DMV apologizes for license plate mocking Oct. 7 attack

A personalized license plate spotted in Culver City has led to an official response from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, with the agency promising to recall the plate because of "hateful language." 

On Dec. 12, watchdog group StopAntisemitism posted a photo of a license plate that read "LOLOCT7" to X. "StopAntisemitism is appalled by the sickening display on a Cyber Truck plate in California, celebrating terrorism against the Jewish people." 

The plate was interpreted to read "LOL," the acronym for laugh out loud, followed by OCT7, a reference to October 7 when Hamas launched a large-scale terror attack in Israel in 2023.  

The group that posted the license plate to social media said it was seen in Culver City at Jefferson and Sepulveda boulevards.  

The same day the DMV responded "to hateful language on personalized license plates" on X, saying "This is unacceptable and disturbing." 

The department said it is "taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review process to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again." 

A department spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the license plate owner will be notified about their plate's language and the issuing of a recall. The owner of the vehicle has the right to appeal the department's decision. 

The configuration of this particular plate has prompted the department to look for others similar to it in its database and recall them, a department spokesperson to the Times. 

"We sincerely apologize that these personalized plates were not properly rejected during our review process," the DMV said in a statement.