The Hidden Message On This California License Plate Has Gone Viral

The Hidden Message Behind This “Random” Vanity Plate Is Blowing People’s Minds

Every vehicle on the road has a license plate. Most of these plates are just a random mix of letters and numbers, but some drivers opt to pay a little extra for a vanity license plate—one that says something personal or clever, as long as it meets certain state guidelines.

What Are the Rules for Vanity Plates?

Each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has its own set of rules, but most agree on two basics:

• No duplicates: Two drivers can’t have the exact same vanity plate.
• No offensive content: Plates that include profanity, hate speech, or inappropriate innuendo are usually banned.

But here’s the tricky part: what’s considered “offensive” is subjective. One mom, for instance, was told her plate was inappropriate—after driving with it for 15 years. Thankfully, her state’s governor stepped in and told the DMV to back off.

The Genius Workaround

Some drivers have gotten very creative to sneak their messages past the censors. That’s exactly what happened with one California license plate that recently went viral on Imgur.

At first glance, it looks like a completely random plate:
“3JOH22A”

Nothing strange, right?

But the trick is: look at it in your rearview mirror.

When reversed, “3JOH22A” closely resembles:
“A$$HOLE”

Clever, Controversial… and Legal?

This kind of plate flies under the radar because it’s subtle and coded. If the DMV had realized what it meant, they probably would have rejected it—but viewed normally, it passes as just another sequence of letters and numbers.

People are calling it everything from “genius” to “immature”, but one thing is clear—it’s one of the most creative uses of a vanity plate in recent memory.

Best license plate ever

While this may not quite live up to the hype of being the “best license plate ever,” as the original poster claimed, it’s undeniably one of the most creative workarounds we’ve ever seen when it comes to sneaking a hidden message past DMV guidelines.

Internet Reactions: Equal Parts Admiration and Laughter

The internet, of course, had a field day with it.
Hundreds of commenters chimed in, expressing how clever and hilarious the plate is—especially imagining what it would be like if law enforcement had to report it over the radio.

One viral comment perfectly captures the absurdity:

“Radio, I’ve got a Toyota Tacoma, license plate says ‘asshole’ backwards in the mirror… can you run that for me? Over.”

Will the DMV Catch On?

The big question now is:
Will the DMV figure it out and recall the plate?

It’s possible. Once something like this gains traction online, it’s only a matter of time before DMV officials catch wind of the true meaning. Vanity plates can be revoked at any time if they’re found to violate state policy—even after being approved.

But for now, this plate stands as a shining example of how wit and subtlety can outsmart even the most careful screening systems.

What Do You Think?

• Is this license plate genius or just juvenile?
• Should it be allowed to stay, or should the DMV pull it?
• Have you ever spotted a hidden message on a plate?

Let us know in the comments 👇
And keep your mirrors clean—you never know what you might read next.