These Rejected License Plates Landed On Illinois' 'Naughty List'

Many drivers like to infuse a bit of personality into their ride. Some purchase their vehicle in a fun color, while others opt for pinstriping or a cool paint scheme. You may give your car a name, or add seat covers or a blinged-out steering wheel cover. If you really want to make an impression, you can pay extra for a personalized license plate, also called a vanity plate. These plates often come in pairs: There are several states that require front plates in addition to the standard back plates. 

Vanity plates are available in every state in the U.S., including Washington, D.C. Drivers have been expressing themselves with vanity tags since Pennsylvania became the first state to issue them in 1931. Every state has rules and regulations that govern these tags; not every application makes it through. Even if they do, some of these plates might end up backfiring on a driver, as it did in our list of five regrettable vanity plates that inadvertently caused havoc for car owners. The office of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias recently disclosed some of the funniest rejected 2025 applications, so take note — "IBPOOPN" and "ICUP" likely won't fly in any state.

A vanity license plate in Illinois costs drivers anywhere from $76 to $123, depending on whether they pick a vanity plate with a combination of letters and numbers or a plate with all letters, so applicants likely want to choose one that will easily make it through the approvals process. The state's Pick-A-Plate website allows users to type in the plate they're hoping to select to make sure it's available, though this does not confirm that your application will be approved.

In 2025, the state received more than 55,000 applications. Every state rejects some submissions — for example, SlashGear has previously reported how Washington also holds the line against inappropriate plates — and Illinois denied about 550 that were considered offensive, profane, inflammatory, or just too difficult to read. Under Illinois state law, these are all suitable grounds for rejection, and Secretary Giannoulias urged people to exercise their creativity without relying on lewd or sneaky language. He also warned that the plate approvals team is well aware of people's proclivities; additionally, they keep a permanent list of rejected plates that is more than 8,500 entries strong.

Most of the rejected plates released by Giannoulias' office aren't fit for polite conversation, but a couple will probably make you snicker. They include "BDASMOM" — with Giannoulias joking that he's repeatedly asked his wife to stop requesting this plate — and "BBL", which references a surgical procedure designed to enhance a certain part of your body (if we're extending the car metaphor, it would be your "trunk").