California DMV apologizes for Cybertruck's license plate but family cites misinterpretation
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a response from a possible family member of the vehicle’s owner.
(KTLA) – The Department of Motor Vehicles has issued an apology over a California license plate that some argued openly mocked the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas but the family of the vehicle's owner says it is all being misinterpreted.
On Thursday, the license plate in question, which was on a Tesla Cybertruck, was spotlighted in a post to X by StopAntisemitism, a group “dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism.” The license plate reads, “LOLOCT7.” “Lol” is an acronym that stands for “laugh out loud” and is typically used to express amusement.
The organization said the vehicle was spotted at the intersection of Jefferson and Sepulveda Boulevards in Culver City.
“How did this get processed?” the post read. “Demand the @CA_DMV recall this license plate that celebrates the October 7th terrorist attack—a vile mockery of the 1,200 innocent lives lost and the countless others scarred.”
By Thursday afternoon, DMV responded to the post by issuing an apology and calling the situation “unacceptable and disturbing" in a statement on X, saying, “The DMV is taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review probes to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again.
"We sincerely apologize that these personalized plates were not properly rejected during our review process. The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways.”
A department representative who spoke with the Times said the vehicle’s owner would be notified of the situation, and their license plate would be recalled.
The owner, however, has the right to appeal the DMV’s decision should they choose to do so.
A man who claimed to be the son of the Cybertruck's owner told local outlet KABC that the license plate is being misread.
The intended message, he insists, is “LOLO,” Tagalog — a language spoken in the Philippines — for “grandfather,” “CT” is short for Cybertruck and the 7 represents the owner’s seven children.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said this was explained when they applied for the plate on the California DMV's website. He added that they are now working to get new plates for the Cybertruck.
DMV officials also told the Times that employees will scour the license plate database to identify additional offensive language involving the Oct. 7 attacks and recall those plates if found.