Iowa DOT Asks Driver to Get Rid of Racist License Plate

It's not uncommon to see personalized or vanity license plates on the roadways in Eastern Iowa. Our station vehicle has the plates 981KHAK. But the state of Iowa won't allow just any words of numbers on those plates. The Iowa Department of Transportation is unhappy with one Iowan who snuck a nasty license plate on his or her vehicle.

The Des Moines Register reports that the plate in question was brought to the attention of the Iowa DOT thanks in part to a post on Reddit. A user posted a picture of the Iowa license plate that read 'M3INKPF'. The plate is referencing Mein Kamp, a political manifesto written by Nazi leader Adolph Hitler and published in 1925 according to the Register. 

The plate was seen attached to a BMW, a German automaker that has admitted ties to the Nazi party during World War II according to the Register. Some users on Reddit supported the license plate saying that it was a reference to BMW's M3 Model. A majority, however, called the plate racist and a direct reference to Hitler.

The Register reports that the Iowa DOT has received three other complaints about the license plate along with those posted on Reddit. A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation told the Register that they have asked the driver to choose a different message for the license plate. The DOT did not provide the driver's identity as it is protected under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act. The license plate was issued in May of this year.

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