Custom Plate Banned Words (Department of Motor Vehicles)

Jordan Lassiter filed this request with the Department of Motor Vehicles of Illinois.
Multi Request Custom Plate Banned Words
Submitted March 4, 2022
Status
Completed
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Communications

From: Jordan Lassiter

Subject: Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Request: Custom Plate Banned Words (Department of Motor Vehicles)

Email

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

Procedures on handling Banned words ,symbols or ideals for custom motor vehicle license plates and a list of banned words or combination of the effect or symbols which is disallowed for use please include any digital , paper copy or pantalets which would pertain to policies or procedures .

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jordan

From: Jordan Lassiter

Subject: RE: Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Request: Custom Plate Banned Words (Department of Motor Vehicles)

Mail

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

Procedures on handling Banned words ,symbols or ideals for custom motor vehicle license plates and a list of banned words or combination of the effect or symbols which is disallowed for use please include any digital , paper copy or pantalets which would pertain to policies or procedures .

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jordan

From: Department of Motor Vehicles

Subject: FOIA Request Dated 4/10/2023

Email

Good afternoon,

Thank you for reaching out. This email acknowledges receipt of your attached request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. (FOIA), by the Illinois Secretary of State's Office (ILSOS) on April 18, 2023.

Per your request, we conducted a review of Illinois Secretary of State records for documents responsive to your request and determined there are responsive records that may be released.

First, regarding ILSOS procedures on handling banned words, symbols, or ideals for custom license plates, the ILSOS has statutory authority to refuse the issuance of or revoke any plate configuration that may be questionable in nature as to its intent, pursuant to the below statute:

(625 ILCS 5/3-405.2) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-405.2)
Sec. 3-405.2. Improper plates. The Secretary of State shall refuse to issue any license plates bearing a combination of letters or numbers, or both, which creates a potential duplication or, in the opinion of the Secretary, (1) would substantially interfere with plate identification for law enforcement purposes, (2) is misleading, or (3) creates a connotation that is offensive to good taste and decency.
The Secretary may revoke any such plates issued previously. Any person who has his or her plates revoked under this Section may acquire at no charge new plates and any required stickers of the same category and for the same period of registration.
(Source: P.A. 83-449.)

Citizens can submit potential offensive license plates to ILSOS for investigation via the following form found on the ILSOS website: Offensive License Plate Contact Form (ilsos.gov)<https://apps.ilsos.gov/ContactFormsWeb/offensive_plate_contact.jsp>. Following an investigation, if ILSOS finds that an issued special plate is indeed offensive, a standard letter is sent to the owner of the plate to have the plate pulled. Once the plate is pulled, ILSOS adds the offensive special plate to the ILSOS inhibit list. Attached is an example of the ILSOS letter revoking a custom plate. Please note the record contains information subject to redaction under FOIA pursuant to the following exemption:

Section 7(1)(b) Private information, unless disclosure is required by another provision of the Act, a State or federal law or a court order.

Also attached is the ILSOS list of banned special license plates, known as the ILSOS inhibit list, as of 3/31/2023.

Finally, please find a press release published on the ILSOS website, accessible via the following link: Secretary of State Giannoulias reveals rejected vanity plates in 2022 (ilsos.gov)<https://www.ilsos.gov/news/2023/january/230123d1.pdf>.

You have the right to have any denial of your request reviewed by the Public Access Counselor, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, 500 S. 2nd St. Springfield, Illinois, 62701, (877) 299-3642, Public.Access@ilag.gov<mailto:Public.Access@ilag.gov> (5 ILCS 140/9.5(a)). You also have the right to seek judicial review under Section 11 of the Act (5 ILCS 140/11).

Sincerely,

Janna Spriester | Assistant General Counsel & FOIA Officer
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
100 W. Randolph Street, Suite 15-600
Chicago, IL 60601
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