The license plates Tennessee won't issue - from the state's own lookup and the records it has released.
When we checked these everyday words on the Tennessee Department of Revenue's personalized plate system, it refused 1,382 of them as objectionable or restricted - not just taken. Plenty look harmless: automatic filters often match a short word hiding inside a longer one, so the lookup can refuse plates a human reviewer would allow.
Tennessee is one of the states we check live. Check a Tennessee plate before you order.
Like every state, Tennessee refuses plates it considers offensive, profane, sexual, hateful, drug or violence related, or that look official (like police plates). Reviewers also read plates backwards, with numbers as letters, and in other languages.
Most states let you ask for a review or appeal in writing. Check Tennessee's DMV for how - and explain what your plate means, since reviewers often refuse plates they misread.
Use the rejection risk check in the VanityPlate dashboard. It looks for the things reviewers look for - hidden words, words read backwards or with numbers as letters, official-looking wording - and tells you if any state's own lookup has flagged the plate.