A Queensland mother, Indica Bradford, has expressed her frustration after being denied the opportunity to purchase personalised number plates featuring her unique name, which she had hoped to obtain since getting her driver’s licence. Following years of checking availability on the Personalised Plates Queensland website, she finally placed an order after buying a new car, only to later learn that her deposit had been refunded.
Bradford was informed that the plates were rejected by the Department of Transport and Main Roads due to their interpretation as offensive, specifically linking her name to a term associated with marijuana. Indica, named after the cannabis strain by her mother, was unaware of any negative connotation her name might carry. She noted that many Australians likely wouldn’t recognise any such association, seeing it merely as an uncommon name.
Frustrated with the rejection, Bradford is advocating for a reconsideration of the decision, asserting that her name is simply a legal identifier as stated on her birth certificate. She emphasised that she has no intention of causing offense; she merely wants to celebrate her individuality with personalised plates that reflect her identity.
In response, the Department of Transport and Main Roads outlined that all personalised plate requests are carefully vetted to align with community standards and expectations. While many requests are approved, a small fraction, like Bradford’s, are denied if deemed inappropriate, particularly in relation to the promotion of illegal activities. It was suggested that she could pursue a formal review of her case to further contest the decision.