Car plates are government-issued documents and, as such, are a very boring combination of letters and numbers. But hey, who said they have to stay that way? As long as it follows a couple of rules, the said combination can be literally anything. And this is how custom license plate ideas started to emerge.
Some people try to include their lucky numbers or spell their first or last name, but the really creative license plates go one step further. From your favorite character to your nickname and even your mood, car owners come up with so many variations that collecting photos of clever license plates has now become a real hobby.
But humankind wouldn’t be what we are if we didn’t have our sense of humor. So, of course, it was only a matter of time before funny license plates began appearing on the roads. Only limited by the number of characters on the plate, they poke fun at current events or politics, while the bravest might even joke about themselves.
The biggest drawback behind custom-made license plates, also known as vanity plates, is that you need to pay extra to have one issued for you. And although they are not allowed everywhere, more and more authorities are opening up to the idea of issuing customized cool license plates. A survey was conducted in 2007, revealing that among the US states, Virginia had the largest percentage of registered customized plates, while Texas had the lowest.
If you or your friends are considering getting funny vanity plates for your vehicles but can’t figure out how to fit into the regulations established by the authorities in your country or province, we have collected some custom license plate ideas to inspire you. And if you already have a vanity plate, don’t forget to share it in the comments.
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My Plate Is On The Right Saw His Plate And Had To Get This Shot
Meeoooww
Tops My Interesting License Plate List
Bored Panda reached out to license plate collector, trader, and the man behind LicensePlateTok Ethan Craft to talk about all things license plates.
Ethan has been interested in license plates since he was a kid. He recalls his dad and him driving for what felt like hours—just too long for the then 3-year-old—so he decided to keep himself busy by pointing out the different license plates he saw on the road.
"I guess it worked a little too well and now I’m still interested in plates more than 20 years later," joked Ethan. The seemingly very innocent game quickly turned into a passion and eventually into an entire TikTok channel.
This Is The Best License Plate I’ve Seen Yet
This Car Cut Me Off. I Was Mad Until I Looked At Their License Plate
heheh… i think that would deflate my annoyance as well..
Decommissioned Police Interceptor
I've Been Holding Onto This One
Besides regular license plates that don't usually say anything worthwhile unless you get lucky, there are also vanity license plates. And this is where humankind's creativity blossoms. Sure, you have your personal names or nicknames, but you can be crazier than that. The only limits are the space you have on the plates themselves and quantity of words available in whatever language you use, minus all the words your mom told you never to say.
"Almost everyone likes to show a little personality when they can, and custom personalized license plates are a great way to do that," elaborates Ethan. "One reason they seem to be becoming more common is that now they’re all over the world in Europe and Australia and the Americas, whereas they were once pretty limited to the United States. But seeing a funny or interesting plate on the road, that always makes my day."
I Was At The Right Place At The Right Time
Do License Plates Get Any More Metal?
Very Appropriate License Plate
Solid Advice
Small Pee Pee
It's been roughly 20 years that Ethan has been collecting license plates at this point, and it has been growing exponentially ever since he kicked off @LicensePlateTok.
"I haven’t done a full count recently but I must have hundreds, maybe even over 1,000, mostly from the U.S. and Canada, but I really want to expand my international collection and hopefully get a plate from every country in the world one day," said Ethan.
According to PD insurance, it is estimated that there are roughly 1.45 billion cars out there in the world. Double that and that's how many license plates there should be in theory. And hence you can imagine just how much room is there for creativity if you account for all the different countries and states with all of their different designs matched with people's ingenuity for shoving witty puns and one-liners into an average of 6 to 8 characters.
And Ethan's favorite license plate is also one of the more unique ones in the world: "It’s hard to pick just one favorite but I really love the license plates of the Northwest Territories in Canada, which are cut out to be in the shape of a polar bear."
The Licence Plate On His Hearse
Saw This License Plate Today
This Car Outside My Hotel
"Not OJ" License Plate
Best Tesla Vanity Plate
Now, you might think that something as simple as a license plate—a metal rectangle with the most basic of automotive identification information on it—will stay just that and that there isn't much room to innovate.
There is.
