Show HN: Test your license plate identification skills

13 comments

·May 21, 2025

Earlier this week on HN I came across a dataset that had a bunch of approved/rejected California license plates, so I made it into a game! Enjoy

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aaronbrethorst

    LUV CBDS

    YOUR ARE WRONG!!!

    REJECTED | Reason: CBD=CANNABIDIOL, A COMPOUND OF MARIJUANA LIKE THC.

Well, that's silly seeing how CBD is available OTC basically everywhere (thanks to Mitch McConnell and the law of unintended consequences https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-mitch-mcconnell-acc...)

EvanAnderson

Several years ago I received a letter from the Ohio BMV asking me to explain my vanity tag. I always wondered if somebody complained about it. I bet my explanation ended up in a database not unlike the one this game is based-on.

(My explanation to the BMV was that it was my favorite prime number less than 32,000...)

tbihl

Virginia has a national park license plate with a picture of a black bear. I recently saw it, vanity letters, "AHHBEAR", googly eye glued to the bear.

swalsh

This game feels like someone trying to RLHF some license plate model

jony1266

LOL this is so fun -- esp because these are real license plates that got approved + rejected...

where did you get the data for the license plates from?

cAtte_

OP seems to be referring to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44025022

forthwall

Yup! I actually couldn’t find it for some reason, will add it to attribution- thanks

jony1266

ah very cool

croisillon

i don't get it?

CHULO62

APPROVED | Reason: CHULO=PIMP

forthwall

These are the notes written by the DMV. They may note that a plate may have a negative connotation, but they will still approve it

croisillon

ah ok thanks!

laweijfmvo

Same. I don't really understand the output.

ovulator

YOUR ARE WRONG!!!

REJECTED | Reason: POOP