Pozo woman gets no (GUN)LOVE from DMV

July 12, 2011

A Pozo woman is taking aim at the California Department of Motor Vehicles after officials denied her request for a personalized license plate that would say GUNLOVE.

Elizabeth Beeman, a card-carrying member of the NRA, learned of the DMV’s decision in a letter, dated June 16, 2011, from A. Correa, Manager of the Special Processing Unit in Sacramento.

In the letter, Correa denied Beeman’s request, citing the California Vehicle Code, Section 5105: “The department may refuse any combination of letters and numbers that may be considered offensive, which could be misleading, or in conflict with any existing license plate series issued.”

The irony, according to Beeman, is that the DMV originally issued her license plates with GUNLOVE back in 1992 without incident. She had the plates for several years and no one complained. Beeman eventually removed the GUNLOVE plates, but recently decided to put them back on her car.

Her first stop was the Paso Robles DMV office. “Everyone was very friendly and supportive,” said Beeman. “I had a choice of paying about $450 for a new sticker  since the plates were expired, or I could save money and start the process over. That’s what I chose to do.”

Beeman, whose father has long been a respected California manufacturer of air rifles,  said she was shocked and dismayed when Correa’s letter arrived, especially since she had already owned GUNLOVE plates for years. Equally frustrating is the fact that she has been unable to reach Correa by phone to get an explanation.

A spot check of the DMV web site Monday night confirms that GUNLOVE is not available, though plates reading GUNHATE, A55ORGY, FOURPLAY, and EATMEOK were approved online for application.

“I’ve been around guns since I was a kid. I’m an excellent shot. There is nothing wrong with being fond of guns.” said Beeman, who intends to contact both state Senator Sam Blakeslee and state Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian to solicit their support in obtaining the desired plates.

“This is about political correctness getting out of hand,” Beeman said. “What the heck happened to freedom of speech?”