# Custom Licence Plates — Seen in the Wild **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965 "2023-11-11T02:25:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 156
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3101 "2026-05-12T16:36:02Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > **BK BETE** on a Honda Accord coupe. I’ve seen BK used as an abbreviation for “bankruptcy” before, and maybe BETE is “Betty”? So maybe a bankruptcy attorney named Betty? The car was mildly interesting as well just because that’s a body style you don’t often see anymore on midsize cars. Bam-ba-lam? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/I_2D8Eo15wE/maxresdefault.jpg "Ram Jam - Black Betty (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_2D8Eo15wE) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3102 "2026-05-12T16:41:03Z")
Oh, that could be. And in fact the car was black, so maybe “Black Betty” is the _car’s_ name. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3103 "2026-05-12T17:36:10Z")
My latest haul: - **DEZ⎵NUZ** on a FL standard plate on a wrapped Tesla Cybertruck. “Deez nutz” meaning “these gonads” of course. Another fun one that slipped past the censors. 😃 - **OP2MST** on a FL standard plate on a Mercedes SUV. It’s easier to be optimistic when you can afford a nice car. But I’m happy they’re happy. - **M11NE** on a FL 5-character surfing booster plate on a BMW sedan. It’s Miiiinnne! All Miiinnnne!! Whoopppeeeee! Or maybe, just maybe, it’s an ordinary series plate, not personalized. But I doubt it. - **KNRIDER** on a FL 7-character 9/11 patriot glurge plate on a black audi SUV. - **JFK MIA** on a FL 7-character 9/11 patriot glurge plate on a white Cadillac SUV. Might be a reference to an airline person who worked at both airports over their career. More likely just somebody from New York City using JFK as a demonym since NYC was already taken. - **SELLS-FL** on a FL standard plate on a Tesla Model 3. The rear window was a printed scrim advertising his real estate practice. Complete with a larger-than life pic of his grinning mug. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3104 "2026-05-12T18:05:40Z")
Not a custom plate, or even a pair, but something I’ve never noticed before. Two cars, parked side by side at the grocery store, with the same collection of letters and numbers but arranged differently: - **1EBD 94** - **1BED 49** Also these: - **LDYCSTO** - probably not Lady Costco - **EXPANA** ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3105 "2026-05-13T16:23:08Z")
**VERGEIO** on a new Bronco. Is that a name? “Verge I/O”? I’m not sure. **LX99** on a Lexus crossover, probably an RX300. I guess LX could be short for Lexus, but it was way newer than a '99. Maybe the driver was born in '99? It looks like Lexus does use the designation LX for their big SUV based on the Land Cruiser, but this definitely wasn’t one of those. Maybe they used to own a '99 LX and just kept the same plate when they traded it in for this? **JNSNX11** on a Ford Expedition. I have no idea. No stickers or anything to provide a hint. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3106 "2026-05-13T20:15:16Z")
“JNSN” could be “Johnson”. Otherwise I’m baffled too. ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3107 "2026-05-13T22:21:48Z")
Walked past a Toyota Land Cruiser that had all the off-road trickery on it: winch, snorkel, raised suspension and thick tyres. What was unusual was the location: upmarket leafy suburb with plenty of Mercs and other expensive but ‘discrete’ brands around. I felt the plate was appropriate: **BITMAD** ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3108 "2026-05-13T22:42:52Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > “JNSN” could be “Johnson”. Otherwise I’m baffled too. An eleven-inch Johnson? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3109 "2026-05-13T23:23:28Z")
One can only hope. And yes, I had the same thought. Either that or it’s a family of 11 people (& critters?). ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3110 "2026-05-14T00:15:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Either that or it’s a family of 11 people (& critters?). That would require a giant vehicle like an Expedition. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3111 "2026-05-14T00:56:51Z")
6 humans, 2 dogs, and 3 ferrets would fit nicely in a Land Cruiser. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3112 "2026-05-14T01:06:25Z")
Scored a few last night & today. - **4886TB** on a FL standard plate on a Mercedes coupe. Somebody born Apr 8, 1986 named TB? Yawn. - **REFRD** on a FL 5-character surfing booster plate on a plain white pickup. “Refried” as in beans? Referred? Refereed? Refrigerated? Is usually thoroughly reefered up? 'Tis a mystery. - **AN6EL⎵BB** on a FL standard plate on a Mary Kay pink Tesla Model Y. Nice use of the 6 to stand in for G. I didn’t get a chance to see Angel herself; her car was parked at the mall. But given the very pink car, I bet she’s quite the girly girl. - **ABDOLLA** on a FL standard plate on a generic white sedan. Another name I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3113 "2026-05-14T16:21:12Z")