Ethan shared with us, as well as in one of his videos, that there is such a thing as "digital" license plates. They have actually been a thing for several years at this point, being run as a pilot test in California. Basically, they are "an iPad on the back of your car that shows the plate number", as Ethan put it.
And while the novelty and technology sounds cool, providing a tad bit more customization and even acting as a safety feature (notifying if a car was stolen), it comes at a much steeper price. Besides that, it's only a matter of time until someone hacks them and uses the built-in GPS to track people and do other sorts of invasive maneuvers.
"California has also recently launched wrapped plates for the front of peoples’ cars only, which are basically stickers for people who don’t want to drill holes into their front bumper," added Ethan.
Saw The Best Vanity License Plate Ever Today
One of my good friends husband has cerebral palsy and his tag says "jjjimmy" (south park reference)
Just Saw This Bad Boy On The Highway. Zoom In On The License Plate
"This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun" Clark Griswold
You think you hate it now but wait till you drive it 🤣🤣🤣
Load More Replies...Ahhh…the good ol’ Country Squire! Those rear pop up seats that faced each other. No seat belts. I love it!
For some reason when I first saw it, I thought it stood for Girls Gone Wild 🤦🏼♀️😬
This car needs an empty dog leash/collar on the bumper! Too bad stupid 'Karens'will think it's real and call the police. Please don't put a dead Aunt Edna on the roof! Classic movie lol
This Is Officially My New Favorite License Plate And Holder Combination
Mike Tyson’s Tesla
Drunk Drivers Hit My Car And Fled The Scene. I’d Be More Upset If I Didn’t Have The Best Vanity Plate
Ethan hopes people take more time to look at and appreciate license plates as they really have a lot to offer, despite their simplicity.
"There’s so much history and so many variations, no matter what you’re interested in or where you are from, there is bound to be a cool plate or two in your area. But I’ve heard from some of my followers that my account has helped get them interested in plate collecting, and that’s really my only goal. I’m thrilled to be 'the license plate guy' and the public face of the hobby I love so much."
You can check out more from Ethan on his TikTok channel, where he talks about all things license plates—delivers the latest news, breaks down the history, reviews the different designs, and just straight up educates folks on license plates.
This License Plate With All B’s And 8’s
My Mom Caught This Bear In Front An Appropriate License Plate In Lake Tahoe
Clever Saab Owner
Nice, but it would have been hotter if you could have put an I at the end. 🤔
Came Across This Cheeky License Plate Today
These 2 Cars Had Some Pretty Identical License Plates
Number Plate Of A Van Delivering Portaloos
Dude...so many times yes. Find the humor in and amongst the s**t (metaphorically or literally)
Couldn't A Ford The New License Plate?
License Plate Checks Out
Noticed A Limo At The Zoo Today And Wondered Why Someone Would Drive That To The Zoo. As I Was Leaving I Noticed The License Plate
A Jeep Wrangler With A Vanity Plate That Looks Like The Wrangler Front
Now I kind of want to see someone with a UwU plate...because I am a masochist I guess.
What A Jerk
What A Great Vanity Plate
Maybe The Most Clever License Plate I've Ever Seen
Ppl Suck
My License Plate Has Never Been So Fitting
My Wife Said This License Plate Made Her Think Of Me
Old Lady Drove By. This Is Her License Plate
I Was Getting Really Irritated At This Old Man Driving Incredibly Slow In The Left Lane Until I Saw His License Plate
I need this plate. I hate going the speed limit, and in Texas everyone expects you to go at least 10 over even when you're in the slow lane.
DMC Delorean The License Plate Says Outatime Just Like The Delorean From Back To The Future! Northern Illinois
This Driving School Has A Car With Vanity Plates Saying "Noob"
I Would Not Have Posted... Except For The Vanity Plate
Lamborghini Aventador The License Plate Gave Me A Good Laugh
The License Plate Makes It! Pic Taken In Petoskey Michigan
Check The License Plate
This Guy's License Plate
Baby Yoda
Saw This Old Couples License Plate... Clever
My 65 Mustang Next To My Dad's. Dad's License Plates Would Have Been Popular Now. (1965)
The License Plate On A Police Car In My Hometown
This Mini Cooper's License Plate
Lamborghini With A Funny License Plate
At first I read that as a greeting, kind of like "hello, darkness, my old friend". Then I realized that "hi" is just short for "high".
