‘OMG MOV’: ICBC rejects 2,600 personalized licence plates in 2023
Posted January 25, 2024 2:05 pm.
Last Updated January 25, 2024 2:06 pm.
ICBC says it rejected about 2,600 personalized licence plate requests last year, with many ranging from questionable to downright offensive.
The auto insurer says YSO SLO, 2FAS4U, OMG MOV, FRBALL, SO-HIGH, and UNSAFE were among the requests that were rejected.
It notes it received 9,500 slogan requests in 2023, approving 73 per cent and rejecting 27 per cent of them.
ICBC says slogans are rejected if they don’t meet certain guidelines and criteria. Slogans may also be rejected if they are “deemed objectionable.” That includes slogans that may be discriminatory, sexually suggestive, abusive, or derogatory.
The insurer says teams “meticulously” review each application to ensure anything that’s approved “is appropriate to display on a B.C. licence plate.”
“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,” said Sandy-Anne Dodig, ICBC’s manager of Insurance Operations Support.
ICBC says there is a one-time, $100 application fee for a personalized licence plate, and an annual fee of $40.
“The annual fee ensures that you maintain exclusive rights to the plate. If a personalized plate remains inactive for more than one year after the expiry date, the right to the slogan will be lost,” ICBC explains on its website.
Personalized licence plates must have two to six letters or combination of letters and numbers. ICBC adds if a complaint is launched or if a plate is later deemed inappropriate, it may be recalled.
Personalized plates can be made for passenger vehicles, motorcycles, vans, light trucks, and motor homes.
