A Utah vanity license plate recently went viral on Twitter, sparking significant backlash against the car owner. Residents are horrified that the driver was able to obtain an offensive vanity plate that reads “DEPORTM.”
Outrage on Social Media
Matt Pacenza, a high school English teacher from Utah, helped bring attention to the controversial plate. He found the image online and tweeted it along with a pointed question: “Hey, Utah Driver License Division, how does this plate I just saw not violate your guidelines?”
His tweet quickly gained traction, with over a hundred people expressing their shock and disapproval. One commenter noted, “That should never have been accepted by the DMV.”
DMV Responds to Criticism
A CNN affiliate, KSL, reached out to the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles for clarification. The public information officer, Tammy Kikuchi, confirmed that the plate was real and had been approved five years ago, in 2015.
While offensive speech can sometimes be protected under the First Amendment, states have the authority to regulate messages on vanity plates. The DMV website states that any combination deemed “vulgar, derogatory, profane, or obscene” is prohibited, especially those expressing contempt for race, religion, or political affiliation.
Investigation Launched
Following the social media uproar, Pacenza updated his tweet. He confirmed that the state Tax Commission was aware of the plate and had launched an investigation into its approval process.
State Senator Luz Escamilla expressed her concerns about the license plate. She was upset that someone could drive around with such an offensive message and scheduled the issue for review at the Utah Legislature’s administrative rules review committee meeting.
Representatives from both the Tax Commission and the DMV prepared to attend the meeting. They planned to explain the criteria Utah uses to determine offensive content and how this controversial plate slipped through the cracks back in 2015.
A List of Rejected Plates
In response to the controversy, KUTV asked the DMV for a list of rejected vanity plate names. The list included more than one hundred entries, such as “SAUSAGE,” “NSTYHOE,” “W1NGMAN,” and “PLAN B.”
This incident highlights the challenges of balancing free speech with community standards. The backlash against the “DEPORTM” plate underscores the importance of thorough vetting processes for vanity license plates. As the investigation continues, Utah’s DMV may face increased scrutiny over how it approves these personalized plates, aiming to prevent similar situations in the future.