Two 666 License Plates In A Row
Probably The Best License Plate
I Saw My Favorite Purple Heart License Plate
Finally Got My Personalized Plate
My Response When People Say, “So Are You Planning To Leave Your House Now?”
Best Number Plate Ever
Good Use Of License Plate Frame And Personalized Plate. Barney Would Have Been Proud
Best Vanity Plate I've Seen
Watsgas
Now That's A Clever One
Spotted in Salem, MA, the night of the Vampire Ball. VMPYRE-634...a18e62.jpg
Saw This License Plate When I Was Walking Out Of Walmart Today
I'm Embarrassed At How Long It Took Me To Read The License Plate
"license plate" (took me longer than I'd like to admit so I'm sharing in case anyone else has a brain lapse)
Hmmmm
I super hope this is on a marked police car. "Are you a cop? If you are, you have to tell me"
Smart Lad
Perfect License Plate For This Park Job
Imagine Hating Science So Much That You Paid For A Custom Plate To Express Your Displeasure
Perfect License Plate
Ah the classic Montana registration tax dodge. Yet another loophole we need to close.
Dora Tha... Explorer
The car is a Ford Explorer, for those wondering after it leaves of at "Dora Tha"
Gotta Go, Gotta Go!!
It's The License Plate That Sells It
Read The License Plate
Cheeky License Plate
This Vet's Purple Heart License Plate Is A Commentary How He Qualified For It
Gas, For Laughing Out Loud
I saw a similar one in Maryland about a year ago. I believe it was GASLOL, but I could be mistaken.
The Perfect License Plate Doesn’t Exi...
Saab 96 With A Great License Plate. Spotted On Woodward Ave In Michigan
Fitting License Plate
Saw This License Plate Today At The Light Gotta Love It
So I Saw A Cobra Today... The License Plate Nearly Killed Me
Saw This License Plate Yesterday; It Gave Me The Jitters
This Bear Shaped License Plate
Spotted This Descriptive License Plate
Spotted A Rare Icelandic Model S In Reykjavík With A Great License Plate
The Rick And Morty Sticker Is Bad On Its Own But The Plate Restores Balance, I Bet He's A Funny Dad
Passionate About Snacks
Best License Plate Ever
Best License Plate Ever
Saw This License Plate Today
Bob Marley's Car??
Now That's A Number Plate
I Wonder How Does The Inside Of The Car Smell
I Know If Anyone Would Appreciate My New License Plate, It'd Be You Guys
Screaming Because Of The Potholes In Pennsylvania
I’ve seen this one in either Maryland or Pennsylvania recently!! I cannot remember which for the life of me at the moment, though.
Ultima RS Randomly On The Freeway. Very Appropriate License Plate!
Him: "Do You Want Custom License Plates?" Her:
Also An Appropriate License Plate
Somebody Thinks Their Personalized License Plate Is So Clever
A Really Passive Aggressive License Plate I Saw Today
Thats an indiana car lol when i went to indiana everyone had this lol.
My Grandparents License Plate
"$20 Says You Can't Get The C Word On Your License Plate" Challenge Accepted
When You Tell Me It's Friday
He’s Bald
Lunch Break Vanity Plate Sighting
I Saw This License Plate On The Way In To The Office Today
Things You See On The Interstate... Pay Attention To The License Plate!!
In Pain In Maine
I'm Freee DJ Dave
As A Hobby, I Collect Pictures Of Unique License Plates. Spotted Yesterday Afternoon
Thank You Domino's Delivery Guy
The Most German License Plate
Always Nice When The Vanity Plate Ya Want Is Available. Lovin My New Plate
Best Use Of A Vanity Plate In Texas I've Ever Seen
I Was Looking At The Car And Then I Saw The License Plate
What A Coincidence, I Myself Am A Pickle Freak
Please Pull Me Over
The Sticker Makes It Better
Hi There
He Has Got A Point
Grateful
Water Lover
People who love H2O are so shallow. I personally prefer dihydrogen monoxide. It makes me more of a Chad™
I’m So Glad You Exist
I Love Bacon But This Guy Took It To Another Level
This Guy Decided He Didn’t Need A State License Plate, He Just Needed To Rep Blue Lives
New License Plate Came Today!
