The North Dakota Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division is responsible for issuing license plates.
Its policy on personalized plates states, in part:
The Motor Vehicle Division retains the right to refuse to issue any license plates with any combination of letters or numbers, presented in any language, which, when read forward or backwards, may carry connotations that are offensive to good taste and decency, or would be misleading, including but not limited to:
1. A vulgar word or term, including a swear word or term defined in dictionaries as profane, obscene, or having an explicit sexual connotation.
2. A word or term that is offensive to or contemptuous of a racial or ethnic group.
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3. A word or term that advocates lawlessness or advocates lawless activities or that refers to illegal drugs.
4. A word or term that could be reasonably expected to provoke a violent response from viewers.
5. A foreign word or term that falls into any of the above categories.
6. A combination that conflicts with the NDDOT's regular license number system.
