Funniest custom number plates on Aussie roads

Much like one of those tricky mathematical equations that always comes up with the same result, or Pi, no matter which numbers you enter, all personalised number plates somehow dissolve and dissemble into the same sentiment: 'LKATME'.

The fact so many people are so willing to spend money on allegedly funny license plates that they will sell their vehicles separately to their hilarious number plates is an enduring mystery.

And yet, for a great many people putting 'MYWRX' on their Subaru WRX, which is clearly, their WRX, somehow increases the value, to them personally, of the ownership experience.

There are, of course funny number plates in Australia, and indeed the world is full of funny number plate ideas. Where can you find funny custom plate ideas? Right here, of course, or splattered all over the internet.

And what justifies the description of funny custom number plates is very much a personal thing.

'D3FEKT' is a weird clever number plate, because it reminds us that some of these funny personalised plates feel like they are crying out for police attention, along with 'BOOKME'.

On the other hand 'OVAWRK' is a simple, effective creative number plate idea, particularly on an adventure vehicle, like the large SUV that was seen carrying this plate in Queensland.

Someone just wants to get away from it all, and thought it would be worth investing in a funny custom number plate to tell other people.

Funny personalised plates obviously amuse a lot of people, however, with special Facebook pages set up to recognise their comic genius, including Stupid Australian Number Plates, which has more than 46,000 followers. One particular favourite from that site is “I (heart emoji) Self”, which is simply a more colourful way of saying w****r.

I also enjoyed 'FAH Q' on a classic Ferrari, 'NOB' on a Bentley and 'SEXSUS' on a Lexus. Just wow.

There are, of course, general or mainstream funny number plates for sale, all over the internet, but then there are many more specific examples as well.

Funny Tesla number plates, for one, take a particular approach, in line with Tesla values and tropes, like 'BYBYGAS' (clearly an American example), 'CHARGEME', which could be a cry for help, 'CO2FREE' and 'IMGRNRU'.

'POWERUP' is another funny Tesla number plate that’s quite appropriate on a Tesla Model 3 Performance or similarly wild example.

I do also like the 'look at me, I’m saving the world' vibes of 'R3VOLT', which is at least a bit clever.

The winner for funny private number plates, however, goes to the self-aware Tesla owner in WA who went with 'TOSLA'.

Another rich vein of specific private number plates is funny 4WD number plates, which include simple offerings like 'MUDDY1' and '4WDRIV', along with my favourite, 'BAABAA' on a black Jeep.

Remarkably, this love of funny customer number plates is not uniquely Australian, or even western.

For example, there are plenty of funny Punjabi number plates out there, some of which might not make a lot of sense if you don’t get the context.

Many Punjabi number plates incorporate words or phrases from Punjabi culture, like 'Jatt' (which is a term for a Punjabi man) or 'Dhillon' (which is a common Punjabi surname). Punjabi plates also quite often use numbers to stand in for letters, so for instance '12' might take the place of the latter 'R'. Watch out for examples like 'JATTMOOD' and 'FRESHYDILLON'.

You might be wondering how much does a custom number plate cost?

The answer varies greatly depending on where you live, and if you’ve ever been to Queensland, where personalised number plates seem colossally common, you’re not be surprised to learn that personalised plates are cheaper there than in some states, at a costs of $165.

In South Australia, personalised plates have a one-off fee of $212.

In Victoria, prices for your personal plate start from $395, which is a lot more than Queensland.

In Tasmania, a custom number plate will set you back from $299. Western Australia is another place that loves a personalised plate, at least partly thanks to the fact that you can get from from just $104.60.

In NSW, you see customised number plates a lot less often, because getting one will cost you as much as $499. Ouch.

And in the ACT, you can be paying even more for variations of a personalised number plate, with non-standard plates ranging from $573.30 to $797.40.

So, very few LKATMEs in Canberra, then, clearly.