Texas Is Big
1.6 GPA
My Husband And I Got Drunk And Ordered A Vanity License Plate... I Do Not Regret It
Indiana License Plate Approval Office Staffed Entirely By 15-Year Old Boys
We're Doing License Plates Today? Am I Doing It Right?
This Truck And The License Plate I Drove Home Behind Today
am I the only one that thinks people that drive massive trucks are a-holes?
That's An Interesting One
Strong Men Also Cry
Now That's A Statement
Californian Climate Makes You Feel Like
Just Spotted In Classy Lexington, Kentucky
Hi
The License Plate Says It All
Lamborghini Huracan Performante In Sky Blue With License Plate "Litt" Spotted On I95 In Massachusetts. Very Rare To See Anything Nice Around Here
So Glad Emperor Palpatine Let Us Choose Vanity Plates For Our Civilian Speeders
I Got My Colorado License Plates Today And This Is What My Randomly Generated Plate Was
My Uncle Peter And Aunt Phyllis Got A Custom License Plate. It Didn't Turn Out The Way They Thought
Who Needs Ok Cupid When You Have License Plates
My Uber Drivers License Plate
Just A Random License Plate I Saw The Other Day
Found A Very Low License Plate Number Today
Saw This Awesome License Plate Yesterday
America Is Not Something Worth Celebrating This Year. So I Don’ Wanna!
100% True
The License Plate Agrees. Bucedesatti
Land Rover Defender Nice License Plate
Friend Snapped Me This Because They Thought The License Plate Was Funny
Inconspicuous License Plate
Model X In Her Natural Habitat
I Actually Like The Mach-E, So What’s Up With The Custom Plate
I just think it was an odd choice on Ford's part to give it design hints of a Mustang and market it as a Mustang. But, they have a history of marketing new vehicles as completely unrelated previous vehicles (the Taurus X).
Yeah Bro
SpongeBob's Jeep
Corn Star
Ironically, I’m On The Phone With My Wife Right Now
Having Fun
Thanks For Telling Everyone
Lamborghini With A Fitting License Plate
If I could afford that car, the plate would say "MERCI" instead of "MERCY".
A Tesla With A Bitcoin License Plate
Weird Flex But Ok
Oh The Irony
License Plate Checks Out On This Viper ACR
BMW M4 Clever License Plate
I Live In New Zealand. First Time Seeing A Model S. License Plate Did Not Disappoint
I Can't Be The First To Take A Pic Of This Personalized Plate
My Vanity Plates Finally Came In And I’m In Love
Saw An R8 With The Best Vanity Plate
Be Patient When Driving
The irony of this is it's a CA plate...a state known for training tailgaters LOLOL!
This Is Cute
We All Have Issues, Some More Than Others
My New License Plate Arrived Today!
I guess no one at their DMV remembers the Ringo Starr movie, "Caveman". In the language the cave people spoke in the movie, that would be an F-bomb. Referring to the act. God, I have some of the most useless trivia taking up valuable real estate in my brain ...
Porsche 959 From A Few Years Ago In Tucson AZ. I Love The License Plate
Second best plate I ever saw in Tucson was on a red Ferrari Testarossa: AVG JOE. Best was one that slipped past the censors.
A True German License Plate
License Plate On A H2 Hummer
MC Ribs
Nobody, Literally Nobody, Tesla Owners:
Reynolds???
I Know It's A Novelty Plate, But Still Funny
Fatboyy
If You Insist
Glad Dad
Bad Mobile
A Big Mac Crossed The Road... No That Wasn't A Joke, A Big Mac Really Did Cross The Road
Saw This License Plate The Other Day
Good Looking Porsche With A Great Vanity Plate
Saw This Cringe Personalized License Plate In The Wild
Meow
Time Machine
Exactly. Question Everything
An Office-Themed Vanity Plate And My New Plate Arrived Today!!
I Bet This Hun Thought She Was So Clever Snagging This Vanity Plate Up!
Someone Has Been A Busy Bee
Ready To Cry
Dolly!
