REJECTED TEXAS VANITY PLATES 2025

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

 

CART3L, F4RT5, Y U UGLY: See the Texas vanity plates rejected by the DMV in 2025

By Ella Gonzales

January 21, 2026 11:54 AM

 

Phrases like “69 GUY” or “F4TASS” are not acceptable custom Texas license plate messages, but that didn’t stop some Texas drivers last year.

 

Texans have the freedom to customize their plates, but with certain restrictions. And though drivers have to pay anywhere from $50 to $570 for a custom message across their Texas plates, the alphanumerical combination must stay within the modest guidelines.

 

In 2025, 1,951 plates were rejected, according to Texas DMV records. In 2024, the Texas DMV rejected more than 2,300 custom plates.

 

Here’s a snippet of the messages that were rejected in 2025 on Texas license plates.

 

Why do custom license plate applications get rejected in Texas?

 

According to My Plates, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will reject a plate if it is easily read as indecent, vulgar, derogatory or if it tells other drivers a command.

 

Texas DMV follows an alphanumeric pattern to assign standard general issued plates. These plates have three letters followed by four numbers, like “LHD 8448,” for example. A custom plate would not follow the pattern and would read something like, “70S BABY.”

 

In 2025, Texas DMV rejected license plates with the phrase “DV” which stands for disabled veteran. While DV showed up in 349 requests, the phrase “AF,” an acronym for an expletive, showed up in 116 submissions. The DMV also rejected more than 200 requests referencing “69,” a slang phrase referencing a sex act.

 

Though we will not list the nearly 2,000 rejected license plates,

 

here’s a glimpse into what Texans thought up:

 

list of 88 items

• AH SHI

• AHOLES

• ALOHA ♥ MF

• ASK-HOLE

• ATF SUXS

• B000B

• B1G DUKY

• BDENRGY

• BOOTYS

• BUTT-GOD

• CANABUS

• CART3L

• CHONKER

• CRA-CUHH

• CRM PIES

• CRMINAL

• DAFUQQ

• DAYYYUM

• DJT69

• DOPE MOM

• DRUGLRD

• DWARF

• EL0N 5UX

• EW KIDS

• EWPPLE

• F3RAL@AF

• F4RT5

• FAA GOV

• FBI.28

• FEL0NYY

• FENT-MNY

• FITBISH

• FMUSK

• H0E5M4D

• H1 L05ER

• HALE Y3A

• HAPENIS

• HOE BIDN

• HOT POOP

• HW2HEL

• I ♥ BUUBS

• I DO H8U

• I10 SUKS

• ICEGANG

• L@VMYNUT

• M4YHEM

• METH-MNY

• MOOOOOV

• MUS&TURD

• NO2 TRMP

• NUKIE

• NUT*CRKR

• OK K4REN

• ONLYFNS

• OUSUCX

• PH0QU3

• PREDATR

• QTBOOTY

• RAGEB8R

• RED*RUM5

• SCHMEAT

• SCOOOCH

• SEX-U-V

• SKUTOVR

• SMLWEEN

• SPL00GE

• TTZOUT

• TUNA 69

• TX DMV

• UBUGOFF

• UGH ELON

• U MAD HA

• UR BROKE

• V10LNTT

• VETO IRS

• WEE WEW

• Y U UGLY

• YUR2SLO

• &VIOL8TR

• @COOCHIE

• 1UR-SL0W

• 21SAVG

• 3 LEGZ

• 42O TACO

• 4MILF

• 5HT 5HOW

• 5MART ASH

• 69 GUY

list end

 

What can you write on a Texas license plate?

 

Be sure to follow these Texas DMV guidelines to avoid a rejection.

 

Keep in mind that character space varies depending on the letters, numbers and symbols you use.

 

Use any combination of alphanumeric characters, spaces, and symbols including: hyphens, periods, hearts, stars, or silhouettes of the State of Texas.

 

Avoid objectionable language, also known as any word or phrase that is readily decipherable. Plates will be rejected if they display:

 

list of 8 items

• Indecent language (sexual language)

• Vulgar language (swear or curse words)

• Derogatory language (“an expression that is demeaning to, belittles, or disparages any person, group, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation,” according to the Texas DMV)

• Negative instruction or command to surrounding drivers

• References to gangs, violence or words used to incite violence or crime

• References to substances such as drugs or alcohol

• References to governmental or law enforcement officials (military references allowed)

• Patterns that could be misread to law enforcement

list end