Nevada DMV Lets Local Man Keep Controversial License Plate

A Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) administrative judge ruled Monday that Adam Steelmon, a Reno, Nevada native, could keep his “anti-California” license plate, according to Fox5 News.

The DMV originally revoked Steelmon’s license plate, which reads “GOBK2CA,” in May after a complaint brought the plate to the DMV’s attention, Newsweek reported. The judge permitted Steelmon to keep the plate since he had owned it for nearly two decades, according to FOX5 News.

“Local law enforcement have pulled me over to tell me they liked my license plate. Texas has pulled me over. In 20 years, I’ve had one person say well I don’t think your license plates are very appropriate,” Steelmon said, according to KOLO-TV.

The original ruling referred to a Nevada statute that bans any license plate that, among other things, “Makes a defamatory reference to a person or group,” according to The Associated Press. The judge did not say whether or not the plate violated the statute section when he overturned the DMV ruling, FOX5 reported.

Steelmon could lose the license plate permanently if he fails to pay the fees for having a vanity plate, according to FOX5.