Adorning your car with a personlised licence plate can be the ultimate expression of your individuality, but is telling eveyone who passes you on the road that you are a DIVA legal?

The Mid-Ocean News called the Transport Control Department (TCD) to get the facts.

Q: What licence plates are considered legal in Bermuda?

A: Only plates issued by TCD are legal.

Q: What do you have to do to get a personalised licence plate?

A: You must fill out the personalised plate application which can be found on our website at www.tcd.gov.bm or collect a form at our offices on Parsons Road.

Q: Are there any documents that need to accompany the application?

A: Yes, all applications must be accompanied by the applicant’s current vehicle licence or a photocopy of that document.

Q: Are there any rules you have to abide by when deciding what you want on your licence plate?

A: Yes, personalised plates must contain a maximum of six characters and a space counts as a character, while dashes or other symbols are not permitted.

Q: Are there any other restrictions?

A: Yes, all personalised licence plates are subject to: letters only (a minimum of two) or a combination of letters and number(s), amounting to no more than six characters.

Q: What about words like “sexy” or “hunk”? Will these be allowed?

A: No, but every attempt will be made to accommodate an applicant’s request. The Minister of Transport reserves the right to deny any application. Licence plates must not appeal to any indecent sexual or obscene interpretation and TCD states that personalised plates must not be morally, ethically, racially, or in any other manner offensive to good taste, and must not be a duplication of any other personalised plate issued by TCD in the past.

Q: What about using the same letters as government vehicles or the Police?

A: No personalised plates can begin with LP, IN, HA, HB, CD, FHL, SP, XT, CLC, CM, LD, SPCM, M, TT, LT, IT, HT, BT, FT, AT, T, GP, PWAB, BPBA or TR.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: The initial personalised licence plate fee is $105 and includes the $35 for producing the plate as well as the annual licence fee. This annual fee of $70 and is renewable on the vehicle owner’s birthday. Cheques can be made payable to the Accountant General.

Q: Can taxis or trucks have personalised licence plates?

A: No, personalised plates are for private cars only.

Q: How long does it take before I get my personalised licence plate?

A: TCD will inform you when your licence plate is ready and it usually takes about 20 working days after they have been ordered. If your choice is not available you will be contacted immediately.

Q: How can the public get more information on personalised licence plates?

A: They can call TCD at 292-1271 or visit our website at www.tcd.gov.bm