Florida Woman Seeks New 10-Year Plate After Getting 'SQZ A55'

Q: Why is Florida's automated system issuing racy license plates to unsuspecting senior citizens?

There is no evidence that Florida is deliberately issuing racy plates to senior citizens. The available reporting points instead to a routine, automated assignment process that can occasionally produce letter-number combinations that look suggestive when read as slang. In Nancy Dello Stritto’s case, the plate “SQZ A55” appears to have been generated during Florida’s standard 10-year plate replacement cycle, not requested by her as a vanity plate. Florida screens personalized plates for offensive language, but this incident suggests that random serial combinations can still slip through because they are not always obvious to a filter that checks only direct words or known banned phrases. The public record does not show exactly how Florida’s system generated this specific sequence, and officials have not publicly explained the screening logic. What is clear is that the plate was part of normal renewal processing and that county officials said any plate considered offensive can be replaced at no cost. So the likely answer is not that the system targets anyone, but that it relies on automated serial generation with imperfect safeguards against unintended slang readings. This case exposed a gap between how a computer assigns combinations and how people actually interpret them. Stritto has said she still plans to alert the state, which could prompt a review of how random plate sequences are screened before mailing.

Q: Is the Florida senior with the 'squeeze ass' plate now enjoying the extra attention on the road?

Yes. After initially reacting with anger and embarrassment to the Florida plate reading “SQZ A55,” Nancy Dello Stritto now appears to be taking the attention in stride and even enjoying some of it. The 76-year-old Pompano Beach resident said she was upset when the replacement plate arrived during a routine registration renewal because she read it as “squeeze ass” and felt it was inappropriate, especially in her senior community. But family, friends and neighbors urged her to keep it, and the plate quickly became a conversation piece. Reports said the informal vote around her favored keeping it by 16-1. Dello Stritto has since said she is “resigned to it” and plans to leave it on her car for now to see how people react. Her comments suggest she is leaning into the joke: she said she might “get some honks,” adding that “being over 70, I might like a few honks.” She still plans to alert Florida officials to the unintended message, and Broward County has said an offensive plate can be replaced free of charge. For the moment, though, the evidence indicates she is no longer just offended by the plate and is enjoying the extra notice it brings.

3 articles · Updated · WESH 2 Orlando · Jul 15

Nancy Dello Stritto, 76, is asking Florida for a replacement after receiving a new license plate reading “SQZ A55,” which she said was inappropriate for her car.
The alphanumeric mix can be read as “squeeze ass,” turning the plate into a talking point in her Pompano Beach retirement community, especially among male neighbors.
Dello Stritto said she immediately rejected the plate and noted it was meant to last 10 years, adding to her frustration over the accidental message.
Broward County’s office manager said any plate judged offensive can be replaced for free at the county’s Plantation office.