So, you own a vehicle and want to stand out from the automotive horde.
Apart from having an exotic ride or a flashy paint job, getting a personalized licence plate is one way to separate your beloved wheels from the monotonous and boring same-plate masses.
Yet before heading down to ICBC to submit your idea, it’s best that you have multiple names, as odds are at least one will get thumbs-down disapproval from ICBC.
This week, the provincial auto insurer said 2,600 slogans were rejected last year, including this cheeky one: YSO SLO.
“Slogans are rejected if they don’t meet guidelines and criteria or if they’re deemed objectionable,” said ICBC. “For instance, if they’re discriminatory, sexually suggestive, abusive or derogatory in any language.”
Also thrown into the crash…ehm…trash pile: 2FAS4U, OMG MOV, UNSAFE and DNT HIT.
A complete list of last year’s rejected slogans — including HUSTLR, HUS7LE, GUVNOR, PIN IT, WHY SLO, HELL YA, MT KEGR, DR MOO and IMGROOT — is available here.
A list of rejected slogans from 2022 is also available here. Notably, 2FST4U was among the many rejections as was U2SLOW.
Below is what ICBC says is a short list of some of the rejected slogans.
- YSO SLO
- 2FAS4U
- OMG MOV
- FRBALL
- SO-HIGH
- UNSAFE
- DNT HIT
- IXLR8
- FAST
- ROCK1T
- CRASH1
- UNVXD
- NO LAW
- YS OFSR
- UNDCVR
- XRCIST
- AMEN
- TARGET
- TSN
- PORSCHE
ICBC says it received 9,500 slogan requests last year from B.C. drivers looking to add a personalized licence plate to their vehicle, with 73 per cent approved and 27 per cent being rejected.
“ICBC’s dedicated team meticulously reviews every application to ensure each slogan is appropriate to display on a B.C. licence plate,” said Sandy-Anne Dodig of ICBC. “A personalized licence plate can be a creative way to express yourself, and we encourage drivers to review the criteria and guidelines on icbc.com prior to applying.”
ICBC says personalized licence plates are available for regular passenger vehicles, motorcycles, vans, light trucks and motor homes.
More information is available on ICBC’s website.