Some states have issued or continue to issue vanity plates on bases with different designs than the regular passenger counterparts. Alaska issued this plate and another variant starting in 1995; EX 07 may be a reference to a model of a car. Kansas has had a special design for vanities since the 1980s; the creative examples here include “Mom’s Wagon,” “You can do it,” “Buffalo Bill,” “Love to cheer,” and “Too unique.” South Carolina is a somewhat odd case, as it offered three types (two pictured here) in 1989; then in 1991 the “Nothing Could Be Finer” base debuted and has remained the vanity base ever since; WES HMS is likely a couple, a frequent use of vanity plate owners, USWCV6 refers to a U.S. Navy vessel, and ULTFNTC is probably “Ultimate fanatic.” Washington offered a green-on-yellow optional for vanities starting in the 1970s, but it ceased being issued to new registrants when the Centennial base was introduced.
Occupation and hobby-related vanities above: KWGRL = Cowgirl; TRLGAL = Trail Gal; HOOK UMM = Hook ’em (almost certainly owned by a fisherman, as many fly fishers use Montana rivers); HOOPDRM = Hoop Dream; IWRK2HRD = I work too hard; PRN8L = Prenatal; 2DECOR8 = To decorate.
Vanity plates abound, with some being straightforward and others leaving to one’s imagination. Plates that seem clear or whose background I’ve learned: I DV8 = I deviate; LU1SA = Luisa; LAXMIJI = Laxmiji, a spelling of a goddess in Hinduism; AHPAREE = Ah, Paris!; 1ZTOFAN = One Zito Fan (Barry Zito, former MLB pitcher); MINNIMOI = refers to a French term; HI-HO = Hi-Ho; SNCRZR = Sun cruiser (was on a convertible); FXYLASS = Foxy lass; BLK WIDW = Black Widow, referring to a Chevy truck model; DBLPLAY = Double Play; SGBRUSH = Sagebrush; MOTEL = Motel; RSHARKEY = Our Sharkey; GRYLDY = Gray Lady; RUFRYDR = Rough Rider (the Rough Riders were a band of volunteer cavalry led by Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War; Roosevelt spent meaningful time in North Dakota); KARE = Care.
Plates that are difficult to discern or have a generic unknown reference: SBA2DAY = reference to Small Business Administration?; SWELL 70 = 70 years old?; LIVE 31; PINK86 = pink likely refers to breast cancer (as does the plate, a specialty benefiting breast cancer research); KINE 220 (note that these were on the same car, found in a junkyard); LC 66.