**SRDAAAR** on a Jeep Wrangler. I guess “RDAAAR” could be “radar” or “raider”. Not sure about the S. **ISSMH** on a Lexus IS250. I guess IS refers to the car, and SMH is the internet slang for “shaking my head”. I’m not sure why that car would cause one to shake one’s head, though. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3114 "2026-05-14T20:11:41Z")
Maybe somebody named SRD fancies themselves a pirate: AAAR!!! ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3115 "2026-05-14T20:22:52Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I’m not sure why that car would cause one to shake one’s head, though. After further thought, maybe it’s “I could only afford the entry level Lexus SMH”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3116 "2026-05-15T00:11:12Z")
**ELAINE1** on a small white SUV driven very slowly by a little old lady. I’m guessing she was Elaine. **AHMED 02** on some crossover type car, couldn’t see the driver. Probably someone’s name. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeysBrother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@MonkeysBrother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeysBrother)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3117 "2026-05-15T03:18:10Z")
On a new looking Honda Pilot: **PSHAAW**. The plates were the old yellow on blue (current CA plates are blue on white). The state stopped issuing yellow on blue plates in 1982. Clearly, those plates have been with the owner for a while. And probably through a variety of vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3118 "2026-05-15T03:31:22Z")
**WHOLOTA** on an older 4Runner. Whole lotta what? Who knows? Maybe they’re Led Zepplin fans, and it’s “Whole Lotta Love”, although there was nothing Zepplin related on the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3119 "2026-05-15T10:19:04Z")
[aside] Your yellow on blue bit got me chasing off to the CA DMV site to learn about their current retro plate offerings. Which are just the yellow on black, not yellow on blue. See **[Choosing Your License Plate - California DMV](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/license-plates-decals-and-placards/license-plates/special-interest-special-license-plates/)** & scroll down if interested. While poking around, I noticed they offer a Pearl Harbor Survivor plate. As do/did many other state DMVs. Which in turn caused me to think two things: - Why Pearl Harbor specifically? Yes, it was a very emotive event in the war. And it was the starting gun for US combat involvement. But if that battle, why not a half-dozen others? Where’s the D-Day survivor plate? - Someone _born_ on PH day turns 85 this upcoming December. Anyone old enough to have been in the military there that day, even lying about their age, is 100+. I think there’s not too many of those folks getting new license plates these days. I expect that real soon we’ll see DMVs all over the country quietly dropping any/all WW-II veteran plates they may offer. If they have not already. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/3120 "2026-05-15T15:17:15Z")
Quoting myself from a couple weeks ago for context … > [@LSLGuy](#): > > **LBI⎵GIRL** on a Virginia standard plate on a 4-door Jeep Wrangler with sand tires & a roof rack. Seen at a beach parking lot. Some googling tells me there’s a Long Beach Island tourist / resort area in New Jersey commonly called “LBI”. That’s close enough Virginians might weekend there. Or the woman is a transplant from LBI in NJ to now VA. Parked next to me today was a older Lexus sedan with an ordinary FL plate on the back. But on the front was a fake white plate in the style of a New Jersey plate, with “New Jersey” across the top and “Garden State” across the bottom. In the middle, and in much larger than real plates’ lettering, was “ **L B I** ”. Evidently it’s quite a thing up there. Not much of a haul for the last day-ish, but here goes: - **1NS⎵PIRD** on a FL standard plate on a few year old BMW sedan. 50-ish woman driving. I’m not sure what she’s inspired about. But, ref @Bullitt’s frequent comments about spacing, she has the opposite problem: spaces where not needed. - **2⎵CONRAD** on a FL 9/11 glurge plate on an older crossover. Conrad looks about 80, and so does his wife. But they’re both out there chugging around and he’s keeping up with traffic, so nothing but well-wishes from me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=155) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=157)