Leo Gillick
A personalised license plate is a cheap and easy way to make a car stand out a little, but there are rules on what can and cannot be written on them.
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Some of the rules are to stop confusion. I had one friend who had arranged their plate in such a way that the pins holding it in made it look like a completely different series of numbers and letters. They were eventually caught. But for one woman, named Isis, the issue is a little different.
A Bold Statement: The woman, named Isis, had her personal license plate read I AM ISIS. To be fair to the woman, this is her name, and this is correct. But, with all that’s going on in the world, there are a few negative connotations associated with the name. So, despite having the plate for three years and having paid for it, the DMV rejected it.
- “Dear Isis, the Department of Motor Vehicles has reviewed its records, and it was determined that the personalized license plates ‘I AM ISIS’ assigned to your 2021 Kia contain a configuration of letters/ and or numbers that are non-compliant with the requirements of Title 13.”
Not An Appropriate Name
Once upon a time, Isis was recognised as one of the most important and core goddesses of the ancient Egyptian culture. But the Islamic State of Iran took the name and made it its own. Now, it’s associated with the military group. They don’t have a particularly favorable reputation.
What’s In A Name: For the woman, probably named after the goddess rather than the Islamic military group, Isis is just a name. It’s a rather nice one too. But the DMV doesn’t see it that way and certainly doesn’t think it should be on a license plate.
- “I was surprised. My first reaction: I was super surprised. I was confused since I’ve had it for so long. And I was honestly super hurt,” she said.
And, apparently, under the First Amendment rights, she should be able to fight the DMV over it. We’ll see who ultimately wins the case.
