CLEVELAND — Whether you "LUVMETH" or "H8TEX," hundreds of personalized license plate requests were denied by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles in 2025.
Among the rejected plates were "OLD FART," "IM DRUNK" and "SCRW BMV" — all denied for containing references to profanity, drugs, sex or other objectionable content.
As of Dec. 9, the Ohio BMV rejected 891 applications this year, down from the 931 during the same stretch in 2024.
Drivers went out of their way to point out they are "NOTPEDO," or that they are "MOBSTAZ," "CATKLLR," "JAILB8T," and "ON METH." But they got denied, too.
Most requests are denied for including references to profanity, drugs, sex, or other inappropriate combinations of letters and numbers.
Here's the full list (and the date the request was received):
WARNING: The plates listed below contain references, allusions to and altered spellings of profanity and sexually explicit terms, as well as potentially disturbing and upsetting hate language. Reader discretion is strongly recommended.
But one previously denied plate got approved in 2025
The BMV also rejected three plates this year: "GAY," "NOT GAY" and "SHEGAY."
William Saki of Lakewood did not accept the decision when his "GAY" plate was denied.
"Gay is who I am - It's a fact and I'm proud of that," Saki said. "To know the state was saying, 'No, we don't like that plate. It's offensive to us.' That's my free speech they're messing with at that point."
RELATED: Lakewood man revels in receiving previously rejected 'GAY' license plate from BMV
The word had been on the Ohio BMV's banned list since 1996, classified among thousands of terms deemed "inappropriate" for personalized plates.
Saki received his personalized plate this fall and told News 5 he's proud to display it.
"I notice people pointing and taking photos when I drive by – it puts a smile on my face, I like it," Saki said. "I'll always remember this plate."
First Amendment attorney Brian Bardwell took on Saki's case, examining what he called the BMV's inconsistent guidelines for rejected plates.
"The guidelines were very squishy I think we could say," Bardwell said. "Somebody wanted Jack Daniels abbreviated and they allowed that but they wouldn't allow Jim Beam. Somebody wanted Zinfandel and that's fine but you couldn't have Cabernet."
Following a lawsuit earlier this year, the Ohio BMV agreed to grant Saki's plate request along with another for a plate reading "MUSLIM." According to court documents, the BMV also committed to reviewing its database and providing a pathway for people who feel their plate requests were improperly rejected.
Over the years, News 5 has covered the license plate requests that have been rejected by the Ohio BMV.
The Ohio BMV declined to comment for this story, citing ongoing litigation with the same attorney involving another license plate case currently in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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RELATED — 2022 LIST: Here are the vanity license plate requests Ohio rejected in 2022
RELATED — 2021 LIST: Ohio BMV releases rejected vanity license plate names
