Woman's 10-Year-Old Plate Now Called Obscene

POSTED: 7:49 am PDT August 4, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Central Ohio woman said she has had the same license plate on her car for more than a decade, but now the state is calling her personalized plate obscene.

Pat Niple turned 74 years old on Tuesday. She normally ordered her license plates and renewal stickers by mail. But this year, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles returned her check, accompanied by a letter.

"The letter stated that I could no longer have my license plate, which was NWTF," she said.

Niple's personalized plates are NWTF, an abbreviation of Northwood Tree Farm -- a business she owned with her late husband. It also means something else, officials said."

Apparently, the young people use it on the computer," she said.

Niple went to a BMV office to get some answers. A clerk had to whisper what the acronym means to some people."Now what the –- and the last word begins with an f," Niple said. "I said, 'You got to be kidding me.'"

BMV officials said they have a set of standards that includes no profanity or obscene language.

So, Niple has to use a temporary tag until her new, acceptable plates arrive. A BMV representative said Niple can appeal to the registrar by writing a letter explaining what the acronym means to her. Officials will then make a decision based on her plea.

Niple said she plans to appeal and that she will at least keep the plates and frame them in memory of the business her family once owned. "My kids are sort of laughing at it because they're like, 'Now what has Mom done again?' I think they think I'm mischievous or something," she said.