Just Your Everyday License Plate
We have a real estate agent whose surname is McDonald...his plate is E I E I O
Load More Replies...This was my license plate when I lived in Los Angeles. I managed to get the same plate when I moved back to Nova Scotia, Canada. :D california...d16b69.jpg
Love it. I'm a nurse who constantly has to initial chart notations with CDC
Load More Replies...These remind me of the idea my buddy had for a plate. He was looking at getting a Kia Soul, and being the unironic edgelord that he proudly is, he wanted to get the vanity plate "Sold my".
RI here, where everyone has either a low number or vanity plate. Mine is MY CAH. ☺️
We have two nerd jokes, Error 410 (for the HTTP status error "Gone") for the faster car, and Error 451 for mine (it's the HTTP status Error used for censorship, but the actual error reads "Not available due to legal reasons", so it's a combined nerdy tech joke and joke about me being married combined)
Once saw a license plate that read "old sock" with an actual old sock tacked underneath it. You can see it here lol https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/pzvw7f/is_this_art/ (not my post/photo)
I live in ND, and the best one I've seen is, Pd4byX, on a little red convertible, driven by a tanned, blonde beauty!
I saw a Supra a while back with the license plate saying yesitsa and the word Supra was directly underneath the license plate.
My plate used to read WRSTMOM. Yes, that stands for worst mom! My daughter now drives that vehicle and I've changed my plate to read OCDENA (my first name is Dena and I may or may not be OCD 😀).
I've seen PJ07 HOO which was funny. Also one ending UWU and one that said ONIONSU
My Vanity plate reads " Fartzy" & Indiana plate has "Celebrate the Arts" on bottom....I added a Y to artsy...Memoriam to my dad who'd say he hated "Artsy Fartsy" stuff. Can't seem to add picture here.
My mom has one that says Needed It, but I read it half the time as Need Edit.
At 18 my first plate on my first car said CYN. Mom didn't me to get it because it sounds like sin.
Syncere here So I got that from other people all the time when I just said sin. They would be like as in a sin like the bible when I was younger and then sin like sin city when I got older. 🤦🏾♀️
Load More Replies...We have a real estate agent whose surname is McDonald...his plate is E I E I O
Load More Replies...This was my license plate when I lived in Los Angeles. I managed to get the same plate when I moved back to Nova Scotia, Canada. :D california...d16b69.jpg
Love it. I'm a nurse who constantly has to initial chart notations with CDC
Load More Replies...These remind me of the idea my buddy had for a plate. He was looking at getting a Kia Soul, and being the unironic edgelord that he proudly is, he wanted to get the vanity plate "Sold my".
RI here, where everyone has either a low number or vanity plate. Mine is MY CAH. ☺️
We have two nerd jokes, Error 410 (for the HTTP status error "Gone") for the faster car, and Error 451 for mine (it's the HTTP status Error used for censorship, but the actual error reads "Not available due to legal reasons", so it's a combined nerdy tech joke and joke about me being married combined)
Once saw a license plate that read "old sock" with an actual old sock tacked underneath it. You can see it here lol https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/pzvw7f/is_this_art/ (not my post/photo)
I live in ND, and the best one I've seen is, Pd4byX, on a little red convertible, driven by a tanned, blonde beauty!
I saw a Supra a while back with the license plate saying yesitsa and the word Supra was directly underneath the license plate.
My plate used to read WRSTMOM. Yes, that stands for worst mom! My daughter now drives that vehicle and I've changed my plate to read OCDENA (my first name is Dena and I may or may not be OCD 😀).
I've seen PJ07 HOO which was funny. Also one ending UWU and one that said ONIONSU
My Vanity plate reads " Fartzy" & Indiana plate has "Celebrate the Arts" on bottom....I added a Y to artsy...Memoriam to my dad who'd say he hated "Artsy Fartsy" stuff. Can't seem to add picture here.
My mom has one that says Needed It, but I read it half the time as Need Edit.
At 18 my first plate on my first car said CYN. Mom didn't me to get it because it sounds like sin.
Syncere here So I got that from other people all the time when I just said sin. They would be like as in a sin like the bible when I was younger and then sin like sin city when I got older. 🤦🏾♀️
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