A Northern California woman is pushing back against the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after receiving notice that her personalized license plate — “IAMISIS” — may soon be revoked due to its alleged association with terrorism.
The plate belongs to Isis Wharton, a resident of Sacramento, who insists the configuration is an expression of her personal identity — not a political or extremist message.
“I’m proud of my name,” Wharton told KCRA. “I’m proud that it’s on my car. I feel like, driving around, it looks cool.”
Wharton says the DMV’s sudden concern is not only confusing but deeply hurtful, especially given that she’s had the plate since 2022. “I just did my registration a couple of months ago, and they didn’t say anything then either,” she explained in an interview with KABC.
Last Friday, Wharton received a formal letter from the California DMV stating that her plate was under review and may violate state regulations. The letter outlined concerns that the message could be interpreted as a reference to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly known as ISIS — a terrorist group recognized globally.
“Dear Isis,” the DMV letter began, “The Department of Motor Vehicles has reviewed its records, and it was determined that the personalized license plates ‘I AM ISIS’ assigned to your 2021 Kia contain a configuration of letters and/or numbers that are non-compliant with the requirements of Title 13.”
The letter added, “Regardless of your intention, the configuration ‘I AM ISIS’ can be construed as ‘I AM ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA (ISIS).’”
Wharton, however, says her name is derived from the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, a symbol of healing and protection in mythology — not the extremist group. “It’s my identity,” she said. “I was named after a goddess, not a terrorist organization.”
The issue has raised broader questions about free speech, cultural identity, and government oversight. Legal experts say Wharton may have constitutional grounds to challenge the DMV’s decision.
Leslie Jacobs, a law professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, believes Wharton’s plate could be protected under the First Amendment.
“The free speech clause protects people saying their own messages on personalized license plates,” Jacobs told KCRA. “And so, most likely, the DMV is not going to be able to prevent her from saying that.”
Jacobs referenced a 2020 federal court ruling that limited DMV authority to censor vanity plates. “The United States Supreme Court has said that specialty license plates — those are the ones like ‘Save Lake Tahoe’ — can be government speech,” Jacobs said. “But these are personal license plates. And so, they’re going to say it’s her own speech.”
As of now, Wharton is awaiting the DMV’s final decision and says she hopes public understanding will help shift the conversation.
“I’ve never had a problem with it before. I just want to keep my name — and my identity — without being accused of something I’m not,” she said.
The DMV has not commented on the pending review, citing policy on ongoing investigations.
