The West Australian Department of Transport has drawn a hard line on inappropriate humour and references, officially rejecting 876 custom number plate applications during the 2024-25 financial year for breaching state guidelines.
What Didn't Make the Cut
This significant batch of rejections, which represents roughly 3.7 per cent of the 23,000 total applications, included attempts to reference infamous drug cartels, specific firearm models, being intoxicated, and even acts of genocide. Among the plates deemed unsuitable for WA roads were clear messages like "NVR SOBER" and "GO FASTER," which encourages dangerous driving.
More covert references were also caught by the review committee. "CART3L" was seen as an obvious nod to drug rings, while "GLOCK45" directly references a model of handgun. Some applications attempted to hide meanings behind creative spelling, such as "F4K3 T4X1" (a reference to a pornography site) and "BUYAGRAM" (suggesting the purchase of illegal drugs).
The Gatekeepers of Good Taste
Every application for a personalised plate is vetted by the Department's dedicated plate review committee. This group is composed of stakeholders from various cultural and professional backgrounds, including representatives from the Department of Transport and WA Police.
A Department spokesman outlined the strict criteria used to assess applications, confirming plates are refused if they are:
- Offensive, contain swear words, racist terms, or offensive acronyms (even written backwards or in another language).
- Reference drugs, alcohol, sexual content, weapons, violence, or unsafe vehicle use.
- Contain anti-law or anti-government messaging.
- Replicate an existing trademark.
- Cause confusion or are not easily identifiable.
- Bare a resemblance to an existing registration plate.
"Some of the reasons plates have been refused include swear words, offensive acronyms and racist terms, references to drugs and alcohol, sexual references or offensive combinations written backwards or in another language," the spokesman told The West Australian. "Plates have also been refused due to anti-law references as well as references to religion, mental health, weapons, violence or unsafe vehicle use."
A Continuing Trend of Rejection
This crackdown is not a new phenomenon. The revelation follows the Department's rejection of nearly 1,000 inappropriate applications the previous year, which included plates like "GEN3CID" and "SAUC3D".
For motorists who disagree with a decision, the process allows for a request for a review, with the final assessment being conducted by a senior delegate. This scrutiny comes at a price, with the cost of custom number plates in Western Australia ranging between $619 and $749.
The consistent rejection of hundreds of applications year-on-year highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing public expression with public safety and decency on the state's roads.
