Madison County Clerk: Residents can appeal after DMV flags specialty plates

Madison County Clerk Mike Kevel said in a brief Monday message that an internal DMV review and what he described as automated screening have led to notices being sent to vehicle owners whose specialty plates were flagged as violating DMV protocols.

Kevel said the DMV routinely destroys plates that are turned in, but that a recent automated review appears to have flagged "hundreds of plates" statewide, and that some recipients — he cited people in New York as one example — were told they must replace specialty plates with generic plates. "The good news is there is an appeal process," Kevel said.

Kevel urged residents who receive a notice to contact the DMV via the email link included with the notice to begin an appeal, or to contact the Madison County clerk's office for help. "We've got a link here for an email where you can start that appeal process," he said, and added that "the folks that we've been helping have had success with that."

Kevel described the county office as available to assist constituents who believe their plate was invalidated in error. He also recommended sharing the information with friends who have specialty plates.

The county clerk did not provide specifics about which specialty plates were affected, which DMV criteria triggered the flags, or how many Madison County residents were notified. He characterized some inappropriate or offensive text that had previously passed vetting as part of the reason for the DMV review. The clerk asked residents needing help to reach out to his office for direct assistance.