INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — There’s competition in Indiana for certain vanity plate words and phrases, so drivers have to get creative with the spelling, numbers and letters they use.
In a review of some 120,000 database records, CBS4 Problem Solvers’ Jill Glavan discovered thousands of cases of nearly identical plates, leading to confusion and at least one mix-up over BMV fines.
However, a review of the database also uncovered some fun facts about which vanity plates are most sought-after in the state.
Below are the most popular plates issued with the same message but different number/letter combinations.
For instance, one plate might read BOILER while another reads BOIL3R. Or a variation of the GOIRISH plate might use the number 1 in place of the letter I. The letter O can be swapped for a zero, and so on.
There’s a three-way tie for fifth most popular:
- BOILER – 12 variations
- GOIRISH – 10
- BATMAN – 8
- TARDIS – 8
- BADWOLF – 7
- ILLINI – 7
- RATEDM – 7
We also took note of certain topics or themes that are popular, including sports, faith and pets. Among them:
- Sports fans: BOIL3R, CH1CUBS, IND500, IUFAN, SCCRMOM
- Car enthusiasts: 64VETT, 76COBRA, FORD64, GOTGTO, Z0O0M
- Entertainment (TV shows and movies): 7ARDIS, BATM4N, BAZINGA, HANSOL0, IMGR00T
- Faith: AMEN2U, FORGIV, GODLVZU, HAVF8TH, PSALM16
- Pets: 20PAWS, ADOPTN, BOWOW, KITTYS, PETMOM
