Dan Hartzell | The Road Warrior
June 9, 2008
The Morning Call
Q: I recently saw a 'Pro Life' themed license plate on a car while traveling the Lehigh Valley. Given this was a Pennsylvania-issued plate, I wonder what political, social and other issues are deemed OK for PA plates, and by whom. What's the process? Could any organization get a plate? Could the Ku Klux Klan get their own plate?
Mika Namir
Allentown
A:Apparently the white-hooded extremists haven't bothered to apply for specialty plates in Pennsylvania, Mika, at least not yet. And it's just as well, 'cause they'd be rejected: The KKK is not a registered nonprofit organization under the Internal Revenue Code's Section 501.
Only Section 501 organizations -- the most familiar being charities, religious and educational organizations filed under 501(c)(3) -- are eligible for specialty plates, also known as special organization plates.
That rule by itself should blow the engine on most trouble-making applicants one might imagine -- Neo-Nazi Skinheads of America, or Maoist League USA, to make two up out of thin air, from opposite sides of the political road. Groups must convince the IRS their activities promote public welfare or or benefit the community in order to qualify.
In case unsavory motorists do manage to steer around the IRS roadblock, PennDOT imposes similar, possibly even stricter provisions: Eligible groups must provide community services that benefit the welfare of others, and must not be ''offensive in purpose, nature, activity or name,'' as determined by PennDOT, said Motor Vehicles Director Anita Wasko.
State officials could use those vehicles to force hate groups off Specialty Plate Road, and presumably they would. But neither Wasko nor customer service officer Andy Cleaver would speculate on organizations that might apply.
Provisions for specialty plates vary by state, said Jason King of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. In California, he said, a state agency must agree to co-sponsor the organization's application, and the minimum order is 7,500 plates.
Organization plates, and especially customized vanity plates (in some states, though not Pennsylvania, the two can be combined) are very popular, King said.
Nearly 10 million vanity license plates have taken to the road in the U.S., according to Stefan Lonce, editor of the Montauk (N.Y.) Sun, who's writing a book on the topic.
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