to be. One man decided to send a message to Californians with his license plate… and now the Nevada DMV is asking for it back.

A man that has only been referenced as Mr. Steelmon was asked to turn in his “GOBG2CA” license plate, short for “Go Back To California”, after someone complained. Probably someone from California who he would like to move back, if we had to guess.

How do plates get rejected, recalled, and appealed with the Nevada DMV?

There is a process when it comes to license plates and what is allowed (and what is not). We’ve talked about them before. When a plate is denied (even after it being initially accepted), there is a process.

Initially, the request for a personalized plate is looked over to give the plate a quick “could this be considered inappropriate” review. If it clears, it gets made. Congrats, you’ve got a license plate. If it is lewd, you’re not getting it. If it is in “the middle,” it’ll go to a special committee with 13 members who will determine if it is against the Nevada DMV’s code or not. Majority rules.

Mr. Steelmon had his plate removed, but now it’s been clawed back. That is well within the Nevada DMV’s rights. So is appealing the ruling, which Mr. Steelmon is electing to do, and he could potentially bring his case all the way to the Nevada Supreme Court depending on how wealthy he is, and how vehemently he would like Californians to move back. That said, the nation’s Supreme Court has already tackled personalized plates. In a narrow 5-4 ruling, they found that license plates are government speech, as the plate is government property, and therefore limiting what is on the plate is not a violation of the First Amendment.

Shawn Tempesta is the co-host of Aimee+Shawn on 102.7 VGS in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is also an Emmy award nominated television host. As a content creator for 102.7 VGS, Shawn writes about current events, education, funny and trending stories.

28 Personalized License Plates The Nevada DMV Almost Denied

For many, your car is part of your identity. If you’re a messy person, you probably have a messy car. Maybe you lean one way or another politically? Your bumper sticker or the car itself might tip people off about who you voted for.

Then there is the license plate.

Yes, the boring people will allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to choose some random combination for them. But you’re not boring. You’re creative. You’re going to take that 5-7 characters and make the most of them! There’s only one problem. The Nevada DMV keeps an eye out for plates that violate their standards and send denials all the time. Last year, nearly 1,000 plates were reviewed, of which the vast majority – more than 800 – were denied.

But first, plates whose denials were upheld

Some denials are relatively easy to understand. 420LIFE promotes weed. So does KOOSH. So does B4KED. SHROOMS are a psychedelic drug… are you sensing a theme here?! There are also plates like IH8LIBS which we can only imagine was destined for a vehicle known for rolling coal. 310HSSA seems fine until you read it backwards. LMAOO on a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department plate is a pretty bold attempt as well. But all of them were given the big red stamp of disapproval.

So too was SNDNUDS (they tried telling the DMV the plate was abbreviations of family members names) and LYNPIPE (the guy supposedly was a pipe fitter). Even the plate GIGGITY, a callback to the hit cartoon Family Guy, was given the thumbs down. What are they, a bunch of Puritans?!

Not all denials stick around though. The Nevada DMV released a list of plates that, while on the borderline, were given the green light to drive through green lights. Today we go down the list of 28 plates that narrowly avoided being banished.

2HRD
Somehow, shockingly, this was allowed to fly. The owner claims it is his nickname.
BANGT4N
Before you get your head in the gutter, no one is telling you to “bang” tanned people. Bangtan is the BT in BTS. Their name in Korean, “Bangtan Sonyeondan”, actually means “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”, which gives BTS more street cred than ever with us.
BIGOH
If we could only be so lucky as to drive a BIGOH. The DMV said the “OH” means the real big “O”, owner said nope. They let it slide.
BLAZ3D
Wait! They banned all the “getting high” plates! Well, this owner drives a Chevy Blazer. Moral of the story: if you want to have a stoner plate, buy a Blazer.
BUUBARU
It’s a Subaru named “boo”. The DMV thought it sounded a little too much like “boobs”.
BUYSHIB
The owner wanted people to buy the Shiba Inu (or SHIB) cryptocurrency. The DMB thought it looked like “B**** You Be” backwards. That person must be so fun at parties.
CLAN
The drivers explanation is they are a Raider fan, and part of the “Raider clan”. The “bad” clan starts with a K, not a C… so that’s likely why it got the clear.
CPRHDRD
The owner was trying to show off “Copper Head Road”… but the DMV saw something dirty. “CPR HARD ROD”. HDRD? Hard Rod?! We need a drink.
DUCKME
“Profane, it could look like ‘F*** ME'”. Yeah, sure if you confuse your Ds for Fs often. They let it go.
DUCKIT
Ds 👏 Are 👏 Not 👏 Fs!!!! It was approved.
DWEEB
All it means is nerd. The driver said it was his nickname. What a nerd. It was allowed.
G3TNLSR
It’s a line from Mean Girls but it was enough to get flagged by the Nevada DMV. It was eventually deemed OK.
GODFRST, GOD1STT and GD1ST
Because it said God or Religion is superior. They were all eventually allowed.
GOTRUMP
It wasn’t denied because of Donald Trump. The DMV said they essentially say GOT RUMP. The driver wasn’t talking about posteriors, depending on who you ask. It was allowed.
H8CVD
The person hates COVID. So does everyone. The DMV said HATE IS INAPPROPRIATE! We hate the fact they said that. The plate was eventually allowed.
HLN ASH
The DMV said it sounds like “Haulin’ Ass”, which it does. But her name is Ashley. It’s a pun. Puns are OK, and it was allowed.
IKEYU
No, the driver isn’t threatening to key people’s cars. He literally makes keys.
KILLNME
This was flagged because the person at the DMV has obviously not seen The Sandlot. It was eventually allowed.
NUDE
It was a motorcycle driver who didn’t use fenders. The puritans at the DMV were afraid you were referencing the bodies we all have and take showers with.
NVHTHR
Her name was Heather. She is no hater.
PRTYBS
It’s a party bus, not “pretty bulls***”. Frankly, we haven’t seen a bull’s excrement that would be considered pretty.
RDK1L
Roadkill? Too much for the DMV! The driver explained that was his nickname in the Navy because that’s what he looked like when he woke up. Which leads us to the next question… what the heck does he look like?!
REDTACO
He drives a red Toyota Tacoma. We won’t even put what the DMV said because it’s ridiculous.
RXGRL
She was a pharmacist.
SKITTEL
Um, we all have had Skittles. Apparently the DMV says it’s a “combination of illegal drugs”. We are starting to think the person in charge at the DMV lives a harder life than most of us.
STAYGAY
Meaning “happy”. The DMV said Gay could be slang for homosexual. SO?!