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A Florida resident was stunned when her new license plate contained a ‘racy’ saying – but decided to keep it anyway.
After discovering what the plate said – “SQZ A55” – 76-year-old Nancy Dello Stritto quickly went viral on social media on Wednesday when word got out about the new license plate the state sent her.
Dello Stritto, who lives in a retirement community in Pompano Beach, a city just north of Fort Lauderdale, told CBS News Miami that she was furious when she first saw the plate.
“When I saw that, I went ballistic,” she revealed. “I said, ‘How could that pass inspection?’”
“I don’t think a senior who is almost 77 will be driving around with a plate that has that to say,’ she added.
Florida resident Nancy Dello Stritto was left stunned after she received a number plated reading ‘SQZ A55’ (CBS News Miami)
However, when people close to Dello Stritto, including her sons and their friends, held a vote on whether or not she should keep the license plate, the results were clear. Keeping the plate won the vote by 16-1, she told CBS News Miami.
Now, Dello Stritto says that she is resigning herself to keeping the plate, suggesting that she was probably “destined” to receive it.
“I can handle it if I get a few honks here and there,” she joked. “Actually, being over 70, I might like a few honks.”
Users of the social media platform X joined in on the fun, too, with radio host Dana Loesch quipping: “I just want to be in the church parking lot on Sunday to see the reactions.”
The founder of the website OutKick Clay Travis joked: “Dying.”
Dello Stritto says that those close to her held a vote on whether she should return the plate. Keeping the plate won the vote by 16-1 (CBS News Miami)
When CBS News Miami contacted the Broward County Property Tax Collector, which mailed the plate to Dello Stritto, an office manager confirmed that the county will replace any offensive license plates for no charge at its office in Plantation.
Under state law, drivers in Florida must replace their standard license plates every 10 years.
Currently, the state’s license plates come in three varieties. Those include plates reading “Sunshine State,” “In God We Trust” or the name of one of the state’s counties.
Usually, the alphanumeric configurations on the plates are random, with motorists only paying for the cost of renewal. However, drivers can choose to request a desired plate for an extra charge, according to the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector.
Only 130 plates were rejected last year in Florida for being too obscene or for spelling out profanities, according to state records obtained by WKMG-TV. The rejected plates range from displaying swear words to offensive slurs.
The Independent has contacted the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for comment.