You finally bought the car. It’s sleek, it’s fast, and in your head, it’s basically a Federation shuttlecraft. Naturally, you head over to the DMV website to grab a custom plate. You type in "NCC-1701" or maybe "B0RG" and hit submit, expecting a victory lap. Instead, you get a big, fat rejection notice. It’s frustrating. It feels like the Department of Motor Vehicles is staffed entirely by Romulans. But the truth behind Star Trek license plate problems is usually a mix of boring bureaucracy, accidental profanity, and the fact that you aren't the only Trekkie in your zip code.
Honestly, the sheer volume of fans trying to register the same five or six phrases is staggering. If you live in a high-population state like California or Texas, the odds of scoring "TREKKIE" are basically zero. It was likely taken back when The Next Generation was still airing original episodes.
The Conflict Between Starfleet and the DMV
Most people assume that if a plate is available, it’s theirs. That’s not how the system works. Every state has a "decency" board or an automated filter designed to catch anything offensive. This is where the real Star Trek license plate problems begin. You see "47," a number that appears in almost every episode of the franchise as an inside joke among the writers. The DMV computer might see a code for a local gang or a banned political movement. It’s a total disconnect between nerd culture and public safety regulations.
Then there is the issue of "Vulcan" logic. Some fans have tried to get plates like "LVLNGPR" (Live Long and Prosper). In some jurisdictions, vowel-free shorthand is flagged because it looks like "lewd" slang to a tired government employee who has never seen a single frame of Leonard Nimoy.
I remember a specific case in Manitoba, Canada, where a fan named Nick Troller had his "ASIMIL8" plate revoked. He had the plate for years. He even had a specialized border around it that said, "Resistance is Futile." But someone complained. They argued that the word "assimilate" was offensive to Indigenous peoples due to the history of forced residential schools. The government agreed and pulled the plate. Troller took it to court, arguing it was a pop-culture reference, but he lost. It shows that even if your intent is 100% sci-fi, the real-world context of a word can override your fandom.
Why Your "NCC-1701" Might Be Illegal
You'd think a string of letters and numbers would be safe. It’s just a ship registry, right? Not necessarily. One of the recurring Star Trek license plate problems is the "Confusingly Similar" rule. Most DMVs won't allow you to have a plate that looks too much like a standard-issue plate. If your state uses a 3-letter, 4-number format (like ABC-1234), and you try to get "NCC-1701," they might reject it simply because it mimics the official numbering sequence. They want police officers to be able to distinguish a custom plate from a standard one at a glance during a high-speed chase.
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The "O" vs. "0" (zero) issue is another nightmare.
Some states don't allow you to swap them.
If someone has "KIRK" with an "O" instead of a zero (if that were even possible), you can't just take the other version.
It’s a mess.
Let's talk about the Borg. They are a fan favorite, but "BORG" is often flagged. Why? Because in some shorthand circles, it sounds like "beer-org." No, I’m serious. Law enforcement agencies are hypersensitive to anything that looks like it celebrates drinking and driving. You’re thinking about Seven of Nine; they’re thinking about a DUI on a Saturday night. It’s a classic case of two different worlds colliding at the registration window.
Navigating the Neutral Zone of State Regulations
If you're determined to get a Trek plate, you have to understand that every state is its own sovereign nation. What flies in Florida will get you a rejection letter in New York. For instance, some states allow symbols, but most don't. You can't put a Delta shield on your plate. You're stuck with the standard character set.
- California: They are notoriously strict. They have a massive handbook of "banned" combinations.
- Virginia: This is the vanity plate capital of the world. You have a better chance here, but the competition is fierce.
- Texas: They use a third-party site for some of their "luxury" plates, which can cost hundreds of dollars.
When you deal with Star Trek license plate problems, you also have to consider the "Look-Alike" factor. Some people try to be clever with "1701-A" or "1701-D." But if the hyphen isn't an approved character, your plate just becomes "1701A." Is that still Trek? To a purist, maybe. To a casual observer, it just looks like a random serial number from a toaster.
There’s also the "69" problem. Any Trek reference that accidentally includes the number 69 is dead on arrival. If you were born in 1969 and wanted "TREK69," don't even bother. The DMV doesn't care about your birth year; they care about the "suggestive" nature of the digits. It’s a blunt instrument approach to censorship, but it’s the reality of the bureaucracy.
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The Copyright Gray Area
Technically, CBS/Paramount owns the trademarks to Star Trek. Does this affect license plates? Usually, no. You aren't selling a product; you’re paying for a government-issued identification marker. However, if you try to use a plate to promote a business—like "TREKBIZ"—you might run into issues if you’re using official logos on the rest of your car.
The DMV usually won't reject a plate based on copyright unless the copyright holder specifically requests it, which is rare for individual plates. The real issue is almost always "Public Decency" or "Clarity." They want the plate to be readable. If you use too many "I"s and "1"s (like "III111I"), they’ll kick it back because it's a "visual obstruction" for toll cameras and police scanners.
What to Do When You Get Rejected
Don't just give up and go home. Most states have an appeals process. If your plate was rejected for being "offensive," you can sometimes write a letter explaining the context.
Include a picture of the show.
Explain that "SHRAN" is a blue alien with antennas, not a coded slur.
Sometimes a human being will actually read your appeal and realize the automated filter was being overzealous.
But if the plate is rejected because it’s already taken? You’re out of luck. There is no "secondary market" for plates like there is for website domains. You can't go find the guy who owns "SOREK" and offer him $500 for it. In most states, the plate belongs to the person, and when they stop renewing it, it goes back into the general pool—or sits in "limbo" for a few years before it's released again.
Proven Strategies to Beat Star Trek License Plate Problems
If you want to avoid the headache, stop trying to get the obvious ones. Everyone wants "SPOCK." Nobody is getting "SPOCK." You have to go deeper into the lore. Think about obscure episode titles, minor characters, or even ship components.
- Use Tholian or Gorn references. They are less common than Vulcan or Klingon ones.
- Try stardates. Instead of the ship name, use a significant stardate from your favorite episode.
- Go for the deep cuts. "RIKERMNV" (Riker Maneuver) or "DARMOK" are much more likely to be available than "ENTERPRISE."
- Check for "Specialty" plates. Some states offer "Science" or "Space" themed plates that already have a shuttle or stars on them. This makes your Trek-themed text look even better.
Actionable Next Steps for the Aspiring Starfleet Commander:
- Check the Online Database First: Most state DMVs have a real-time "availability" search tool. Use it before you get your heart set on a specific phrase.
- Have Three Backups: Never go to the DMV with just one idea. Have a list of three or four variations. If "KAHLESS" is gone, maybe "MOKRA" is available.
- Avoid Zeros and Ones if Possible: To prevent "Confusingly Similar" rejections, try to use clear letters that don't look like standard-issue digits.
- Prepare Your "Context" Statement: If your state asks for the "Meaning of the Plate" on the application, be very specific. Write: "This is a reference to a fictional character from the 1960s television show Star Trek." This prevents a confused clerk from assuming it's a secret code for something illicit.
- Check the "Banned" List: Many states actually publish their lists of rejected plates through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. A quick Google search for "California DMV banned plates list" can save you the trouble of applying for something that has been rejected a thousand times already.
The road to a perfect vanity plate is full of red tape and photon torpedos. But with a little bit of creative thinking—and a deep knowledge of the Alpha Quadrant—you can usually find a way to represent your fandom without getting stuck in DMV spacedock. Just remember: keep it clean, keep it readable, and for the love of the Prophets, stay away from the number 69.