A California pickup truck owner ordered a personalized plate that has since gone viral. That vanity plate, which included the letters and numerals 3J0H22A, might not appear to be anything special. However, when the plate is viewed in a reflection, its real meaning becomes apparent. Anyone who looks at a Toyota pickup from the side or rearview mirrors will notice an alarming message.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has restrictions on what is acceptable for a vanity license plate. These personalized plates may not violate any of the following rules. In California, plates cannot “Be offensive or slang in ANY language,” “interchange letters and numbers to look like other plates,” or “resemble an existing license plate.”

However, because the driver designed a plate that was only contentious when viewed in a mirror, he or she has been fined. The plate appears to read “A**hole” when seen in a mirror.

The state’s DMV explains that personalized license plates can be customized “with your own combination of letters, numbers, and other characters,” adding “Standard plates that are personalized allow for 2 to 7 characters. Other personalized license [plates can have] a varying number of characters based on what kind of plate you choose to personalize.”

Because of the offensive nature of their license plate, this driver is certain to get a lot of criticism. The “A***hole” phrase is not suitable for public viewing, and it will be interesting to see if the DMV takes any measures against the driver. In the meantime, this vehicle’s owner is sure to attract a lot of attention from other drivers on the highway.

Other vehicles in other states have performed similar things to get around DMV regulations. In one case, the vehicle’s owner had a vanity plate made that produced a provocative swearword when seen from the correct angle.

When you look closer at the license plate in the photograph, you’ll notice that it isn’t simply any old message. When seen in a mirror, the letters and digits on the plate form a hidden “F*** You” statement. It’s clear that this pickup truck driver will get some angry glares from other road users.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has restrictions on what is acceptable for a vanity plate. These personalized plates may not violate any of the following regulations. In order to be valid in the state of California, plates must contain a letter or number and cannot be longer than seven characters. Furthermore, they must not contain foul language or pictures that are offensive.

When this vehicle is viewed from the side or rear-view mirror, it displays the word “A**hole” in all capital letters. Of course, other drivers on the road will give this pickup truck driver some disapproving looks.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is currently investigating the use of this driver’s license plate. It remains to be seen whether the DMV will crack down on this driver in the future. Because the vanity plate is so inflammatory when seen in a mirror, it’s likely that authorities will take it away and require the motorist to replace it with another Toyota pickup truck license plate. Will the driver figure out another way to annoy their fellow Californians? Only time will tell if they do.